Signs and Wonders

Occurrences in Scripture

In the Old Testament this word pair is used chiefly in reference to the Exodus. In Exodus 7:3 God declares that he will multiply such works in the land of Egypt, a promise that unfolds in the Ten Plagues. Deuteronomy repeatedly calls Israel to remember these works (Deuteronomy 4:34; 6:22; 34:11). Psalm 135:9 and Jeremiah 32:20–21 likewise recall the events of the Exodus in the same terms.

In the New Testament the phrase is applied to the ministry of Jesus (Acts 2:22) and to that of the apostles (Acts 2:43; 5:12; 14:3; 15:12). Paul used it to describe his own ministry (Romans 15:19; 2 Corinthians 12:12). Hebrews 2:4 states that God bore witness to the message of salvation through such works. Conversely, Scripture warns that false Christs and false prophets will also perform such works to lead people astray (Mark 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:9).

Terminology and Background

In Korean the phrase is rendered ijeok-gwa gisa: ijeok (異蹟) means "extraordinary deeds," and gisa (奇事) means "wondrous events." Korean Bible translations render the same underlying word pair in slightly different ways, such as ijeok-gwa gisa and pyojeok-gwa gisa ("signs and wonders").

• Hebrew: ot denotes a mark or token that points to something or serves as evidence. The word is also used of the rainbow (Genesis 9:13) and of circumcision (Genesis 17:11). Mofet denotes an astonishing event or a portent.
• Greek: sēmeion ("sign") emphasizes what the event points to, while teras ("wonder") emphasizes the astonishment it produces. It is often noted that in the New Testament teras never appears alone but always together with sēmeion.

Significance Across Scripture

In Scripture the significance of signs and wonders lies not in their astonishing character as such but in the way they point to the God who performs them and to the messengers and message he sends. In the Old Testament the signs of the Exodus are remembered as events that revealed who the LORD is. The New Testament takes up this language and presents the ministry of Jesus and the apostles as God's new work of salvation.

Scripture does not treat such works in themselves as a test of truth. Deuteronomy 13:1–3 commands that a prophet who urges the people to go after other gods is not to be followed, even if he shows a sign. Jesus likewise rebuked those who would believe only if they saw signs (John 4:48). The Gospel of John presents miracles as "signs" that lead to faith; this is treated in the article Seven Signs in the Gospel of John.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

The chief point of debate is whether signs and wonders continue today. This debate is treated in detail in the article Cessationism and Continuationism.

• Cessationism: Some in the Reformed tradition regard signs and wonders as marks that authenticated the apostles and divine revelation. They therefore hold that this function came to an end once the Scriptures were complete.
• Continuationism: Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement hold that signs and wonders continue today together with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In the 1980s John Wimber and others in the United States are widely credited with launching what came to be called the "Signs and Wonders" movement.

There are various intermediate positions between these two views, and emphases differ even within the same denomination. Scripture does not teach that experiencing more miracles indicates greater faith. Nevertheless, some draw this conclusion, and voices in a number of denominations have stressed that such a view must be distinguished from the warnings of the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, prayers seeking signs and wonders have frequently been offered at revival meetings and divine healing services. The meetings led by the pastor Kim Ik-du in the 1920s are widely known for incidents of divine healing. Pentecostal and Holiness denominations have emphasized divine healing as part of their confession of faith, while Presbyterians have tended to approach the subject with relative caution.

Denominational studies of heresy frequently note, on the basis of Deuteronomy 13 and Mark 13:22, that claims of signs and wonders must be tested with discernment.