Hebrews 2:4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.
The author is reflecting on the events of the early church. The evidence shows that something miraculous had happened in history. Never before in human history has there been such a time. Not only have eye witnesses and angels confirmed the message of Jesus, but signs, wonders, miracles, and the coming of the Holy Spirit show the awesomeness of the Son. This verse reads like a summary of the book of Acts. Signs are those special things that lead people to God. The signs are often seen in miracles, but other things can be signs. Wonders go along with signs. These are things that are beyond the imagination and cause people to stop and think. They see God in new ways. Wonders cannot be explained. Various miracles is a further description of the awesome activities in the early church. People were healed from diseases and even raised from the dead. The gifts of the Spirit that are mentioned in different places in the New Testament (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12) were special abilities beyond every day life. The Spirit did special things through people by providing gifts for ministry and mission. It is significant that the reason for all these special things is that they point to Jesus as the Son of God. These things were done in the name of Jesus. This means they were done under his authority and through his power. This brings the author’s words down to earth and everyday existence of the readers. It is difficult for us to imagine angels. But if we have experienced a miracle or gift of the Holy Spirit, that is much more personal and believable. That brings Jesus to our present experience. All of these things point to the exalted Son who is worthy to be listened to and worthy of our faith.
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