"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 Heb. 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 II 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". I Cor. 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 (I 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:

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.

I Cor. 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.