Topical Bible: Power of Christ: Enabling Others to Work Miracles

Bible > Topical > Power of Christ

◄ Power of Christ: Enabling Others to Work Miracles ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The power of Christ to enable others to work miracles is a significant theme in the New Testament, illustrating the divine authority and mission of Jesus Christ. This empowerment is not only a testament to His divine nature but also a means by which His followers could bear witness to the Gospel and the Kingdom of God.

Biblical Foundation

The Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles provide numerous accounts of Christ bestowing the ability to perform miracles upon His disciples. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explicitly grants His twelve disciples the authority to perform miraculous acts: "Jesus called His twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority over unclean spirits, so that they could drive them out and heal every disease and sickness" (Matthew 10:1). This empowerment was a direct extension of Christ's own miraculous ministry, serving as a sign of the in-breaking Kingdom of God.

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus further emphasizes the continuation of miraculous works through His followers: "And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well" (Mark 16:17-18). This passage underscores the enduring nature of Christ's power through the faith of believers.

The Apostolic Era

The Acts of the Apostles records numerous instances where the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, performed miracles in the name of Jesus. Peter and John, for example, healed a man lame from birth at the temple gate called Beautiful, declaring, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" (Acts 3:6). This miracle, performed through the power of Christ, led to the man's immediate healing and served as a powerful testimony to the gathered crowd.

The apostle Paul also experienced the enabling power of Christ to perform miracles. In Acts 19:11-12, it is noted, "God did extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured, and the evil spirits left them" . These acts were not only signs of divine power but also affirmed the apostolic message and mission.

Theological Implications

The power of Christ enabling others to work miracles is deeply rooted in the theological understanding of the Church as the Body of Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, believers are united with Christ and participate in His divine mission. The miraculous works performed by the apostles and early Christians were not merely acts of compassion but were also signs pointing to the truth of the Gospel and the presence of God's Kingdom.

This empowerment also reflects the authority of Christ over all creation, as He delegates His power to His followers. It serves as a reminder of the transformative power of faith and the active presence of God in the world through His Church. The miracles performed in the name of Jesus continue to inspire faith and demonstrate the reality of Christ's resurrection and His ongoing work in the world.

Contemporary Reflection

While the apostolic age was marked by extraordinary miracles, the power of Christ continues to be at work in the lives of believers today. Through prayer, faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit, Christians are called to be instruments of God's grace and power in the world. The legacy of Christ's enabling power challenges believers to live lives of faith, expecting God to work in and through them for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom.

Nave's Topical Index

Matthew 10:1
And when he had called to him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Nave's Topical Index

Mark 16:17,18
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Nave's Topical Index

Luke 10:17
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through your name.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Written from Rome
... when in vision was ever with him, enabling him to ... through the grace and power of
Christ, is promised to ... all might, according to His glorious power." Thus they ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 45 written from rome.htm

Ephesus
... and affections, and brings even the thoughts into obedience to the will of God,
enabling the receiver ... By this manifestation of the power of Christ, a mighty ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 27 ephesus.htm

What Think Ye of Christ?
... of his lost, undone condition by nature; enabling him to ... the soul, working a thorough
change, by the power of the ... in the whole man; and unless Christ be thus ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/what think ye of christ.htm

Sight Given to the Blind.
... the shattered life of individuals, and so enabling them to ... It was this feeling that
imparted to Christ so intense and ... the world; but it is in our power to turn ...
/.../dods/the expositors bible the gospel of st john vol i/xx sight given to the.htm

Jacob and Doubting Souls --A Parallel
... Revive them by enabling them to believe what is true, that there is a ... me lord of
all Egypt." So, the Lord Jesus Christ has told us that all power is given ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 42 1896/jacob and doubting soulsa parallel.htm

Luther's Separation from Rome.
... the Lord dwelt in the heart of Luther, enabling him to ... check was to be put upon the
arrogant power which denied ... Why were Christ and all the martyrs put to death ...
/.../7 luthers separation from rome.htm

Luther's Separation from Rome
... the Lord dwelt in the heart of Luther, enabling him to ... check was to be put upon the
arrogant power which denied ... Why were Christ and all the martyrs put to death ...
/.../white/the great controversy/chapter 7 luthers separation from.htm

Sunday Before Lent
... love, but to a general faith in God and his power. ... I were a Christian, if I believed
not in Christ I would ... begins to mention the nature of love, enabling us to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/epistle sermons vol ii/sunday before lent.htm

The First Galilean Ministry.
... [2206] Amidst such ministry of quiet power,' chiefly alone ... into the mysteries of
Rabbinic lore, enabling them to ... not the same as that in the time of Christ. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xi the first galilean.htm

The Necessity of Actual Grace
... given to us for the purpose of enabling us to ... the latter, like faith itself, requires
the grace of Christ. ... after justification, can of its own power secure the ...
/.../pohle/grace actual and habitual/section 1 the necessity of.htm