DISCLAIMER: This critique does not reject miracles or the ongoing work of the holy spirit. It is a call for biblical discernment. Jesus warned that false prophets would perform great signs to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matt 24:24). He also promised that the spirit of truth would guide believers into all the truth and glorify him—not human personalities (John 16:13–14).
The modern charismatic movement has grown into the most influential system within Christianity, with estimates nearing one billion adherents. What began as fringe, itinerant revivalism now shapes the lives of Catholics and so-called Evangelicals alike. At its heart, however, it is driven by spectacle—prioritizing personal experiences like “encounters,” “anointings,” and “manifestations” over Scripture. This has turned many a faith into an egocentric, glory-seeking enterprise, focused on feelings and status rather than the original New Testament purpose: to preach the Kingdom as the Gospel. As Hebrews 2:3-4 makes clear:
“This salvation had its beginning when spoken through the lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God validated their witness by signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of holy spirit distributed according to His own will.”
In other words, God backed up what they said about the kingdom and the name of Jesus (Acts 8:12) by giving them signs, wonders, different kinds of miracles, and distributions of holy spirit, just as He decided. The primary thing was not the gifts in and of themselves. In fact, Paul later warns that “the lawless one” will stage a counterfeit parousia with Satan’s power, “with all kinds of miracles, signs, and amazing but deceptive displays of Satanic power,” deceiving those “who refused to develop a passion for the truth in order to be saved,” so that God “will let loose on them an energy of delusion so that they will believe what is false,” and judgment falls “on those who decided not to believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12).
Paul instead insists that all Scripture is God-breathed and sufficient to equip the believer for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17), making Scripture—not subjective experiences—the final judge of doctrine and practice. Authentic New Testament faith centers on the teachings of Jesus and a “love of the truth in order to be saved” (2 Thess 2:9–10), not on a signs-driven, personal experience-addicted religion.
In the Gospels, the signs and miracles of Jesus reveal what the coming Kingdom of God will be like—no sickness, no death, and nonviolence in the spirit. The gifts worked by Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and served as a preview of the age to come (Matthew 11:4–5; Hebrews 6:5). That is why he sent his disciples to proclaim the Kingdom and heal (Luke 9:2; 10:9), yet warned them not to rejoice in power over demons, but that their “names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Yet, at the same time warned that many who perform signs will still be rejected for being “workers of evil” (Matthew 7:21–23). His priority was clear: rejoice not in spiritual power, but in your secure place in God’s coming Kingdom.
The gifts, therefore, are temporary signposts pointing to that future Kingdom, not permanent badges of status and prestige in the church. Healings display God’s compassion and authenticate the Kingdom message; they were never given to create profit or personality cults. Pentecost itself showcases intelligible foreign languages serving the Gospel to diverse crowds (Acts 2:4–11)—a reversal of Babel, not a model for private, unintelligible ecstasy.
Paul teaches that charismatic gifts are given “for the common good” (1 Corinthians 12:7), not for your health or to just make you feel good. Paul says that uninterpreted languages edify only the speaker, not the church (1 Cor 14:4–5, 26). Without love, even the so-called “tongues of men and of angels” are nothing but noise (1 Cor 13:1).
Peter’s healing of the lame man directs all attention to the risen Messiah, not to himself (Acts 3:12–16), and he insists that every gift is to be used in serving others so that “in all things God may be glorified through Jesus” (1 Peter 4:10–11).
James prescribes simple, local prayer by the elders for the sick (Jas 5:14–15) and reminds us that even Elijah “was a man with a nature like ours” (James 5:17)—no special “super-anointed” class or brand. By contrast, much of today’s charismatic influencer culture functions as ego-driven entertainment and monetized “ministry,” sharply departing from the New Testament pattern. When Simon tried to buy spiritual gifts, Peter rebuked him severely and called him to repent, warning of the danger of such corruption (Acts 8:18–23).
The New Testament call is to return to the teachings of Jesus and his apostles as our sure guide, where the spirit of God always points to the preaching of the Kingdom as God’s Gospel, builds up the church, and advances the honor of our coming King—not ourselves.
“The words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some among you who refuse to believe.” John 6:63-64
