The Holy Spirit and His Gifts | Page 165

As I previously mentioned, the difference between the gift of faith and the working of miracles is that the gift of faith receives a miracle and the working of miracles works a miracle. The working of miracles is used to display God's power and magnificence. In Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible, the Greek word for "miracles" in First Corinthians 12:10 is "dunamis," and can also be translated acts of powers. In other words, the working of miracles could also be called the working of acts of powers. According to the Greek concordance, the Greek word also means, explosions of almightiness or impelling, staggering wonders or astonishments. In other words, the Greek could read, "To another the working of impelling, staggering wonders or astonishments, or the outworkings of explosions of almightiness and acts of powers." Gifts of Healings More Prevalent In the New Testament Although in the Old Testament people were healed and the gifts of healings were in operation, gifts of healings were more commonly in operation in the New Testament than they were in the Old Testament. On the other hand, the working of miracles was more prominent or more commonly manifested in the Old Testament than in the New Testament, with the exception of the gift of working of miracles in Jesus' ministry. However, the working of miracles could possibly be included where it says, "And by the hands of the apostles were many SIGNS AND WONDERS wrought among the people . . ."(Acts 5:12). According to the Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, verse 12 says, "And many miracles and works were worked among the people by the hands of the apostles." Although the Bible doesn't specify what signs and wonders or miracles and works these were, it does go on to tell us about some healings which occurred through the ministry of the apostles (Acts 5:15,16). These healings were not actually the working of miracles in demonstration but gifts of healings in operation. Any spectacular manifestation that has to do with healing is the gifts of healings in operation. But it could be that because Acts 5:12 does not specify whether these signs and wonders were specifically miracles of healing or not, that this verse could refer to the workings of miracles by the apostles, particularly when the Greek does say that miracles and works were worked by the apostles. But, again, the Bible does not specify what miracles and works these were. Another example of the gift of working of miracles that is specifically mentioned in the New Testament is found in Acts 8. ACTS 8:5,6 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the MIRACLES which he did. The passage goes on to tell about some of the miraculous healings which took place. However, again, that would not be the same as the gift of the working of miracles. It could be