Working Of Miracles.

The Gift of the Working of Miracles

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 8: For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9: To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10: To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

The phrase, “. . . dividing to every man severally as he will” in First Corinthians 12:11, infers that each of us will not all have the same spiritual gift manifested through us at the same time.

The Working of Miracles Defined

In our studies on the gifts of the Spirit, we now come to the gift of the working of miracles. First of all, let us define the working of miracles.

The Greek word for miracles, used here is “dunamis.” It means, power, wonderful works, mighty works, power of God, ability, miracle, great power, power of the highest, power of the Spirit, authority and power. In other words, the working of miracles could also be called the working of acts of powers. According to the Greek concordance, the Greek word also means, explosions of almightiness or impelling, staggering wonders or astonishments. In other words, the Greek could read, “To another the working of impelling, staggering wonders or astonishments, or the outworkings of explosions of almightiness and acts of powers.” The working of miracles is “allowing the mighty power of God to flow through you.” True miracles always confirm and bear witness to the Gospel. They always give glory to Christ, the Healer.

Acts:2:22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles (dunamis) and wonders (teras) and signs (semeion), which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Mark:16:20: And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Acts:14:3: 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.

Signs may be defined as, “significant displays of power that point beyond themselves.” Wonders may be defined as, “that which emphasizes the marvelous aspect of the signs.” The word “wonder” is never used by itself. It is always used with other words, such as sign.

Every one of the gifts of the Spirit is miraculous; they are all supernatural. In the general use of the word “miracle,” all gifts of the Spirit are miracles, not just the gift of the working of miracles. But specifically speaking, all of them are not.

When God’s power works, He interrupts the way things naturally occur. He interrupts or disrupts His own design and order. All of God’s miracles will exalt Jesus.

Acts:19:11-12 11: And God wrought special miracles (dunamis) 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.

When the working of miracles is in manifestation, there is a divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature. For example, the dividing of a stream by the sweep of a mantle is an example of the working of miracles in operation.

2 Kings:2:7-8 7: And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan.8: And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground.

After Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot in the whirlwind, Elisha received his mantle and smote the Jordan River. Dividing the waters by a sweep of his mantle was the working of miracles because that was a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature.

2 Kings:2:13-15 13: He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; 14: And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. 15: And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

In the area of healing, many times miracles are received, but this is not necessarily the working of miracles; they are simply called healing miracles. Everything that God does is miraculous in a sense, but receiving healing by supernatural means is not a miracle in the same sense that turning common dust into insects just by a gesture is a miracle (Exod. 8:16). A miracle, therefore, is a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature, operated by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Old Testament Examples Of the Working of Miracles

We’ve defined the working of miracles. Now let’s look at examples from the Bible of this gift in operation.

Moses and the Israelites

This working of miracles was used time and time again for miraculous deliverance of God’s people. We see this gift used in Egypt when God convinced Pharaoh to let Israel go (See Exodus chapters 7 through 14). A number of miracles were wrought during this time. When Aaron threw down his rod and it was turned into a serpent, for example, that was the working of miracles in operation.

Exodus:7:9-12 9: When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. 10: And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. 11: Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. 12: For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

When the dust was turned into insects (Exod.8:16-19) and all the other plagues followed, this was the gift of the working of miracles in operation.

Exodus 8:16-19 16: And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17: And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18: And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19: Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

When the children of Israel came out of Egypt and approached the Red Sea, Pharaoh and his hosts were close behind, ready to recapture them and make them slaves again.

Exodus:14:5-9 5: And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? 6: And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: 7: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. 8: And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. 9: But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.

There the Israelites were with the wilderness on one side, mountains on the other, the sea in front of them, and the enemy behind them. It seemed hopeless. But Moses looked to the Lord and the Lord told him to stretch forth his rod. Moses stretched it forth and the sea divided. That was the working of a miracle. That was a divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.

Exodus:14:15-18, 21-22, 26-29 15: And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.17: And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18: And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 21: And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22: And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. 26: And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27: And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28: And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. 29: But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.

Actually, two gifts of the Spirit were in operation at the parting of the Red Sea. The working of miracles divided the sea, but what kept it divided? It took the gift of faith to do that. It took the gift of faith to sustain this miracle as an ongoing act.

God’s people walked over dry ground to the other side. The enemy attempted to do the same, but the waters came together as they attempted to do so, and the Egyptians were drowned in the depths of the sea.

Elijah and the Widow

The working of miracles was also used in the Old Testament to provide for those in want. It was a working of miracles when the widow’s cruse of oil didn’t fail, but kept flowing out oil until it filled up every vessel she had, and still the cruse kept flowing with oil.

1 Kings:17:9-16 9: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. 10: So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.11: And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. 12: And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 13: And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. 14: For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. 15: And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 16: And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

Another working of miracles is given in 2 Kings where they had lost a borrowed axe. It was an example of displacing of the normal acts of nature. An axe usually sinks, but this one floated.

2 Kings:6:1-6 1: And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us. 2: Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye. :3: And one said, Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants. And he answered, I will go. 4: So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. :5: But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. 6: And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.

Working of Miracles in the New Testament

Now let’s look at a few examples of the working of miracles in operation in the New Testament.

Turning common water into wine just by speaking a word is a miracle.

John:2:1-11 1: And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3: And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5: His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6: And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7: Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8: And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9: When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10: And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11: This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Water turned into wine by the aging process, or the process of nature, is a natural phenomenon. But water turned into wine just by speaking a word, as Jesus did, is a miracle according to our definition — a supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of nature.

Jesus and the Feeding of the Five Thousand

We see the working of miracles in the New Testament when Jesus took the little boy’s lunch and fed five thousand with it.

John:6:5-14 5: When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6: And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. 7: Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. 8: One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, 9: There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? 10: And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11: And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. 12: When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. 13: Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. 14: Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

It was the working of a miracle that fed five thousand with just a little boy’s lunch. The disciples even gathered up twelve remaining basketfuls when they were finished eating (John 6:13)!

Paul and Elymas

The working of miracles is also used to confirm the preached Word. When Paul was preaching in Cyprus, Elymas the sorcerer withstood him. Elymas was struck blind for a season through the power of God in the operation of the gift of the working of miracles. That was a supernatural sign to others nearby.

Acts:13:4-12 4: So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5: And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. 6: And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus:7: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8: But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9: 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. 12: Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

The Gift of Faith vs. the Working of Miracles To Deliver From Danger

This working of miracles is used to deliver people from unavoidable danger or harm. The gift of faith would carry a person through the danger with great peace and calm without the person’s being harmed at all. But the working of miracles is different. For instance, when Paul was shipwrecked, the storm did not cease until it “blew itself out” (Acts 27:1-44). Paul didn’t stand up and say, “Storm, you stop!” But because God had spoken to him through a message from an angel of God, Paul had extraordinary faith to believe for divine protection. Paul passively received a miracle. That was the gift of faith in operation, and he received divine protection and safety for everyone on board the ship, although the ship itself was greatly damaged.

In another incident, however, when Jesus stood on that ship and said, “. .. Peace, be still. . .” (Mark 4:39), and the storm ceased, that was the working of miracles and those on board were delivered from danger.

The difference between the gift of faith and the working of miracles is that the gift of faith receives a miracle and the working of miracles works a miracle. The working of miracles is used to display God’s power and magnificence.

Gifts of Healings More Prevalent In the New Testament

Although in the Old Testament people were healed and the gifts of healings were in operation, gifts of healings were more commonly in operation in the New Testament than they were in the Old Testament.
On the other hand, the working of miracles was more prominent or more commonly manifested in the Old Testament than in the New Testament, with the exception of the gift of working of miracles in Jesus’ ministry.

Another example of the gift of working of miracles that is specifically mentioned in the New Testament is found in Acts 8.

ACTS 8:5,6 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the MIRACLES which he did.

We see other passages in the New Testament where the working of miracles is also directly mentioned.

ACTS 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and MIRACLES among the people.
ACTS 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what MIRACLES and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
ACTS 19:11 And God wrought special MIRACLES by the hands of Paul:

The word “miracles” in Acts 6:8 and Acts 19:11 is the same Greek word, “dunamis,” meaning acts of power or mighty, wonderful works. The word “miracles” in Acts 15:12 is the Greek word “semeion,” which translates as a sign, mark, or token and “is used of miracles and wonders as signs of divine authority.” ‘

The Importance of the Working of Miracles

By the working of miracles, a nation was plagued to ensure the deliverance of God’s people and to bring Him glory (Exod. 7:12). By the working of miracles, the shadow cast by the sun went back ten steps on a sun dial as a sign that King Hezekiah would live and not die (Isa. 38:1-8). Through the working of miracles, suddenly and astonishingly a rod that was thrown to the ground miraculously became a serpent (Exod. 7:10). Through the working of miracles, fire flashed from the sky and consumed a sacrifice as well as the altar upon which it had been sacrificed (1 Kings 18:38). One time through the working of miracles, a prophet even made it thunder and hail (Exod. 9:23). Through the working of miracles, loaves were multiplied (Matt 14:17-21; Mark 6:38-44; Luke 9:13-17; John 6:9-14). Through the working of miracles, a solid iron axe head was made to float in water as if it were a piece of wood (2 Kings 6:5-7). Through the working of miracles, the raging force of a storm was quieted (Mark 4:37-41; Luke
8:23-25). Through the working of miracles, a multitude of fish filled the disciples’ net when they let it down at Jesus’ instruction (John 21:6-8,11).
Through the working of miracles, the widow’s small pot of oil became a fountain of oil and provided sustenance for her and her son (2 Kings 4:1-7).

God wants this gift of the working of miracles to be more in prominence, for that would be a sign to the unbeliever and a mighty demonstration of God’s power to all.