Table of Contents

Appendix A Detailed Contents

Chapter 11.11

Understanding Demonic Miracle Working

Not Everything Supernatural is Holy

Table of Topics

A) Biblical Warnings of Demonic Miracle Working

B) Super-supernaturalism’s Inadequate Approach to Demonic Miracle Working

C) Biblical Purposes of Demonic Miracles: Testing His elect & deceiving His enemies

Extras & Endnotes

Primary Points

The more supernatural something unbiblical appears, the more likely the power behind it is demonic rather than human.
There is biblical evidence that God certainly can delegate supernatural power to satan in order to perform real demonic miracles.
Understanding demonic miracle working is important because it not only occurs in a shaman’s hut, but it happens in the Church itself.
Ever since the Egyptian sorcerers produced snakes, blood, and frogs to rival God’s supernatural signs of judgment, God has made it clear to us that we must be very discerning when it comes to the miraculous.
One of the devil’s most effective schemes to deceive God’s people is empowering the miraculous. One reason for its effectiveness is the common tendency among Christians to assume that everything supernatural is God-sent, when in fact, it is not.
Warnings of demonic and miraculous deception in the name of Christ is largely unheeded, especially in super-supernaturalism.
It is the devil who would like “open-mindedness” to miracle workers today.
If antichrist were to appear today, one wonders how susceptible super-supernaturalists would be to his deceptions, considering both their thirst for, and lack of discernment about the miraculous.
It is difficult to imagine satanic influences and deception being so intermixed among God’s people. But then again, where else would we expect them to be?
In our view, super-supernaturalists churches are not experiencing more miracles, but just practicing less discernment.
We believe super-supernaturalism has perhaps revealed hearts that do not love God enough to test the nature of the supernatural phenomena occurring among them.

A) Biblical Warnings of Demonic Miracle Working

In light of the fact that modern miracle working lacks the purpose and attributes of biblical miracle working, it is open to other, even alarming explanations, including demonic powers operating in order to deceive God’s people. Not everything supernatural is holy, and that is why it is critical to maintain biblical standards for discerning the source of modern miracle working.

Admittedly, it is often difficult to discern between merely fraudulent phenomena produced by human trickery and magic, the power of psychological forces, and that which is produced supernaturally with demonic power. Nonetheless, as we have stated before, the more supernatural something unbiblical appears, the more likely the power behind it is demonic rather than human.

Along these lines, John Warwick Montgomery, the noted Christian apologist, makes an appropriate comment:

Almost everyone has heard of the clever techniques of fraudulent mediums. . . . Houdini claimed that he could duplicate by natural means any spiritistic phenomenon shown to him. And recent visitors to Disneyland have invariably been impressed by the computerized effectiveness of the “spirits” in the Haunted Mansion. Are not all occult phenomena capable of similar explanation?

Doubtless the world would be a more comfortable and secure place if the answer were yes; unfortunately, however, such an answer is not possible. Innumerable instances of occult phenomena resist categorization as “humbug” or natural occurrences in disguise. ^[1]

Elsewhere in KOG we have given biblical evidence that God certainly can delegate supernatural power to satan ^[2] in order to perform demonic miracles. Accordingly, we wrote:

Christ implies as well that demonic miracles are real when He says, “false christs and false prophets will appear and perform great [not fake] signs and miracles to deceive even the elect” (Matt 24:24). Jesus calls these miracles “great” not counterfeit or fake. And it is not because of some perceived naivety on the part of Spirit-filled believers that the deceptive power of such demonic miracle working is so great, but rather, the power in the miracles is so great.

Likewise, end time delegated demonic miracle working is described by the Apostle John when he writes of, “spirits of demons performing miraculous signs” (Rev. 16:14). . . .

Accordingly, we do not believe it is either biblical or necessary to deny that satan can perform miracles. Rather, we would point to the Bible’s instruction on the critical need to distinguish between divine and demonic miracles (cf. Matt 7:15-22; 24:24; 1 John 4:1), instead of denying the latter. . . .

Christ would seem to describe delegated demonic miracle working when He says:

Many will say to Me on that [last] day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!‘ (Matt 7:22-23).

It can be noted that, first of all, Christ does not deny that what these “evildoers” performed were “many” real “miracles.” As NT scholar D. A. Carson writes, “There is no reason to judge their claims false; their claims [to miracle working] are not false but insufficient [to be Christian].” Secondly, the supernatural nature of their deeds suggest a power beyond that which is merely human. Thirdly, their works earn them the label “evil doers.” All of this adds up to suggest that Christ is indeed warning His Church of demonic miracle workers.

And Christ thought that demonic miracle working in His Church would be a common thing. He said “Many” “evildoers” will “perform many miracles” all in the “name” of the “Lord.” We should expect that both the number of demonically empowered miracle workers in the Church and the number of the miracles they perform will be abundant.

Yet this is not our expectation. It would seem the average Christian today is quite reluctant to believe that “many” people would actually “perform many miracles” in the “name” of Christ in His Church, and yet in reality be a deceiving “evildoer.” Yet that is precisely what Christ warned. ^[3]

Accordingly, the topic of demonic miracle working is an important one to understand. Not only because they occur in a shaman’s hut, but because they happen in the Church itself. The “many” fake, demonically empowered miracles workers that Christ warned us of will do their miracles in the “name” of the “Lord” which certainly suggests a church environment. ^[4]

Ever since the Egyptian sorcerers produced snakes, blood, and frogs to rival God’s supernatural signs of judgment, God has made it clear to us that we must be very discerning when it comes to the miraculous. In the Apostle’s second letter to the Corinthians, he is concerned that the devil may mislead them, and gives them some specific instruction, “in order that satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor 2:11). We see then that being aware of satan’s schemes and tactics is critical in not being deceived by our spiritual enemy, resulting in great spiritual harm.

Christ’s warnings above remind us that one of the devil’s most effective schemes to deceive God’s people is empowering the miraculous. One reason for its effectiveness is the common tendency among Christians to assume that everything supernatural is God-sent, when in fact, it is not. Again, Christ said, “Many [not few] will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not . . . in Your name [e.g. and in Your Church] . . . perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you [demonic] evildoers!’ (Matt 7:21-23). ^[5]

Accordingly, Pastor of Moody Bible Church, Erwin Lutzer quotes Ted Brooks, a pastor of a church that emphasized miracles, tongues, and prophecies, but who has since seen the errors of his teaching, wrote:

Just because words spoken by Christian leaders sound spiritual doesn’t mean that they should be heeded. The spirits of antichrist within the Church will confess many spiritual things. They will even quote much of the Bible. They will perform signs and wonders, which fascinate the soul. They will appear as apostles, prophets, and pastors, but they will avoid pointing us to the fact that Jesus Christ was the complete revelation of God’s will and character in the flesh. Let it be clearly said that if we want to find the devil in America we must begin by looking behind the pulpits of America; it is in the church and not in the world that the devil does his most deceptive work. ^[6]

B) Super-supernaturalism’s Inadequate Approach to Demonic Miracle Working

And yet such warnings of demonic and miraculous deception in the name of Christ is largely unheeded, especially in super-supernaturalism. The clear biblical warnings regarding demonic miracle working in the Church is in marked contrast to the obvious attempt by super-supernaturalists today to “lower our guard.”

One of the primary ways in which super-supernaturalism had made the Church more susceptible to demonic deception regarding miracle working is to denounce caution and increase expectations of miracle working, all against biblical instructions. Accordingly, they accuse more discerning Christians of being paranoid, close-minded, and overly suspicious of miracle working. For example, the popular super-supernaturalist author Jack Deere writes:

Apostasy, legalism, and lukewarm faith are serious problems in the church today. These things significantly hinder God’s miraculous ministry among contemporary believers. However, I believe that there is another factor that is a greater hindrance than all three of these put together. I am referring to the present unbelief that is rampant in the church. . . . The surprising thing to me today is not how little God heals among the conservative [i.e. non-super-supernaturalist] evangelical church, but that he heals at all. So much of the church is so filled with unbelief that I am truly amazed that anyone ever gets healed. ^[7]

We have dealt elsewhere with Mr. Deere’s erroneous assumption that we can cause or experience more miracles by choosing to have more faith. ^[8] The miracle faith often associated with the occurrence of miracles in Scripture was and is a sovereign gift by God’s grace and not dependent upon us. Nonetheless, such a statement clearly has the effect of devaluing caution and discernment when it comes to miracle workers. Considering Christ’s warnings of demonic miracle workings doing things in His Name, these would seem exactly what God would expect of us, and to condemn such biblical attitudes toward miracle workers is misplaced. It is the devil who would like “open-mindedness” to miracle workers today.

Not only do super-supernaturalists condemn Christians for being more suspicious of miracle workers, they attempt to persuade them to expect miracles far beyond what the Bible warrants. ^[9] The following “prophecy” from the founder of the Vineyard churches, John Wimber, describes what such men think our expectations should be regarding the miraculous:

We are entering a time in history in which the ability to perform mighty deeds is going to become somewhat commonplace . . . there are already in Korea and Japan religious groups that do not relate to Christ at all who are healing the sick and casting out demons and performing miracles over nature. ^[10]

Remarkably, Mr. Wimber gives no hint here that we should be suspicious of this future outpouring of the miraculous, if indeed their supposedly divine predictions come true. Yet he will admit that not all miracle working is of holy origins.

John Arnott of the Toronto Airport Vineyard likewise predicts:

We are currently in a time similar to the ministry of John the Baptist and will soon be coming into a time resembling the ministry of Jesus where powerful signs, wonders, and miracles will take place. ^[11]

One is reminded here of the Scripture’s warning that “The coming of the lawless one [antichrist] will be in accordance with the work of satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” (2 Thess 2:9). If antichrist were to appear today, one wonders how susceptible super-supernaturalists would be to his deceptions, considering both their thirst for, and lack of discernment about the miraculous. One of the signs of the end that the King gave us was that “false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive” (Matt 24:24).

Another alarming habit among super-supernatural celebrities is to refer to themselves as “the Lord’s anointed.” Interestingly enough, this is precisely what Jesus predicted End Time deceivers would say. Christ said, “For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ [Christos “the anointed one”],’ and will deceive many” (Matt 24:5). It would not seem correct to translate Christos here as “Christ,” as it does not make sense to say that Jesus Himself would come in His own name. What He means is that someone would claim to be another “anointed one” coming to represent Christ. Unfortunately, we hear a lot of deceivers in super-supernaturalism calling themselves “anointed.”

Especially those in super-supernaturalism have forgotten that not everything supernatural is holy. In the next chapter we will describe several examples of miracle workers that are just as supernatural as any in super-supernaturalism, yet are certainly not Christians. Accordingly, Alan Cole, who has served Christ in many different cultures, writes of the Vineyard Movement:

None of these signs are new to me (healings, visions, tongues, exorcisms). But the trouble is that I have seen every one of them (yes, tongues too) in non-Christian religions, and outwardly there was no difference in the signs, except that one was done in the name of Jesus and the other was not [which makes absolutely no difference according to Christ in Matt 7:22-23]. . . . That is why I cannot get excited about healings in themselves, and why I can reverently understand how Jesus used them sparingly, and retreated when the crowds became too great. ^[12]

Likewise, Dr. Lutzer writes:

Pakistani Muslims claim that one of their revered saints, Baba Farid, has healed people with incurable diseases. Thousands of Hindus claim healing each year at the temple dedicated to Venkateswara in Tirupathi. ^[13]

Why then should we believe any differently about the nature of the truly supernatural in super-supernaturalism? Because they perform their deceptions in a church? This is precisely where we should expect satan to attempt miraculous deceptions. Accordingly, John Calvin wrote:

The Donatists of old overwhelmed the simplicity of the multitude with this battering-ram: that they were mighty in miracles. We, therefore, now answer our adversaries as Augustine then answered the Donatists: the Lord made us wary of these miracle workers when he predicted that false prophets with lying signs and divers wonders would come to draw even the elect (if possible) into error. And Paul warned that the reign of Antichrist would be “with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

But these miracles, they say, are done neither by idols, nor by magicians, nor by false prophets, but by the saints. As if we did not understand that to “disguise himself as an angel of light” is the craft of satan! ^[14]

Indeed, we will discuss below the biblical evidence that even miracle workers who preach the Gospel in a church can be demonically empowered. Along these lines, Dr. Lutzer writes:

A man walked into a meeting to observe a so-called laughing revival, with people on the floor, giggling and roaring like lions. He asked, half out loud, “I wonder whether this is really of God?” A woman standing beside him responded, “Well, it is happening in church, isn’t it?” But it is precisely what is happening in church that should be tested and evaluated. It is in church where we can expect counterfeit miracles, odd beliefs, and heresy. . . .

A man who was healed from a serious disease in a so-called healing meeting discovered that he had also inherited a “demonic darkness,” that is, a persistent sense that he now had an evil presence near him. When he rebuked satan, the emotional and spiritual cloud left him but his disease returned. ^[15]

Accordingly, there is a legitimate concern that the truly supernatural things occurring in super-supernaturalism are demonic in nature. For example, we have elsewhere discussed this regarding the “slain in the spirit” phenomenon. ^[16]

It is, of course, difficult to imagine satanic influences and deception being so intermixed among God’s people. But then again, where else would we expect them to be? We should be reminded that in this age, the demonic coexists with the divine. Christ’s parable of the wheat and the weeds clearly illustrates this (cf. Matt 13:24-30). The King warned of people who would operate among Christians portraying themselves as “sheep” but who are actually “ferocious wolves.” (Matt 7:15). The Apostle warned the Ephesian elders, “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!” (Acts 20:30-31).

Accordingly, we are repeatedly warned in Scripture of:

False christs (cf. 2 Thess 2:9; Matt 24:5, 24; 1 John 2:18),
False apostles (cf. 2 Cor 11:13; Rev 2:2),
False prophets (cf. Deut 13:1-3; 18:20-22; Jer 23:11-40; 29:8-9; Matt 7:15; 24:11, 24; 1 Thess 5:21; 2 Pet 2:1; 1 John 4:1),
False teachers (cf. Acts 20:29-31; Rom 16:17-18; Gal 1:6-8; Eph 4:14; Col 2:8, 18-19; 1 Tim 1:3; 6:3-4; 2 Tim 2:17-18; 3:13; Tit 1:9-11; 2 Pet 2:1-22; 2 John 1:7; Jude; Rev 2:14-15,20),
Deceptive miracles and miracle workers (cf. Deut 13:1-4; Matt 7:22; Acts 8:9-12; 2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:12-14; 16:13-14),
False spirits (cf. 1 Tim 4:1; 1 John 4:1, 6).

And these warnings are especially important in spiritual revivals as we have discussed elsewhere. ^[17]

In a day when so many are claiming to be miracle workers in and out of the Church, there is a great need for discernment. In our view, super-supernaturalists churches are not experiencing more miracles, but just practicing less discernment. Considering the likelihood that there has been an abundance of false apostles, prophets, and miracle workers among them, when is the last time you heard of them actually exposing and excommunicating one? Is the fact that they have rarely if ever done this reflective of the fact that they have rarely if ever had them in their midst? Not likely. In fact, as discussed elsewhere, we believe Jesus warned that a super-supernaturalist movement will have an abundance of fakes in it. ^[18] The man of God is to keep the devil out of the Church. Because of their worship of miracles, super-supernaturalists have welcomed him in.

C) Biblical Purposes of Demonic Miracles: Testing His elect & deceiving His enemies

Elsewhere we have also noted God’s sobering purposes in allowing the devil to perform miracles in the Church:

What then is God’s purpose for giving the devil and his demons such supernatural powers? There would seem to be two. The first is to test the people of God. Christ indicates this when He relates that in the End Times: “false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible” (Matt 24:24). The indication is that the demonic miracle working will not ultimately deceive the elect into accepting a false Christ, but it will certainly be a great test.

We see the same kind of testing revealed in God’s words to the Israelites:

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.

The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the LORD your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. (Deut 12:32-13:1-4)

First, we notice the remarkable warning that God may in fact grant a servant of satan the ability to foretell the future, the foundational authentication of God’s own Prophets (cf. Deut 18:17-22). Secondly, the reason He would grant such supernatural knowledge is for nothing less than testing God’s people for what is the most important to Him: whether we “love Him with all [our] heart” (v. 3).

The other reason God delegates miracle working ability to satan is to deceive His enemies. Such is certainly the case with antichrist. It will be God’s desire to deceive the nations at that time and therefore the miraculous powers that the coming antichrist will possess will be part of the “powerful delusion” that “God sends . . . so that they [the world] will believe the [antichrist’s] lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (2 Thess 2:11-12, cf. Rev 13-14). ^[19]

We see then two rather sobering reasons that God allows demonically empowered miracle working: testing His elect and deceiving His enemies. Unfortunately, both of these purposes have alarming applications to super-supernaturalism.

First of all, as we have discussed thoroughly elsewhere, we believe there are many fake “Christians” in super-supernatural environments. ^[20] In the midst of such apostasy and hypocrisy, we have also demonstrated that God is in the habit of intentionally drawing such people into greater deception so that He can bring them into greater condemnation. ^[21] As noted above, this is precisely what He will do with the whole world in the age of the antichrist (2 Thess 2:11-12). If this sounds harsh, then let us wait and see what God does to the arrogant, self-serving, demon-worshipping imposters and miracle working “evil doers,” (Matt 7:23) as Christ called them, that are so prevalent in the Church today.

Secondly, we believe super-supernaturalism has perhaps revealed hearts that do not love God enough to test the nature of the supernatural phenomena occurring among them. One fears they love the miracles and the false doctrines and practices supported by them more than God and the truth, and therefore, are not careful or honest enough about demons working among them. In other words, too many Christians in super-supernaturalism are failing a God-granted test to see if they love Him more than miracles. The miracles, whether faked, psychologically manipulated upon them, or demonically empowered, meet a need in their life to feel significant and special, leading them to seek and need miracles too much to be objectively discerning about them, resulting in a great deal of deception among them.

Along these lines we have already noted our concern that super-supernatural Christians will be especially susceptible to the deceptions of the antichrist in the Last Days. The King warned that “false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect” (Matt 24:24). Likewise, the Apostle Paul warned that, “in the last days” there would be false miracle workers like “Jannes and Jambres” who “opposed Moses” (2 Tim 3:1, 8). ^[22] These men had plenty of miraculous power, but as Egyptian sorcerers their virtue would have been obviously suspect.

Super-supernaturalism is especially primed to be deceived by such End Time miracle workers, particularly the potentially large numbers of unregenerated people participating in it. It is they who are in danger of God’s own punishment of deluding people who love miracles more than the truth (cf. 2 Thess 2:11-12; Rev 13-14). As Calvin wrote of super-supernaturalists in his day: “What shall we say except that it has always been, and ever will be, a very just punishment of God to “send to those” who have not received the love of truth “a strong delusion to make them believe a lie.” ^[23]

Extras & Endnotes

A Devotion to Dad

Our Father in Heaven, thank You for Your warnings that we have an enemy who hates us and works in amazing ways to deceive us. Lord, for Your glory, help us to be wise about the devil’s schemes, and to detect and confront his work in and among Your people. Do not let him have his way in our churches. And as we face and fight this enemy, we remember “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8), and that is Your will even now.

Gauging Your Grasp

How can we discern between something that is amazing but merely human empowered, and something that is demonically empowered?
We claim the devil can do real miracles. Do you agree or disagree and why?
Why is it important to understand demonic miracle working?
What is a common, but false assumption among Christians concerning the occurrence of the supernatural in a “Christian setting?”
We claim that if the antichrist were to appear today, super-supernaturalists would be especially prone to his deceptions. Do you agree or disagree and why?
Why is it difficult to imagine satanic influences and deception being so intermixed among God’s people? Why should we expect it?
What are biblical references to warnings of demonic deception and miracle working in the Church? Do you agree or disagree with our claim that super-supernaturalism does not take these warnings seriously enough?
Why do we claim God allows demonic miracle working among His people? How does this relate to concerns regarding super-supernaturalism?
What character flaws do we believe are prevalent among those who are not careful to discern the source of supernatural events among them? Do you agree or disagree and why?

Publications & Particulars

John Warwick Montgomery, Principalities and Powers, (Bethany, 1973), 30. ↑
Forgive our habitual and ungrammatical way of intentionally not using the upper case to refer to satan or those clearly empowered by him. They simply don’t deserve the respect that such a grammatical practice implies. ↑
Excerpt from section 10.6.A. ↑
For further discussion of the biblical warning concerning demonic miracle working in a Christian environment see section 10.6.B.1. ↑
Christ clearly implies in Matthew 7:21-23 that “many” “evil doers” will perform exorcisms in His name. How do we reconcile this with the following from Mark:

Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in Your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in My name can in the next moment say anything bad about Me. (Mark 9:38-9)

Likewise, in apparently the same context, Luke has, “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:50).

In Matthew 7 Jesus says that “many” “evil doers” will perform miracles and exorcisms in His name. Here in Mark and Luke He is saying not to “stop” anyone who performs an exorcism or “does a miracle in My name” apparently because they will not “say anything bad about” Him or be “against” the disciples.

Reconciliation is difficult, perhaps explaining why we cannot find a single commentator who even makes an effort to do so. The only commentators we could find who even mention this apparent contradiction are the rather liberal Davies and Allison who merely suggest that Matthew purposely drops Mark 9:38-39 from his text in order to avoid the clear contradiction (717).

In the Lukan version, Jesus specifies that we should not stop someone performing exorcisms who is not against the work of the disciples. Therefore, this is a conditional admonition and would not prohibit us from stopping frauds or demonically empowered people from doing so, for they indeed would be “against” us.

The Markan version suggests that in this instance, Jesus was content that a fraudulent or demonic exorcist would simply not malign Christ in the immediate future. We would only suggest that this would not prohibit us from continuing to monitor such a person, and if their character does not match their profession, and they are doing harm in and to the Church, that we should indeed stop them. ↑
Lutzer, Judge, 100 ↑
Jack Deere, Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, (Zondervan, 1993), 152, 154. ↑
Regarding the erroneous claim that we can experience more miracles if we exercise more faith see section 10.16.G and chapter 11.4. ↑
For further discussion regarding a biblical view of the expectation of miracles see chapter 10.3. ↑
John Wimber, “Speaking on Paul Cain and the Office of the Prophet,” Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Anaheim, CA, 2-19-89, audiotape. ↑
John Arnott, “Moving into Increasing Annointing”, Spread the Fire 1, 3 (May/June 1995). ↑
Reference unavailable. ↑
Lutzer, Judge, 118-19. ↑
John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Prefatory Address; online at http://www.ccel.org. ↑
Lutzer, Judge, 59, 214 ↑
For examples of the possibly demonic nature of the super-supernaturalist practice of being “slain in the spirit” see section 14.11.B.3. ↑
Regarding the especially important warnings of demonic influence in spiritual revival see section 10.15.A.6. ↑
Regarding Christ’s warning that a super-supernaturalist movement will have an abundance of fakes in it see the commentary on Matthew 7:21-23 at section 6.6.E. ↑
Excerpt from section 10.6.B.1. ↑
For biblical support for the claim that there are many fake “Christians” in super-supernatural environments see section 6.6.E. ↑
Regarding God’s habit of using demonic deception to bring people into judgment see section 10.6.B.1. ↑
While the account in Exodus 7-8 does not name the Egyptian sorcerers who opposed Moses and Aaron on behalf of Pharaoh, Jewish tradition had preserved their names. NT scholar George W. Knight explains:

The Egyptian sorcerers who opposed Moses before Pharaoh (Ex. 7:1ff., 22) were called [Jannes and Jambres] in Jewish writings (e.g., Targum Ps.-Jonathan 1.3; 7.2; at an earlier date in CD 5:17-19). The names were also widely known in pagan writings (e.g., Pliny, Natural History 30. 1.11), so Paul’s reference to them would have presented no problem for the church at Ephesus (especially not for the false teachers, with their interest in genealogies [I Tim. 1:4]). Even though the names do not occur in the OT text, there is no reason to doubt the reliability of the Jewish tradition (so Ellicott; for further discussion of the names and references to primary and secondary literature see BAGD; H. Odeberg, TDNT III, 192f.; Str-B 111, 660-64; McNamara, NT and Palestinian Targum, 82-96). (The Pastoral Epistles [Eerdmans, 1992], 435).

For further discussion of the miracle working of the Egyptian sorcerers against Moses see section 10.6.A. ↑
Calvin, Institutes, Prefatory Address. ↑