Topical Bible: Power of the Holy Spirit: Performing Miracles

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The power of the Holy Spirit in performing miracles is a central theme in the New Testament, demonstrating the divine authority and presence of God among His people. The Holy Spirit, as the third person of the Trinity, is instrumental in manifesting God's power through miraculous acts, which serve to confirm the message of the Gospel and the authority of Jesus Christ and His apostles.

Biblical Foundation

The New Testament provides numerous accounts of the Holy Spirit's role in performing miracles. In the Gospels, Jesus Himself is filled with the Holy Spirit, enabling Him to perform signs and wonders. In Luke 4:18, Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor." This anointing by the Holy Spirit is evident in His miraculous works, such as healing the sick, raising the dead, and casting out demons.

The Book of Acts further illustrates the power of the Holy Spirit in the early church. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles, empowering them to speak in tongues and perform miracles. Acts 2:4 states, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." This event marks the beginning of the apostles' ministry, characterized by miraculous signs that authenticate their message.

Miracles in the Early Church

The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, continue the work of Jesus by performing miracles. Acts 3 recounts the healing of a lame man by Peter and John at the temple gate. Peter, acknowledging the source of this power, declares in Acts 3:16, "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."

The apostle Paul also experiences the power of the Holy Spirit in his ministry. In Acts 19:11-12, it is recorded, "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 miraculous acts serve to validate Paul's apostleship and the truth of the Gospel he preaches.

Purpose of Miracles

The miracles performed through the power of the Holy Spirit serve several purposes. Primarily, they confirm the divine origin of the Gospel message and the authority of those who proclaim it. Hebrews 2:4 affirms this, stating, "God also testified to it by signs, wonders, and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will."

Additionally, miracles demonstrate God's compassion and concern for human suffering. The healing of the sick and the deliverance from demonic oppression reveal God's desire to restore and redeem His creation. They also serve as a foretaste of the coming Kingdom of God, where there will be no more pain or suffering.

The Continuation of Miraculous Gifts

The question of whether the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit continue today is a topic of theological debate. Some Christians believe that these gifts ceased with the apostolic age, while others maintain that they are still active in the church today. Regardless of one's stance, the New Testament clearly depicts the Holy Spirit as the source of miraculous power, working through believers to accomplish God's purposes.

In summary, the power of the Holy Spirit in performing miracles is a testament to God's active presence in the world, confirming the truth of the Gospel and demonstrating His love and power through extraordinary acts.

Nave's Topical Index

Romans 15:19
Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

The Internal Witness of the Holy Spirit
... passage he openly attributes to the power of the ... of some organ or instrument in
performing these his ... impressed on this instrument by the Holy Spirit, in these ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/9 the internal witness of.htm

The First Period. Ch. 4:14-44
... synagogue there was a man, that had a spirit of an ... I know thee who thou art, the
Holy One of God ... for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/a the first period ch.htm

A Manifestation of God in Answer to Prayer
... of believers today are girded with the power of the Holy Spirit they will ... "And with
great power gave the ... wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus ...
/.../anderson/prayer availeth much/chapter 7 a manifestation of.htm

The Revelation and Career of the Anti-Christ.
... cut short: after his rise to full power only forty ... to the departure of the Holy Spirit
from the ... and will substantiate his claims by performing wonderful miracles ...
/.../pink/the redeemers return/4 the revelation and career.htm

A Letter on the Sin against the Holy Ghost to John Uytenbogard ...
... at that time, it was not in my power to comply ... Christ himself in and through the
Spirit, performed the ... who distinguishes this "sin against the Holy Ghost" from ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/a letter on the sin.htm

Christ the Great Teacher.
... year of His ministry, Jesus was performing many miracles ... such teaching"teaching of
such accumulating power over ages ... the Father He sent the Holy Spirit as His ...
/.../vi christ the great teacher.htm

On the Attributes and Marks of the Church
... anyone to do a special work, He always gives him power to prove ... derives its undying
life and infallible authority from the Holy Ghost, the spirit of truth ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 12 on the attributes.htm

Continuation of the Discourse on the Holy Ghost.
... the earnestness of his preaching as far as Spain, undergoing conflicts innumerable,
and performing signs and ... In the power of the same Holy Spirit Peter also ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture xvii continuation of the.htm

Concerning the Energies in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
... only of the Father and the Holy Spirit, but also ... We, therefore, maintain [2164] that
the holy Fathers gave ... For they called it power, and energy, and difference ...
/.../john/exposition of the orthodox faith/chapter xv concerning the energies in.htm

On the Person of the Father and the Son
... of his power." (Hebrews 1:3.) "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John
5:17.) (3.) The performing of miracles: "Which He works by the Holy Spirit, who ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 5 on the person.htm