Objection: The Signs of an Apostle Do Not Refer to Signs, Wonders and Mighty Deeds, But Rather to Suffering or Perseverance
The interesting thing about this particular objection is that you can hear it from BOTH the denominational anti-healing crowd and from “word of faith” preachers who are what I call “business card apostles.” The latter are people who do NOT have prodigious signs, wonders and mighty deeds following them, but they hand out business cards stating that they are apostles. I suppose these cards are necessary because based on biblical criteria, you’d never have guessed that these people were apostles! I even had someone in one of my services handing out cards (without my permission) declaring him to be an APE – Apostle/Prophet/Evangelist! He tried to prophesy to people without my permission, too, and I had to shut him down even though another prominent faith church in the area thought he was the real deal. After he proceeded to try to prophesy on the way to the parking lot (also without my permission), he continued to show his true colors. A TRUE apostle would know enough to submit to the authority of the local pastor. However, a business card apostle believes that only apostles should run churches and that you’re a “bastard church” if you’re not “properly submitted” to “apostolic authority.” (They’ve not realized that “governments” of churches and “apostles” are SEPARATE entries on Paul’s list in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30!) Unlike Paul, who had only BAD things to say about “superapostles” who tried to take over a church that someone else planted, they think they have the right to take over other people’s churches in their “apostolic territory.” Beware of such scoundrels and never let them get their mitts on your church, or you’ll be sorry!
So what is the justification for signs, wonders and mighty deeds NOT being proof of apostleship? It has to do with the interpretation of the following verse:
2 Corinthians 12:12:
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
The objector’s take is that the signs of an apostle were patience – period. The objector believes that the signs, wonders and mighty deeds were peculiar to Paul here and not to all apostles. Thus, if you persevere, you have supposedly performed the sign of an apostle. Or course, just about anyone could be an apostle based on that criterion, as all of us will have reasons to have to persevere through trials.
The objector’s reasoning is fraught with other problems. For starters, the verse does not start, “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you – patience” although that is how the objector is reading it. The signs were worked in all patience. This proves that patience itself wasn’t a sign.
Next, SIGNS could not be patience because SIGNS is plural and patience is singular. That wouldn’t even make grammatical sense.
Next, the word SIGNS is the Greek word semeion in both places where “signs” appears in the verse. It is usually used to portray an unusual, miraculous occurrence. For example, “These signs (semeion) will follow those believe…”. It is actually translated miracle(s) in Luke 23:8, John 2:11, John 2:23, John 3:2, John 4:54, John 6:2, John 6:14, John 6:26, John 7:31, John 9:16, John 10:41, John 11:47, John 12:18, John 12:37, Acts 4:16, Acts 6:8, Acts 8:6, Acts 15:12, Revelation 16:14 and Revelation 19:20. It is often used as part of the phrase “signs and wonders.” So these signs are not something that just everybody goes around doing. Perseverance is a good thing, but it’s not in the same class as a miracle.
Even if you wanted to argue that whatever the sign was, it wasn’t patience, but it was IN patience, you’d also have to admit that it was IN (the same Greek word en is used for in both times) signs, wonders and mighty deeds. For that to be true, you’d have to be performing signs, wonders and mighty deeds for whatever you claim are the signs of an apostle to be done “in.” Otherwise this verse could not apply to you.
Some could argue, “An apostle is just a missionary or church planter.” But someone CALLED to that office will have signs, wonders and mighty deeds in his ministry. Planting a church in and of itself does not make you an apostle. The landscape is littered with “church plants” that are nothing more than disgruntled people from First Denominational breaking off to form Second Denominational (though it is rare for the second church to use that as the title, as it calls too much attention to the fact that there is a First Denominational). Such “plants” are usually “weeds” in God’s book, though I’ll admit that there are some churches that anyone with half a brain would leave due to the spiritual abuse that goes on. (Spiritual abuse does NOT include disputes over the carpet color, which led to hundreds of people leaving a certain church en masse in a state where I used to live.)
We must conclude that any TRUE apostle performs signs, wonders and mighty deeds. Anyone claiming to be an apostle who does not perform signs, wonders and mighty deeds is a fake who should never be taken seriously.