COVENANTS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
63
Here again Hebrews 2:3,4 is seen, the testimony, the confirmation, the miraculous gifts, all coming together. In
2 Corinthians 1:21 Paul writes:
`Now He that conforms us with you with a view to Christ, and hath anointed us, is God' (not AV JP).
Once more confirmation and anointing come together, the anointing referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The three words, `signs, wonders, and miracles' of Hebrews 2:4 are found written of the Lord's own personal work.
`Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved (publicly attested) of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by Him in the midst of you' (Acts 2:22).
It will be remembered that His ministry was a confirmatory one, `to confirm the promises made unto the fathers'
(Rom. 15:8). So the subsequent signs, wonders, and miracles were confirmatory also. Many wonders and signs
were done by the apostles (Acts 2:43); `a notable sign' is what the rulers called the healing of the lame man (Acts
4:16).
Other passages are Acts 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 8:6,13, and 15:12. It will be observed that `signs and wonders' usually
go together. The `wonder' was indeed a `sign', not some prodigy to cause men open-mouthed astonishment. Even
the terrible things which usher in the Day of the Lord will be of similar character, `I will show WONDERS in heaven
above, and SIGNS in the earth beneath' (2:19). The word rendered `miracle' in Hebrews 2 is as often translated
simply `power', e.g., `ye shall receive power' (Acts 1:8), `as though by our own power' (Acts 3:12; 4:7,33; 6:8;
10:38), the last reference (`how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went
about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. And we are witnesses of
these things') being a commentary upon the meaning of the anointing already noticed in 2 Corinthians, the
enduement of the apostles in Acts 1:8, and the close connection between this `power' and the `miracle' which was
its outflowing.
The scientific mind defines a miracle as the suspension of the laws of nature at the introduction of a higher law.
The Scriptural definition seems rather to be that a miracle was the power of the coming age, brought forward as a
pledge and a sign of good things to come. What will be normal in that age of glory appears abnormal and
supernatural in this. Added to the signs, wonders and miracles for this special confirmation are `the distributions of
holy spirit'.
This is described as a taste of the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and those who tasted are
described as having become partakers of the Holy Spirit (Heb. 6:4,5). Not until the Lord was about to leave His
disciples did He say, `Receive ye the Holy Spirit' (John 20:22). With this read John 7:39, `this spake He of the
Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because that Jesus was
not yet glorified'. 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 gives a full comment upon the `distributions of holy spirit'. These gifts,
however diverse, are the working of that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will. These
distributions of holy spirit covered the ministry of apostles, prophets, teachers, as well as miracles, gifts of healing,
helps, governments, diversities of tongues (1 Cor. 12:28).
Let us notice the explanation of the Scripture as to how the gift of tongues was a sign. In the law it is written:
`With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear Me,
saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign' (1 Cor. 14:21,22).
What the law prophesied is foreshadowed in the possession and exercise of the distributions of holy spirit. When
the people to whom the signs applied were removed from the scene, the signs went too. It is often stated, but with
no Scriptural proof, that the miraculous gifts possessed by the early Church have been lost because of the
worldliness and carnality of the Church. The most carnal Church in Scripture is that of the Corinthians, yet they are
described as the most richly endowed with supernatural gifts. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 indicates that a dispensational
change would be associated with the passing of the gifts, and this is the testimony of the whole of the New
Testament.
It is necessary to make another point. The same words that are used of the mighty works of Christ and His
apostles are used of the wicked one, `whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying
wonders' (2 Thess. 2:9), the only added word being `lying'. This reveals the awful deception which shall be thrust