So, “Apostle,” the scriptures say that the apostles whom Jesus called performed many signs and wonders. In fact, according to Paul, it is a sign of a true apostle. So let’s see what the true apostles did.

So, “Apostle”: Where Are Your Signs, Wonders, And Miracles?

STM Bible Lesson: The Signs of an Apostle

The miraculous powers of the Apostles

Acts 5:12, 15-16 [read Acts 5:12-16 (12, 15–16)]

12 Now many signs and wonders were being performed by the apostles among the people, who were gathered together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 15 As a result, people kept carrying their sick into the streets and placing them on stretchers and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he went by.
16 Crowds continued coming in—even from the towns around Jerusalem—bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed. (ISV)

KJV: 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

Jesus gave His apostles power

Matthew 10:1-2 [read Matthew 10:1-4 (1-2)]

Jesus then called His twelve apostles to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal all kinds of diseases and illnesses. (AUV)

KJV: And when he had called unto 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. 2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

God affirmed Paul and Barnabas’s message through signs and miracles

Acts 14:3 [read Acts 14:1-7 (3)]

[So; Therefore] Paul and Barnabas [They] stayed in Iconium a long time and spoke bravely [or boldly] for the Lord. He showed [testified; confirmed] that their message [word] about his grace was true by giving them the power to work [miraculous] signs and miracles [wonders]. (EXB)

KJV: Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Miracles (mighty deeds)

Bridgeway Bible Dictionary: Jesus used miracles not to try to force people to believe in him, but to help those who already believed. He performed miracles in response to faith, not to try to create faith (Matthew 9:27-29; Mark 2:3-5; 5:34,36; 6:5-6).

These were just two of the miracles Jesus performed:

1. In the second chapter of the Gospel of John, it is written that Jesus turned water into wine. This miracle is described in verses 1-12, with specific details about the event provided in verses 7-9 and 11.

2. He healed the son of a nobleman or royal official who was close to death due to a fever [John 4:46-54 (47-52, 54)].

The apostles worked many miracles

So, “apostle,” as stated earlier, true apostles performed many signs and wonders. We must ask; where are yours? Remember, they did not appoint themselves and God was working through them.

Acts 2:43 [read Acts 2:40-47 (43)]

Everyone was amazed at what God was doing. They were amazed when the apostles performed many wonders and signs. (NIRV)

KJV: And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

A lame man restored

Acts 3:6-7 [read Acts 3:1-10 (6-7)]

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!” 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. (HCSB)

KJV: Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Elymas, the magician, is temporarily blinded

Acts 13:9-11 [read Acts 13:4-12 (9-11)]

Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11 The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while.” (CEV)

KJV: Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him. 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

In Lystra, a lame man is healed

Acts 14:8-10 [read Acts 14:8-20 (8-10)]

There was a man who lived in Lystra. His feet had been weak since he was born. So he had never been able to walk. 9 While Paul was speaking God’s message, this man listened to him. Paul looked at him carefully. He could see that the man believed in Jesus. The man believed that God could make him well. 10 So Paul said to him loudly, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ Immediately the man jumped up and he began to walk about. (EASY)

KJV: And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked: 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

The Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit as Peter and John lay hands upon them

Acts 8:16-17 [read Acts 8:14-25 (16-17)]

(They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (CSB)

KJV: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

God worked special (unusual) miracles through Paul

Acts 19:11–12 [read Acts 19:11–20 (11–12)]

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 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. (NIV)

KJV: And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

1. Paul was not present at all.
2. He did not say anything.
3. It seems he did not know anything about the people that were healed.
4. According to my studies, only Jesus had similar power.

Eutychus restored to life

Acts 20:9–10 [read Acts 20:7-12 (9-10)]

There was a young man named Eutychus sitting in the window. Paul continued talking, and Eutychus became very, very sleepy. Finally, he went to sleep and fell out of the window. He fell to the ground from the third floor. When the people went down and lifted him up, he was dead.
10 Paul went down to where Eutychus was, knelt down beside him, and put his arms around him. He said to the other believers, “Don’t worry. He is alive now.” (ERV)

KJV: And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

Paul heals many diseases in Melita

Acts 28:8-9 [read Acts 28:8 (8-9); compare Mark 16:18]

The father of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and after praying, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick also came and were healed. (NET)

KJV: And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. 9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

Paul gives God credit for his works

Romans 15:18–20 [read Romans 15:14-21 (18-20)]

I will speak about what Christ has done through me. I won’t try to speak about anything else. He has been leading the Gentiles to obey God. He has been doing this by what I have said and done. 19 He has given me power to do signs and wonders. I can do these things by the power of the Spirit of God. From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching.
In those places, I preached the good news about Christ. 20 I have always wanted to preach the good news where Christ was not known. I don’t want to build on what someone else has started. (NIRV)

KJV: For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:

Signs, Wonders, And Miracles

2 Corinthians 12:12 [read 2 Corinthians 12:11-13 (12)]

The signs that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles. (AMP)

KJV: Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs^G4592, and wonders^G5059, and mighty deeds^G1411.

Semeion – signs

G4592 σημεῖον semeion (see-mei’-on) n. the tokens by which one is proved to be an apostle.

KJV Dictionary: Some visible transaction, event or appearance intended as proof or evidence of something else; hence; proof; evidence by sight.

Teras – wonders

G5059 τέρας teras (te’-ras) n. a prodigy (an amazing or unusual thing, especially one out of the ordinary course of nature) or omen (signs sent by the god/gods); accordingly something so strange as to cause it to be ‘watched’ or ‘observed’.

McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia: in an ecclesiastical (spiritual) sense, are those remarkable occurrences, whether deceptive or otherwise, which partake of the nature of miracles, and have been regarded as such by those who witnessed them.

Dunamis – mighty deeds (power; miracles)

G1411 δύναμις dunamis (d̮ï ’-na-mis) n.

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Historic events or natural phenomena which appear to violate natural laws but which reveal God to the eye of faith at the same time.

Warning about false apostles

Apparently, the Corinthians easily accepted wrong or false teaching. This is also happening today all over the world!

2 Corinthians 11:4-5, 13 [read 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 (4-5, 13)]

4 For [you seem readily to endure it] if a man comes and preaches another Jesus than the One we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the [Spirit] you [once] received or a different gospel from the one you [then] received and welcomed; you tolerate [all that] well enough!
5 Yet I consider myself as in no way inferior to these [precious] extra-super [false] apostles. 13 For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). (AMPC)

KJV: 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

The true apostles did not do anything that Jesus had not done. For instance, they did not make people fall to the ground by making physical gestures as some do today. So please study the Bible to avoid being misled by false signs and miracles! Thank you for taking the time to read this Bible lesson. I urge you to make full use of it. Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺

Related studies, lessons, and snacks for further spiritual growth:

The Modern Apostle, Trending Now: Did Jesus Send Them? – an estimated 14-minute read.

Receive Your Healing By Faith in the Name of Jesus – an estimated 18-minute read.

By His Stripes, We Are Healed Spiritually, Not Physically – an estimated 13-minute read.

Who Fell When Jesus Prayed? Simple Answer, Demoniac People! – an estimated 7-minute read.

Obey God Not People; You Will Never Regret It – an estimated 14-minute read.

See the latest on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

I look forward to your feedback via comment at the bottom of the page or by emailing [email protected]. Have a marvelous day!