Do Disciples Perform Miracles Today

The question of whether disciples perform miracles today elicits varied responses across Christian traditions, often rooted in differing interpretations of biblical texts and the historical development of the church. The New Testament records Jesus performing numerous miracles, many of which were not written down ^[1]. His first miracle, turning water into wine, manifested his glory and led his disciples to believe in him ^[3]. Jesus also promised his disciples that they would perform "greater works" than he did ^{[7, 13]}.

Early Christian writers, such as Origen, understood this promise to mean that the disciples would open the "eyes of those who are blind in soul" and the "ears of those who were deaf to virtue," suggesting a spiritual interpretation of "greater works" rather than solely physical miracles ^[6]. Tertullian also noted that Christians were perceived to have miraculous power, not through incantations, but "by the name of Jesus" ^[10]. However, Origen also records Celsus, a critic of Christianity, acknowledging the "miraculous works done by Jesus" and even the "great works performed by Jesus" that his disciples recorded ^{[5, 12]}.

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians, asks rhetorically, "Do all work miracles?" ^[2], implying that not all believers possess this gift. This text is often cited to suggest that miraculous gifts were not universally distributed even in the apostolic age. Charles Hodge, one theologian, notes that "signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost" were among the "credentials of the original Apostles," and those who claimed the office without these gifts were considered "false apostles" ^[8]. This perspective suggests that miraculous gifts served a specific purpose in authenticating the apostles' ministry.

Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, argues that miracles were primarily for "the establishment of the doctrines of Christianity, where they were first preached" ^[4]. He suggests that once the doctrine is credited, miracles become "useless" because believers already accept the truth. Therefore, in his view, miracles are not necessary today where the Christian doctrine is already established ^[4].

However, other traditions maintain that miraculous gifts can continue. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, interprets Jesus' promise in John 14:12—"the works that I do shall he do also"—as applying specifically to the apostles, enabling them to "raise the dead, heal all manner of diseases, and cast out devils" ^[13]. Matthew Henry, a Nonconformist commentator, also saw this promise as assuring the disciples of "powers sufficient to bear them out" after Christ's departure ^[7].

The early church also grappled with the nature and purpose of miracles. Lactantius, an early Christian author, cautioned against judging believers who do not perform signs and wonders, stating that "the gifts of God which are bestowed by Him" are not universally distributed ^[9]. Augustine, a prominent Church Father, warned against being deceived by miracles, emphasizing that "without unity, even he who works miracles is nothing" ^[11]. He pointed out that even Pharaoh's magicians could perform works similar to Moses, suggesting that miracles alone are not always a definitive sign of divine approval or true faith ^[11].

Sources

John “John 20:30 (LITV) — Then truly Jesus did many other miracles in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.”
I Corinthians “I Corinthians 12:29 (BSB) — Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?”
John “John 2:11 (DRC) — This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”
John (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on John 4:40: He abode there two days - We are not told that he wrought any miracles among them; this does not appear to have been necessary: they were a simple-hearted, teachable people, and they credited him on the evidence of his own eternal truth. Why are not miracles wrought now? Miracles were only for the establishment of the doctrines of Christianity, where they were first preached; we profess to believe these doctrines; therefore, to us, miracles would be useless. Where the doctrine is credited, no miracle is necessary: the Samaritans believed, and no miracle was wrought am”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XXXVIII.: But, moreover, taking the history, contained in the Gospel according to Matthew, of our Lord's descent into Egypt, he refuses to believe the miraculous circumstances attending it, viz., either that the angel gave the divine intimation, 413 or that our Lord's quitting Judea and residing in Egypt was an event of any significance; but he invents something altogether different, admitting somehow the miraculous works done by Jesus, by means of which He induced the multitude to follow Him as the Christ. And yet he desires ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. XLVIII. (part 2): knew to be fitted for a resurrection, in order that the works done by the Lord might not be merely symbols of certain things, but that by the very acts themselves He might gain over many to the marvellous doctrine of the Gospel. I would say, moreover, that, agreeably to the promise of Jesus, His disciples performed even greater works than these miracles of Jesus, which were perceptible only to the senses.[1] For the eyes of those who are blind in soul are ever opened; and the ears of those who were deaf to vi”
John (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on John 14:12: The disciples, as they were full of grief to think of parting with their Master, so they were full of care what would become of themselves when he was gone; while he was with them, he was a support to them, kept them in countenance, kept them in heart; but, if he leave them, they will be as sheep having no shepherd, an easy prey to those who seek to run them down. Now, to silence these fears, Christ here assures them that they should be clothed with powers sufficient to bear them out. As Christ has all power, they, in his name, should have great power, both in heav”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 38: adherence to the true gospel, by success in preaching (Paul said to the Corinthians that they were the seal of his apostleship, 1 Cor. ix. 2 ); and by signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost. Such were the gifts and qualifications and credentials of the original Apostles; and those who claimed the office without possessirig these gifts and credentials, were pronounced false apostles and messengers of Satan. When Paul claimed to be an apostle, he felt it necessary to prove, (1.) That he had been appointed not by m”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — ON WHOSE ACCOUNT THE POWERS OF MIRACLES ARE PERFORMED. (part 3): apostles, and completed His whole constitutions, He was taken up in their sight to His God and Father, who sent Him: he who has believed these things, not at random and irrationally, but with judgment and full assurance, has received the gift of God. So also has He who is delivered from every heresy. Let not, therefore, any one that works signs and wonders judge any one of the faithful who is not vouchsafed the same: for the gifts of God which are bestowed by Him”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. VI.: After this, through the influence of some motive which is unknown to me, Celsus asserts that it is by the names of certain demons, and by the use of incantations, that the Christians appear to be possessed of (miraculous) power; hinting, I suppose, at the practices of those who expel evil spirits by incantations. And here he manifestly appears to malign the Gospel. For it is not by incantations that Christians seem to prevail (over evil spirits), but by the name of Jesus, accompanied by the announcement of the narratives ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER III. 22-29. (part 16): us, that we ought not to be deceived even by miracles. Sometimes, indeed, a deserter frightens a plain countryman; but whether he is of the camp, and whether he is the better of that character with which he is marked, is what he who would not be frightened or seduced attends to. Let us then, my brethren, hold unity: without unity, even he who works miracles is nothing. The people Israel was in unity, and yet wrought no miracles: Pharaoh's magicians were out of unity, and yet they wrought the like works as Moses."(2) The”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. LXVIII. (part 1): But after this, Celsus, having a suspicion that the great works performed by Jesus, of which we have named a few out of a great number, would be brought forward to view, affects to grant that those statements may be true which are made regarding His cures, or His resurrection, or the feeding of a multitude with a few loaves, from which many fragments remained over, or those other stories which Celsus thinks the disciples have recorded as of a marvellous nature; and he adds: "Well, let us believe that these we”
John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 14:12: Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me,.... Having mentioned his miracles as proofs of his deity, he assures his disciples, in order to comfort them under the loss of his bodily presence, that they should do the same, and greater works; for we are not to understand these words of everyone that believes in Christ, of every private believer in him, but only of the apostles, and each of them, that were true believers in him: to whom he says, the works that I do shall he do also; he shall raise the dead, heal all manner of diseases, and cast out devils; ”

Ask Your Own Question