From many accounts in the book of Acts, it is clear that the Word of God is the only the authoritative, clear and powerful teachings of Scripture that can transcend the natural realm by having supernatural effects in people of any place and background. Reason being, the Bible contains words from the one, true God. These words clearly explain the most significant and serious eternal matters. And these words can penetrate one’s heart and implant spiritual life where there was formerly spiritual death.
Now you might quickly affirm those things, but how do you know if they are solid convictions that you live by? For instance, even if you believe God’s word contains the truth, do you feel deficient or ill-equipped in your witness for Christ in this world? Have you ever concluded that you must be an expert in science or philosophy or psychology in order to have maximum impact? Perhaps you might be tempted to think that you must come up with new methods and strategies of how to make the gospel relevant to someone in our day and age. Let’s try to make this as clear and simple as possible—if a person is currently living and breathing and has rationale capabilities, then that person sins against God and therefore the gospel is automatically relevant for that person. All that being said, we must not be duped into thinking we can change someone’s heart, but do we not have at our disposal the very thing that can? What does Paul declare in Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. This is what Paul relied upon throughout his ministry.
In Acts 13:4-12, there is faithful proclamation of gospel truth along with an act of power, but the one who gets converted does not become astounded by the miracle, but by the teaching which the miracle validated. This is a crucial distinction because it does not take the work of the Spirit of God to be amazed at miracles. Thousands were astonished at the works of Christ, but ended up perishing in their unbelief. Even the apostles’ miracles were sometimes misconstrued by those in the world and did not lead any to a saving knowledge of Christ in and of themselves. It’s undeniable then that miracles do not and cannot produce faith. However, when one places his or her faith in the word of God, that one is saved (Rom. 10:16).