The sign gifts mentioned in the Bible were supernatural abilities given by the Holy Spirit to believers in the early church. These gifts served important purposes during the foundational era of the church, but based on passages like 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, they were meant to pass away once the church was established and the full revelation of Scripture was complete. The main sign gifts mentioned in Scripture are speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, faith, healing, and miracles. Let’s explore the purpose behind each gift.
Speaking in Tongues
Speaking in tongues involved supernaturally speaking in a language not known to the speaker (Acts 2:4-11). The first occurrence was at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit empowered the believers to proclaim the gospel in many foreign languages they didn’t know before. This enabled people from all nations to hear the good news in their own tongue (Acts 2:5-12). Another purpose was to serve as a sign to unbelieving Jews that God’s promises of spiritual blessings were coming to fruition (1 Corinthians 14:20-22). Tongues also enabled the believer to communicate with God beyond their human understanding (1 Corinthians 14:2). However, without interpretation, tongues did not edify the broader church, so interpretation was needed (1 Corinthians 14:5).
Interpretation of Tongues
The supernatural ability to interpret tongues allowed the meaning of the tongues to be made known so that it could bless the wider body of believers who didn’t understand the tongue (1 Corinthians 14:5). It worked in conjunction with the gift of tongues to convey messages from God in languages that the audience didn’t know naturally.
Prophecy
Those with the gift of prophecy received spontaneous revelation from God which they communicated to the church for its edification, exhortation, and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:3). These revelations filled in details about God’s program that were not explicitly covered in Scripture. Prophecy was useful for convicting unbelievers and revealing the secrets of their hearts to lead them to worship God (1 Corinthians 14:24-25).
Word of Knowledge
The word of knowledge was an utterance inspired by the Holy Spirit, disclosing information and insights that were unknown to the speaker (Acts 5:1-11). It gave believers insight into people’s lives and situations, often regarding current or future circumstances.
Word of Wisdom
The word of wisdom gave believers wisdom and perspective far beyond their natural ability in a given situation. This divine insight applied God’s truth in a specific circumstance to instruct, encourage, or strengthen others.
Discerning of Spirits
Discerning of spirits enabled a believer to discern whether certain behavior purported to be from God was truly inspired by the Holy Spirit, or rather by demonic spirits, or by the human spirit.
Faith
Those with the gift of faith exhibited extraordinary confidence in God’s ability to work in difficult or impossible situations, empowering them to take daring steps of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9).
Healing
Those gifted with healing performed supernatural recoveries and reversals of sickness and injury in others, demonstrating God’s power and authentication of their ministry (Acts 3:1-10). This gift validated the healer’s divine commission.
Miracles
Through those gifted in miracles, God worked powerful signs and wonders that displayed his active involvement and intervention in the world (Acts 19:11-12). These miracles went beyond human capability and authenticated God’s messenger and message.
Temporary and Foundational Purpose
The miraculous sign gifts primarily served the purpose of authenticating the message and messengers of the gospel in the early church when believers did not yet have the completed New Testament and needed confirmation that the gospel they received aligned with God’s revelation (Hebrews 2:3-4). They established the authority of the apostles who were laying the foundation of the church (2 Corinthians 12:12). We see the gifts most active and necessary in the book of Acts during the church’s initial expansion. As the apostles preached the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, miracles like healing and tongues accompanied them to validate their witness (Acts 2:43, 4:30, 5:12, 8:6, 14:3). But by the end of Acts, these supernatural demonstrations become less frequent as the church expanded beyond Palestine and the gospel became established.
Paul explained that prophecy, knowledge, and tongues would pass away when the “perfect” (or complete) arrived (1 Corinthians 13:8-10). The sign gifts were meant to be “childish” things, as he says, that the church would outgrow once it reached maturity (1 Corinthians 13:11-12). The confirmation, foundation, and unity provided by the sign gifts would become unnecessary after the church was settled on the full foundation of the apostles and prophets, rooted in Scripture (Ephesians 2:20). Paul indicated that as believers matured in their faith and gripped the fullness of God’s revelation, the partial and piecemeal information of gifts like prophecy would fade away (1 Corinthians 13:9-10).
Based on their purpose and the way they operated, the miraculous sign gifts were apparently meant to be temporary during the church’s early and formative years, serving as scaffolding that would one day be removed when the full structure of the church had reached completion (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).
Cessation of the Sign Gifts
When we look at church history, the exercise of miraculous gifts did appear to fade even within the early centuries of the church, indicating their temporary purpose had been fulfilled. The early church leaders who helped define key orthodox doctrines like Irenaeus, Origen, and Augustine wrote of tongues and prophecy as a past phenomenon that had already ceased in their experience, rather than an ongoing activity they witnessed in their day.
Some argue that no biblical passage explicitly teaches that the gifts must cease before Christ returns. However, based on clues in Scripture and church history, it seems evident that the sign gifts already achieved their primary role in establishing the early church and initiating the spread of the gospel. Therefore, it can be reasonably concluded from Scripture that the miraculous spiritual gifts were meant to be temporary and would not be permanent practices throughout all of church history. God designed them for a special time of transition and initiation within the church age rather than an ongoing function. Yet He certainly retains the ability to work miraculously whenever He chooses to do so according to His wise and perfect will.
Although the miraculous sign gifts faded, we see from passages like Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12-13 that all believers continue to be gifted by the Holy Spirit with spiritual gifts that build up and edify the church. However, the foundation-laying and authenticate gifts passed away when their purpose was completed, while the edifying gifts endure since the church will always need strengthening and nurturing.
Cautions Regarding Modern Claims
During certain periods of history and in some Christian circles today, there have been claims that some of the sign gifts like tongues, prophecy, and healing were still in operation. However, these modern occurrences often fail to match the biblical description and function of the miraculous gifts. Teaching that they should be expected or sought after today can undermine the sufficiency of Scripture and open the door to less than biblical practices.
The Bible warns of the possibility of counterfeit miracles wrought by deceiving spirits (2 Thessalonians 2:9), so believers should test any supernatural manifestations by carefully examining if they align with Scripture (1 John 4:1). We need to apply wisdom and discernment when evaluating modern claims of sign gifts to ensure they are not inaccurate or excessive. If the Holy Spirit is genuinely at work, it will only be in accordance with God’s perfect timing and purposes.
Sufficiency of Scripture
It’s worth emphasizing that with the full canon of Scripture completed, believers now have everything needed to thoroughly equip them for ministry and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). While God still works in supernatural ways today according to His will, Scripture contains all the revelation and instructions essential for faith, doctrine, and wise living. So miraculous gifts are not required for believers to live faithful, fruitful lives that bring glory to God.
In conclusion, the temporary sign gifts of the early church served vital purposes during the apostolic era. But once these purposes were fulfilled, the gifts faded away, as Scripture indicates. As we study this spiritual period of transition in the church’s history, we can gain valuable insight into God’s methods and His work in establishing the New Testament church on the firm foundation of His Word, equipped with all the truth needed for godly living until Christ returns.