Healings in the New Testament authenticated the message of salvation

Another characteristic of New Testament healings is that they served as a sign to authenticate the gospel message preached by Christ and the apostles.

As Peter explained on the day of Pentecost, the Lord Jesus was “a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs” (Acts 2:22) – highlighting that the works performed by Jesus was to authenticate Him as the one sent by God and to validate the gospel message He proclaimed.

Christ Himself told the skeptical Pharisees, “Though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:38).

And the apostle John explained the purpose of his gospel with these words: “Truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30–31).

The apostles, as Christ’s ambassadors, were similarly authenticated by the miraculous signs they performed (cf. Rom. 15:18–19; 2 Cor. 12:12).

Speaking of that apostolic witness, the author of Hebrews explained, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Heb. 2:3–4).

These signs validated the apostles’ claim to be authorized representatives of God, preachers of the gospel of truth.

Those who preached any gospel other than that established by Christ and proclaimed by the apostles show themselves to be “false apostles” and “deceitful workers” (2 Cor. 11:13).

The God of truth only validates the true gospel. He would not authenticate bad theology or give supernatural power to people who teach bad theology. Therefore, miracle workers who teach a false gospel are not performing miracles by God’s power but are instead relying on a power other than God’s (cf. 2 Thess. 2:9).