Are the sign gifts, such as healing, prophecy, tongues, and the miraculous, for today? The modern church is divided on this issue, with three common viewpoints: (1) cessationism, the belief that the sign gifts ceased at the end of the apostolic era and are not intended for the church today, (2) open-but-cautious, the view that the gifts might be for today but that believers should not pursue them, and (3) continuationism, the belief that the sign gifts did not cease and are for the church today.

Each of these viewpoints raises a variety of issues that could be addressed. However, the purpose of this article is not to discuss the interpretation of Scripture passages or trends within the church. Rather, this article will discuss the use of the sign gifts in the early church and the early Christians’ perspective on several of these gifts.

Did the sign gifts cease?

Many people believe that the sign gifts ceased at the end of the apostolic era when the New Testament was completed (around AD 100). The basis of this viewpoint is that the canon of Scripture is closed; therefore, the revelatory gifts are no longer necessary. Although the question of cessationism is often presented as a theological issue, it is actually a historical one. If the sign gifts ceased when the apostles died, we should notice their absence in the writings of the early Christians. If they continued throughout the first several centuries of Christianity, we can conclude that they did not cease. What does the historical record say?

• “Daily some are becoming disciples in the name of Christ. . . . These are illumined through the name of this Christ. For one receives the spirit of understanding, another of counsel, another of strength, another of healing, another of foreknowledge, another of teaching, and another of the fear of God.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “The Lord raised the dead, and the apostles did so by means of prayer, and this has been frequently done in the brotherhood on account of some necessity. When the entire church in that particular locality entreated God with much fasting and prayer, the spirit of the dead man has returned, and he has been bestowed in answer to the prayers of the saints.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “For this reason, the apostle declares, ‘We speak wisdom among those who are perfect,’ calling those persons ‘perfect’ who have received the Spirit of God, and who through the Spirit of God do speak in all languages, as he himself also used to speak. In like manner, we also hear many brethren in the church who possess prophetic gifts, and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages, and bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “What is nobler than to tread under foot the gods of the nations, to exorcise evil spirits, to perform cures, to seek divine revelations, and to live to God? These are the pleasures – these are the spectacles – that befit Christian men.” – Tertullian (c. 197)
• “‘In the last days, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and their sons and their daughters will prophesy’ [Joel 2:28]. . . . So, then, the Creator promised the gift of His Spirit in the latter days, and . . . Christ has in these last days appeared as the dispenser of spiritual gifts.” – Tertullian (c. 207)
• “There are still preserved among Christians traces of that Holy Spirit that appeared in the form of a dove. They expel evil spirits, perform many cures, and foresee certain events.” – Origen (c. 248)
• “The Holy Spirit gave signs of His presence at the beginning of Christ’s ministry. And after His ascension, He gave still more. But since that time, these signs have diminished, although there are still traces of His presence in a few who have had their souls purified by the Gospel, and their actions regulated by its influence.” – Origen (c. 248)
• “The name of Jesus can still remove distractions from the minds of men, expel demons, and also take away diseases. Furthermore, it produces a marvelous meekness of spirit and a complete change of character.” – Origen (c. 248)
• “This is He who places prophets in the church, instructs teachers, directs tongues, gives powers and healing, does wonderful works, offers discrimination of spirits, affords powers of government, suggests counsels, and orders and arranges whatever other gifts there are of the charismata.” – Novatian (c. 235)
• “By His own Power, He not only performed those miraculous deeds, . . . but He has permitted many others to attempt them and to perform them by the use of His name. . . . He chose fishermen, artisans, peasants, and unskilled persons of a similar kind, so that they, being sent through various nations, would perform all those miracles without any fraud and without any material aids.” – Arnobius (c. 305)

On the day of Pentecost, Peter announced the beginning of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy roughly 800 years earlier: “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. . . . And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:17-21). As seen in the above quotations, the early Christians believed that they were living in this time period of the “last days” during which the Holy Spirit would be poured out.

The sign gifts among the Jews

Interestingly, two prominent writers indicated that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were transferred from the Jewish nation to the Christians:

• “The prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you should understand that [the gifts] formerly among your [Jewish] nation have been transferred to us. . . . It was necessary that such gifts would cease from you and . . . would again, as had been predicted, become gifts which, from the grace of His Spirit’s power, He would impart to those who believe in Him, according as He deems each man worthy of it. . . . Now, it is possible to see among us women and men who possess gifts of the Spirit of God.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “The Jews no longer have prophets or miracles. Yet, traces of those things are still found among Christians to a considerable extent. Some of these miracles are more remarkable than any that existed among the Jews. I have witnessed these myself.” – Origen (c. 248)
• “Since the coming of Christ, no prophets have arisen among the Jews, who have confessedly been abandoned by the Holy Spirit.” – Origen (c. 248)

The sign gifts among the apostles

Two writers also noted that the apostles had the gifts of the Spirit in their entirety, while others receive only one or more of His gifts, “apportion[ed] to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11):

• “Apostles have the Holy Spirit properly. They have Him fully in the operations of prophecy, the efficacy of healing virtues, and the evidences of tongues. They do not have Him partially as all others do.” – Tertullian (c. 212)
• “‘The manifestation of the Spirit is given for our profit. To one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit. To another, the word of knowledge’ [1 Cor. 12:7-8]. . . . Such being the case, the prophets are perfect in prophecy; the righteous, in righteousness; the martyrs, in confession; and others, in preaching. It is not that they are not sharers in the common virtues. Rather, they are proficient in those to which they are appointed. . . . Each has his own proper gift of God – one in one way, another in another. But the apostles were perfected in all. If you choose to look, you will find in their acts and writings knowledge, life, preaching, righteousness, purity, and prophecy.” – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195)

Healing in the early church

The early Christians believed in the healing power of Jesus’ name and, as seen previously, often witnessed His power to heal and resurrect:

• “Papias relates that he had received a wonderful narrative from the daughters of Philip. For he reports that a dead man was raised to life in his day. He also mentions another miracle relating to Justus, surnamed Barsabas, how he swallowed a deadly poison and received no harm, because of the grace of the Lord.” – Eusebius, citing Papias (c. 120)
• “If anyone is healed by matter, through trusting to it, much more will he be healed by having recourse to the power of God. . . . Why is he who trusts in the system of matter not willing to trust in God?” – Tatian (c. 165)
• “And as He suffered, so also is He alive, and life-giving, and healing all our infirmity.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “Faith is a power of God, being the strength of the truth. For example, it is said, ‘If you have faith as a grain of mustard, you shall remove the mountain’ [Matt. 17:20]. And again, ‘According to your faith let it be to you’ [Matt. 9:20]. And one is cured, receiving healing by faith; and the dead [person] is raised up in consequence of the power of one believing that he would be raised.” – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195)
• “The paternal Word is the only Pæonian physician of human infirmities, and the holy charmer of the sick soul. . . . For a while the ‘physician’s art,’ according to Democritus, ‘heals the diseases of the body, and wisdom frees the soul from passion.’ But the good Instructor, the Wisdom, the Word of the Father, who made man, cares for the whole nature of His creature. The all-sufficient Physician of humanity, the Savior, heals both body and soul.” – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195)
• “Let them [young pastors] therefore with fasting and prayer make their intercessions, and not with well-arranged and fitly ordered words of learning, but as men who have received the gift of healing confidently to the glory of God.” – Clement of Alexandria (c. 195)
• “‘This is my beloved Son’ [Matt. 3:17] – He who is hungry, and yet maintains myriads; who is weary, and yet gives rest to the weary; who has not where to lay His head, and yet bears up all things in His hand; who suffers, and yet heals sufferings; who is smitten, and yet confers liberty on the world; who is pierced in the side, and yet repairs the side of Adam.” – Hippolytus (c. 200)
• “Down to the present time, those whom God wills are healed by His name. This fact demonstrates the nobility of the work of Jesus.” – Origen (c. 248)

Prophecy in the early church

Following are some quotations indicating how the early Christians viewed prophecy, including their warnings against false prophets:

• “Others, again, try to set at nought the gift of the Spirit, which in the latter times has been poured out upon the human race, by the good pleasure of the Father. For they do not admit that aspect presented by John’s Gospel, in which the Lord promised that He would send the Paraclete [the Holy Spirit]. Rather, they set aside at once both the Gospel and the prophetic Spirit. Wretched men indeed! They wish to be pseudo-prophets, but they set aside the gift of prophecy from the church. . . . We must conclude, moreover, that these men cannot admit the apostle Paul either. For, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, he speaks expressly of prophetical gifts, and recognizes men and women prophesying in the church.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “Being purified by lengthened abstinence and filled with holy and religious training, through these means they assume a portion of divinity and earn the grace of prophecy and other divine gifts.” – Origen (c. 225)
• “If there are those who have obtained the gift of accurate comprehension of these things, they know what they should do. But as for me, I acknowledge that I fall short of the ability to see into the depth of the things signified here. . . . Therefore, I do not venture to commit it to writing.” – Origen (c. 245)
• “Not everyone who speaks in the Spirit is a prophet, but only those who follow the ways of the Lord. Therefore, by their actions you will know the false prophet and the true prophet. . . . Any prophet who teaches the truth but does not practice what he teaches is a false prophet. . . . If anyone says in the Spirit, ‘Give me money’ or anything else, you shall not listen to him. But if he asks you to give for the sake of others who are in need, let no one judge him.” – Didache (c. 50-120)
• “He will also judge false prophets, who have not received the gift of prophecy from God. They are not possessed of the fear of God, either. Instead, either for the sake of vainglory, or with a view to some personal advantage (or acting in some other way under the influence of a wicked spirit), they pretend to utter prophecies, while all the time they lie against God.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “The apostles have overcome unbelief through powers, signs, portents, and mighty works. After them, there is now given to the same completed churches the comfort of having the prophetic Scriptures subsequently interpreted. As I said, after [the apostles] there would be interpreting prophets. For the apostle says: ‘And he placed in the church first, apostles; secondly, prophets; thirdly, teachers’ [1 Cor. 12:28]. . . . And when he says, ‘Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge’ [1 Cor. 14:29], he is not speaking about the universal prophecy of things unheard and unknown. Rather, he is speaking of things that have been both known and announced. But let them judge whether or not the interpretation is consistent with the testimonies of the prophetic utterance. It is plain, therefore, that to John – armed as he was with superior virtue [as an apostle] – this was not necessary.” – Victorinus (c. 280)

Visions in the early church

The early Christians wrote that some people in their day had received visions:

• “Three days before Polycarp was arrested, while he was praying, a vision came to him. Behold, the pillow under his head seemed to him to be on fire. Upon seeing this, he turned to those who were with him and said to them prophetically, ‘I must be burned alive.’” – Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. 135)
• “Because of visions, many have come to make their abode with Jesus.” – Hippolytus (c. 205)
• “Knowing this, beloved brethren, that not long ago I was reproached in a vision because we were sleepy in our prayers.” – Cyprian (c. 250)
• “Besides the visions of the night, by day also, the innocent age of boys is among us filled with the Holy Spirit – seeing in an ecstasy with their eyes and hearing and speaking those things by which the Lord warns and instructs us through His grace.” – Cyprian (c. 250)

Exorcism in the early church

Although exorcism (casting out demons) is not one of the sign gifts, it is included here because the early Christians frequently discussed it alongside the other gifts. They believed that the name of Jesus had the power to overcome evil spirits in their day, just as in the Gospels and the book of Acts:

• “Throughout the whole word and in your city, many of our Christian men have healed and do heal numerous demon-possessed persons, exorcising in the name of Jesus Christ, . . . though they could not be healed by all the other exorcists or by those who used incantations and drugs.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “We call Him Helper and Redeemer. Even the demons fear the power of His name. At this day, when they are exorcised in the name of Jesus, . . . they are defeated.” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)
• “The Lord Himself is our witness that we have the case of the woman who went to the theater and came back demon-possessed. In the exorcism, when the unclean creature was upbraided for having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied, ‘And in truth I did it most lawfully, for I found her in my domain.’” – Tertullian (c. 197)
• “See how many men of rank have been delivered from devils and healed of diseases!” – Tertullian (c. 212)
• “What spirit must it be that fills her mind and clouds her judgment with darkness? Must it not be one of . . . those demons that many Christians cast out of persons possessed with them? And this, we may observe, they do without the use of any incantations or curious arts of magic. Rather, they use only prayer and simple adjurations that the plainest person can use. In fact, for the most part, it is unlettered persons who perform this work.” – Origen (c. 248)
• “Indeed, the name of Jesus possesses such power over evil spirits that there have been instances where it was effective even when it was pronounced by bad men. Jesus Himself foretold this when He said, ‘Many will say to Me in that day, did we not cast out devils in your name?” [Matt. 7:22]. – Origen (c. 248)

Gnosticism and false teachers

Jesus warned, “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray” (Matthew 24:11); and the early Christians witnessed the truth of this statement. While these believers did their best to follow Jesus’ teachings by living righteously and honestly in both the natural and the supernatural, not everyone did – most notably the Gnostics.

Gnosticism was a movement that originated in the first century and was popularized by many different leaders. As a result, the teachings of the Gnostics varied somewhat by sect, although they shared many similarities. Regarding the sign gifts, the Gnostics typically espoused one of two positions. Some of them did not believe in the supernatural giftings, while others worked miracles to deceive people into accepting their false teachings:

• “These also will be thus confuted who belong to Simon and Carpocrates [Gnostic teachers], and if there are any others who are said to perform miracles. For they perform what they do neither through the power of God, nor in connection with the truth, nor for the well-being of men. . . . They can neither confer sight on the blind, nor hearing on the deaf, nor expel all sorts of demons – except those who are sent into others by themselves (if they can even do this much). . . . And so far are they from being able to raise the dead, that they do not even believe this can possibly be done.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “It behooves us to flee from them [the Gnostics] as we would from Satan. The greater the display with which they are said to perform miracles, the more carefully should we watch them, as having been endowed with a greater spirit of wickedness.” – Irenaeus (c. 180)
• “The heretics will, besides, add a great deal concerning the high authority of each teacher of heresy. They will relate how that these men strengthened belief in their own doctrine through mighty works, how that they raised the dead, restored the sick, foretold the future – so that they might deservedly be regarded as apostles – as if this warning were not also in the written record: that many would come who were to work even the greatest miracles, in defense of the deception of their corrupt preaching.” – Tertullian (c. 197)
• “He declared that many would come and ‘display great signs and wonders’ [Matt. 24:24], so as to turn aside the very elect. Yet, despite that, Christ would not receive them. So He showed how rash it was to believe in signs and wonders, for they would be so very easy to accomplish, even by false christs.” – Tertullian (c. 207)
• “Let Marcion [a Gnostic teacher] then exhibit, as gifts of his god, some prophets, such as have not spoken by human sense, but with the Spirit of God, such as have both predicted things to come, and have made manifest the secrets of the heart. Let him produce a psalm, a vision, a prayer – only let it be by the Spirit, in an ecstasy, that is, in a rapture, whenever an interpretation of tongues has occurred to him. Let him show to me also that any woman of boastful tongue in his community has ever prophesied from amongst those specially holy sisters of his. Now all these signs are forthcoming from my side without any difficulty, and they agree, too, with the rules, and the dispensations, and the instructions of the Creator.” – Tertullian (c. 208)
• “Jesus says that even some who lead wicked lives will perform miracles in the name of Jesus and expel demons out of men. . . . We see, then, that it is possible for someone who makes use of His name, and who is moved upon by some power in an unknown way, to make the pretense that he is the Christ and to seem to perform miracles like those of Jesus. Others, through His name, would perform works resembling those of His genuine disciples.” – Origen (c. 248)

Jesus made clear that not everyone who performs miracles in His name will enter the kingdom of heaven – but only those who keep His teachings:

• “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” – Matthew 7:21-23

The early Christians taught likewise:

• “The works of the antichrists, and of those who pretend that they can work miracles as though they were the disciples of Christ, are said to be lying signs and wonders. They prevail among those who perish with all of the deceit of unrighteousness. In contrast, the works of Christ and his disciples did not have deceit for their fruits. Rather, they had the salvation of human souls. Who would rationally assert that an improved moral life – one that daily lessened the number of a man’s sins – could proceed from a system of deceit? . . . So if we once acknowledge . . . that some works can be found among men that proceed from divine power, why would we not test those who profess to perform them? Why not test them by their lives, morals, and the consequences of their miracles? Do they result in the injury of men or in the reformation of conduct?” – Origen (c. 248)
• “And let those who are not found living as He taught, be understood to be no Christians, even though they profess with the lip the precepts of Christ; for not those who make profession, but those who do the works, shall be saved, according to His word: ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven’ [Matt. 7:21].” – Justin Martyr (c. 160)

Concluding the topic of spiritual gifts, Origen adds an interesting thought:

• “When a gift (the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, or any other gift that has been given) has been bestowed upon a man either by baptism or by the grace of the Spirit, but has not been rightly used, . . . the gift of the Spirit will certainly be withdrawn from his soul.” – Origen (c. 225)

Three gold mines

The writings of the early Christians contain three gold mines of instruction regarding the topic of spiritual gifts. The first is a lengthy passage from the Apostolic Constitutions. Although compiled at the end of the fourth century, this selection gives valuable instruction as to how believers at that time understood the practice of these spiritual gifts:

• “It is not therefore necessary that every one of the faithful should cast out demons, or raise the dead, or speak with tongues; but only such a one only who has been graciously given this gift, for the purpose that it may be advantageous to the salvation of the unbelievers. . . . We say these things so that those who have received such gifts may not exalt themselves against those who have not received them. We are referring to those gifts pertaining to the working of miracles. . . . Otherwise, there is no man who has believed in God through Christ who has not received some spiritual gift. For it is a gift of God to have been delivered from the impiety of polytheism and to have believed in God the Father through Christ. . . . Therefore, do not let anyone who works signs and wonders judge any one of the faithful who is not given the same. For there are various gifts of God that are bestowed by Him through Christ. And one man receives one gift, and another man, another. Perhaps one has the word of wisdom; another, the word of knowledge; another, the discerning of spirits; another, foreknowledge of things to come; another, the word of teaching; another, long-suffering. . . . Therefore, let none of you exalt himself against his brother – even though you may be a prophet or a worker of miracles. For if it happens that there are no longer any unbelievers, all the power of signs will afterwards be unnecessary.
• “To be godly is from one’s own good disposition, but to work wonders is from the power of Him that works them by us. Now, godliness concerns ourselves; however, to work wonders concerns God. . . . To be a Christian is in our own power. But to be an apostle, bishop, or to be in any other such office – this is not in our own power. Rather, it is at the disposal of God, who bestows the gifts. . . . Furthermore, every person who prophesies is not holy. Every person who casts our devils is not religious. For even Balaam the prophet, the son of Beor, prophesied, although he was himself ungodly. So did Caiaphas, the falsely named high priest. In fact, the devil foretells many things about God, and so do the demons. Yet despite that, there is not even a spark of godliness in them. . . . It is obvious, therefore, that the ungodly – even if they prophesy – do not cover their own impiety by their prophesying. And those who cast out demons are not sanctified by the fact that demons are made subject to them.”

The second passage, written by Origen around AD 248, speaks of the faith necessary for healing and exorcism:

• “We have already, then, spoken in part of the words, ‘If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain’ [Matt. 17:20], etc. . . . Whenever, then, anyone has all faith so that he no longer disbelieves anything contained in the Holy Scriptures, and has faith such as was that of Abraham, who believed in God to such a degree that his faith was counted for righteousness, he has all faith as a grain of mustard seed. Then such a one will say to this mountain – I mean the mute and deaf spirit in him who is called a lunatic – ‘Remove from here’ [Matt. 17:20], . . . and it shall remove. And the apostle, taking, I think, his starting point from this place, says with apostolic authority, ‘If I have all faith so as to remove mountains’ [1 Cor. 13:2]. For not merely one mountain, but several, are removed by the person who has all faith as a grain of mustard seed; and nothing shall be impossible to him who has so great faith. But let us also attend to this, ‘This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting’ [Matt. 17:21]. If at any time it is necessary for us to be engaged in healing one who suffers from such a disorder, we should not adjure, nor put questions, nor speak to the impure spirit as though it heard. But devoting ourselves to prayer and fasting, we will be successful as we pray for the sufferer and by our own fasting thrust out the unclean spirit from him.”

The final passage, from Irenaeus’ work Against Heresies, written around AD 180, summarizes the beliefs and testimonies of the early believers regarding the supernatural:

• “Those who are truly His disciples, receiving grace from Him, . . . perform [works] in His name, in order to promote the welfare of others, according to the gift that each one has received from Him. Some truly and certainly cast out devils. The result is that those who have been cleansed from evil spirits frequently both believe and join themselves to the church. Others have foreknowledge of things to come. They see visions, and they utter prophetic expressions. Still others heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and the sick are made whole. What is more, as I have said, even the dead have been raised up and remained among us for many years.
• “What more can I say? It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the church throughout the whole world has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which she exerts day by day for the benefit of the Gentiles, neither practicing deception upon any, nor taking any reward from them. For, just as she has received freely from God, so does she minister without charge. Nor does she perform anything by means of angelic invocations, incantations, or any other wicked curious art. . . . Calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, she has worked miracles for the benefit of mankind, and not to lead them into error. The name of our Lord Jesus Christ even now confers benefits. It cures thoroughly and effectively all who anywhere believe on Him.”

Conclusion

1 Corinthians 14:1 encourages believers, “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts.” On nearly every topic, the early Christians took the Scriptures literally, and the sign gifts are no exception. They believed that they were living during the great outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophesied by Joel; and they witnessed healing, prophecy, tongues, visions, and exorcism, among other gifts. Yet in their quest for the Holy Spirit, they were careful to “test everything” and “hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20). Let us follow their example and do likewise.