The spiritual gift of miracles – What is it?

TL;DR:

The spiritual gift of miracles empowered early apostles to authenticate the gospel through supernatural works, but it is unclear if this specific gift continues today. While God still performs miracles, the Bible does not definitively state whether the gift itself remains active in the modern church.

what does the bible say?

The spiritual gift of miracles, given by the Holy Spirit, empowered early apostles to perform supernatural acts that confirmed the gospel message and demonstrated God’s power. While the Old Testament records many miracles performed through leaders like Moses and Elijah, the specific gift of miracles is mentioned only in the New Testament as part of the Spirit’s distribution of gifts (1 Corinthians 12). This gift was a sign of true apostleship and was used to advance God’s kingdom through acts like healing, raising the dead, and casting out demons. With the office of apostle having ended, it is unlikely that the spiritual gift of miracles continues. Still, the Lord is a God of miracles, and ongoing miraculous activity often occurs where the gospel is spreading powerfully. Despite uncertainties about the gift’s current presence, God still performs miracles, and believers are encouraged to discern genuine works of the Spirit from deceit.

from the old testament

There is no gift of miracles in the Old Testament; however, God performed many miracles through the hands of His appointed leaders and prophets—Moses (Exodus 7–12) and Elijah (1 Kings 17–18), for example.

from the new testament

Miracles are a gift given by the Holy Spirit. Miracle-working is mentioned alongside the gifts of apostleship, prophecy, healing, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits, helping, teaching, and faith (1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 28).
The spiritual gift of miracles is specifically the power to do supernatural works with the goal of furthering the kingdom of God. It is one mark of a "true apostle" along with signs and wonders (2 Corinthians 12:12).
Some examples of the spiritual gift of miracles are Peter raising Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43), Paul casting out demons (Acts 16:16-18), and Paul striking Elymas blind (Acts 13:11).
Stephen performed great signs and wonders as he shared the Gospel of Jesus (Acts 6:8).
Philip also exhibited extraordinary powers as he brought the Gospel to Samaria for the first time (Acts 8:6-7, 13).
Simon the magician was so impressed by the miraculous powers of the apostles that he tried to pay them to teach him and was chastised by Peter for trying to "obtain the gift of God with money" (Acts 8:18-20).

implications for today

Some question whether the spiritual gift of miracles still exists today. Many believe that this gift was exclusive to the apostles, as a proof of their spiritual validity. Christianity was new, its followers were few, and they were fiercely persecuted. Ostensibly, the spiritual gift of miracles, signs, and wonders, were given to the apostles to make people pay attention to them so that the message could be disseminated quickly and to give them authority as men of God.

But the Bible does not explicitly tell us that the gift of miracles has ceased, and people do report the occurrence of miracles today, especially in countries where the Holy Spirit is working to spread the gospel. Possibly, the apostolic gifts are simply reserved for times and places where the spread of the gospel, with power, is the Spirit's primary objective. Those gifts may have existed for a specific time, to aid the apostles to build the church, laying a "foundation" with their gifts (Ephesians 2:20). That would also explain why in heavily churched countries, like the United States, the spiritual gift of miracles does not seem to exist within bodies of believers.Even today, many charlatans, like Simon, use tricks to convince people that they have the spiritual gift of miracles. These people can usually be recognized by their greed. Believers are told to “test the spirits” to see if they are from God or not (1 John 4:1). People who have the spiritual gift of discernment are able to see this more clearly.

Whether or not the spiritual gift of miracles still exists in today's church in an apostolic context, miracles do still occur. Believers across the globe attest to this. God is supreme over creation, and when the safety of His people and the performance of His will are at stake, He is known to bend the laws of physics to accomplish His goal.

understand

The spiritual gift of miracles empowered early apostles to confirm the gospel.
The spiritual gift of miracles is linked to apostleship, which is why it likely does not continue today
God still performs miracles today, but miracles as a spiritual gift is unlikely.

reflect

How do you understand the difference between miracles performed by God and the spiritual gift of miracles given to the apostles?
How are you open to recognizing and discerning genuine works of the Spirit in your life and community?
How does knowing that miracles served to confirm the early gospel affect your faith in God’s ongoing power today?

engage

Why was the spiritual gift of miracles so closely tied to apostleship?
How can we balance a healthy skepticism toward false miracle claims while remaining open to God’s supernatural intervention?
How might the Holy Spirit still work miraculously to advance the gospel in our world today, even if the formal gift of miracles is rare or ceased to exist?