[boatbums]

Those sign gifts HAD a purpose:

Mark 16:19-20 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

The "word" being confirmed now must be what Holy Scripture says, since it is God's completed revelation to us. No new or special revelation outside of Scripture is warranted.

The Barnes' Commentary says:

"Confirming the word - Showing it to be the word of God or a revelation from heaven. By signs following - By attending miracles. By raising the dead, healing the sick, etc., as signs that God was with them, and had sent them forth to preach."

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible says:

"And they went forth,.... After this the apostles went forth, from Galilee to Jerusalem; and on the day of pentecost, they appeared publicly, and preached the Gospel in divers languages; and after the death of Stephen, and the persecution raised upon that, they went forth from Jerusalem; see Isaiah 2:3.

And preached every where; not only in Judea, and in the neighbouring countries, but all over the world, in process of time:

the Lord working with them; making their ministry useful, for the conviction and conversion of large multitudes, and for the forming and settling abundance of Gospel churches, and for the comfort and edification of the saints; all which was done, by the power and grace of Christ, without whom they could do nothing; see 1 Corinthians 3:9.

And confirming the word with signs following; the Arabic version adds "them"; or "which they did", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; not by their own power, but, as the latter of these versions adds, "by the help of our Lord"; see Hebrews 2:4; to all which, the evangelist puts his

Amen; so let it be, or so it shall be, and so it was.

[Quix]

[CynicalBear]

Should we assume then that any pastor, Preacher or Evangelist who does not follow up with miracles is not from God?

[smvoice]

That is exactly right. No new or special revelation outside of God's COMPLETED revelation of Scripture to us is warranted now.

So, that leaves the question: what are they doing with their "signs" now? Becoming "vessels" of "communication" and "healing" between God and other believers. Believers who do not know (?) they have an open line, straight to God and do not need a middle man to intercept and intercede for them. Why is this so difficult to understand?

[caww]

Excellent post and right on Boatbums....thank you for that clarity. It needs to be stated often as there was a purpose to their work...and they never lost sight of that purpose ..the Gospel Message first and formost...all which followed was to confirm that.