The following table shows miracles connected with preaching that resulted in acceptance of the gospel.
It is interesting to see so many miraculous events associated with evangelism. First Century Believers prayed, “Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 4:29-30) Then, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31) They had no reason to think supernatural demonstrations were not part of the workings of a supernatural God. “With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.” (Acts 4:33)
Did God quit and rely solely upon preaching of people to accept the testimony of His written word, the Bible? Even though the Bible says, “Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”(Mark 16:20) Furthermore it says, There will be terrible times in the last days…people will have a form of godliness but deny its power. Have nothing to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:1, 5) This is not suggesting we should ask for or seek signs and miracles for our own desires. Only God can perform true signs and miracles. Did God quit or did we stop believing and relying upon Him? Referring to Jesus it says. “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” (Matthew 13:58)
There were and are people who came to faith without signs or wonders, but no one comes to faith apart from God’s revelation; this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:3-7) Paul said, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) Salvation is not merely intellectual assent, but being born again in the Holy Spirit, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” “…What counts is a new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Gal. 6:15)
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