Foundational apostles and prophets: What about the five-fold ministry? Part 5; What about signs and wonders?

Mar 16:15-20 KJV And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  (16)  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  (17)  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  (18)  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.  (19)  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.  (20)  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

When you have been all alone without anyone around, perhaps looking at yourself in the mirror, have you ever asked this question? Where are the signs and wonders? I mean real signs and wonders. There is a lot to be gleaned from the above passage from Mark's gospel. I have posited the King James version of this passage so that it will be most familiar. Jesus said in John's gospel that those who followed him would do greater works... that there would be a greater works ministry. Have you ever asked the question; where are these greater works? Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 that all authority had been given to him heaven and earth. So then, if we are in him, we too have that authority. But, authority alone is not enough. One must also have power. When Jesus sent out the 12 in Luke 9:1, he gave them both power and authority. That is... in the Greek... exousia and dunamis. The signs and wonders require both power and authority.

So then, where does the power come from? Where do we get the dunamis? Dunamis is the Greek word that is translated power in the New Testament writings, and it is a root word that we get dynamite from. Dunamis is explosive power. So, again the question, where do we get this power? The answer can be found in the above passage from Mark's gospel. In verse twenty it says that God was confirming the word with signs and wonders. What exactly does that mean? Well, Mark defines the word in verse fifteen. The word is the gospel. After all, isn't that the point of this entire passage? Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel is the purpose of this passage. Therefore, the word that would be confirmed is the gospel of God's grace in Christ Jesus. So then, the Holy Spirit will only confirm the gospel with signs and wonders. Really? From just this one passage?

Let's look at another: Act 14:3  Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. Oh, this backs up the theory. Paul knew that the signs and wonders were there to establish the gospel or in other words, the word of God's grace in Christ. So the power (dunamis) for the signs and wonders comes from the gospel, or in other words, the preaching of the cross. 1Co 1:18 KJV  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. So then, if you want God's power, dunamis, preach the cross. It is the preaching of the cross, the gospel that will bring about God's power and he will confirm the word of his grace with powerful signs and wonders.

Paul explains plainly that the signs and wonders were to accompany and confirm the gospel: Rom 15:18-19 KJV  For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,  (19)  Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. It should be very clear that the signs and wonders will not come with the mixture of law and grace that is preached today. God will not confirm the leaven of the Pharisees.