Topic : Miracle(s)

God seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to His creatures. He commands us to do slowly and blunderingly what He could do perfectly and in the twinkling of an eye. - C. S. Lewis

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Grudem defines a miracle as follows:

"A miracle is a less common kind of God's activity in which he arouses people's awe and wonder and bears witness to himself.? He justifies this definition by awe, or amazement in such a way that God bears witness to himself (Systematic Theology, chapter 52).pointing out the deficiencies in other commonly proposed definitions:

"For example, one definition of miracles is "a direct intervention of God in the world.? But this definition assumes a deistic view of God's relationship to the world, in which the world continues on its own and God only intervenes in it occasionally. This is certainly not the biblical view, according to which God makes the rain to fall (Matt. 5:45), causes the grass to grow (Ps. 104:14), and continually carries along all things by his word and power (Heb. 1:3). Another definition of miracles is "a more direct activity of God in the world.? But to talk about a "more direct? working of God suggests that his ordinary providential activity is somehow not 'direct,? and again hints at a sort of deistic removal of God from the world.

Another definition is "God working in the world without using means to bring about the results he wishes.? Yet to speak of God working "without means? leaves us with very few if any miracles in the Bible, for it is hard to think of a miracle that came about with no means at all: in the healing of people, for example, some of the physical properties of the sick person's body were doubtless involved as part of the healing. When Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes, he at least used the original five loaves and two fishes that were there. When he changed water to wine, he used water and made it become wine. This definition seems to be inadequate.

Yet another definition of miracle is "an exception to a natural law? or "God acting contrary to the laws of nature.? But the phrase 'laws of nature? in popular understanding implies that there are certain qualities inherent in the things that exist, 'laws of nature? which operate independently of God and that God must intervene or "break? these laws in order for a miracle to occur. Once again this definition does not adequately account for the biblical teaching on providence.

Another definition of miracle is, "an event impossible to explain by natural causes.? This definition is inadequate because

(1) it does not include God as the one who brings about the miracle;

(2) it assumes that God does not use some natural causes when he works in an unusual or amazing way, and thus it assumes again that God only occasionally intervenes in the world; and

(3) it will result in a significant minimizing of actual miracles, and an increase in skepticism, since many times when God works in answer to prayer the result is amazing to those who prayed but it is not absolutely impossible to explain by natural causes, especially for a skeptic who simply refuses to see God's hand at work.

Therefore, the original definition given above, where a miracle is simply a less common way of God's working in the world, seems to be preferable and more consistent with the biblical doctrine of God's providence. This definition does not say that a miracle is a different kind of working by God, but only that it is a less common way of God's working, and that it is done so as to arouse people's surprise.

Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, by Jack Deere (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), pp. 270-271

In a recent number of the 'sunday School Times? a story is told of an Eastern king which illustrates at once our delusion respecting natural processes, and also God's work and presence in them. The king was seated in a garden, and one of his counselors was speaking of the wonderful works of God. 'show me a sign,? said the king, "and I will believe.? "Here are four acorns,? said the counselor, "will you, Majesty, plant them in the ground, and then stoop down for a moment and look into this clear pool of water"? The king did so, "Now,? said the other, 'look up.? The king looked up and saw four oak-trees where he had planted the acorns. "Wonderful!" he exclaimed, 'this is indeed the work of God.? "How long were you looking into the water"? asked the counselor. "Only a second,? said the king. "Eighty years have passed as a second,? said the other. The king looked at his garments; they were threadbare. He looked at his reflection in the water; he had become an old man. 'there is no miracle here, then,? he said angrily. "Yes,? said the other, "it is God's work, whether he did it in one second or in eighty years.'

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Unfortunately, we know the experience against miracles to be uniform only if we know that all reports of them are false. And we can know all the reports to be false only if we know already that miracles have never occurred. In fact, we are arguing in a circle.

C.S. Lewis, on the denial of the possibility of miracles, quoted in National Review, April 15, 1988, p. 45

Percentage of adults who mostly agree or completely agree with the statement, "Even today, miracles are performed by the power of God?: 82.

Princeton Religion Research Center's PRRC Emerging Trends, 11/88

An alcoholic became a believer, was asked how he could possibly believe all the nonsense in the Bible about miracles. "You don't believe that Jesus changed the water into wine do you"? "I sure do, because in our house Jesus changed the whiskey into furniture.?

R. Stedman, Authentic Christianity, p. 36

One clear purpose of miracles was to authenticate the character of Jesus and his relationship with his heavenly Father. In this regard, miracles demonstrate the following: God is with Jesus (John 3:2); Jesus is from God (John 3:2; 9:342-33); God has sent Jesus (John 5:36); Jesus has authority on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10-11; Matt. 9:6-7; Luke 5:24-25); Jesus is approved by God (Acts 2:22); the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father (John 10:37-38; 14:11); in Jesus the kingdom of God has come (Matt. 12:28; Luke 11:20); and Jesus is the Messiah (Matt. 11:1-6; Luke 7:18-23) and the Son of God (Matt. 14:25-33).

A second purpose of miracles was to authenticate the message about Jesus. This was the major function of the miracles as far as the ministry of the apostles was concerned. Mark says that the Lord "confirmed his word [that the apostles preached] by the signs that accompanied it? (Mark 16:20). When Luke was describing the ministry of Paul and Barnabas at Iconium, he said that the Lord "confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders? (Acts 14:3). Notice that in both of these texts the Lord does not confirm the apostles themselves but rather "his word? or 'the message? that the apostles were preaching. Signs and wonders do not testify to the apostles but to the message of salvation preached by the apostles. So the two principal things that are authenticated by miracles are the Lord Jesus and the message about the Lord Jesus.

Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, by Jack Deere, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), pp. 103-104.

Everybody in the hospital was awaiting a visit from Pope John Paul II. A doctor with a handful of paperwork took a seat in a wheelchair and busied himself with his notes. The Pope swept in, and blessed the doctor, who immediately stood up and walked forward. The devout in the Pope's entourage crossed themselves and rolled their eyes upward.

L. M. Boyd - Crown Syndicate, January, 1984