Miracles 2011

Mark Dunagan
10/02/11 - Sunday Morning

Miracles

There are people who will miss a lifetime of blessings and a pleasure filled eternity because they needlessly stumble over the miracles that are recorded within Scripture. They may stumble over the fact that God created the universe in six days (Exodus 20:11), or that the Flood during the time of Noah was universal (Genesis 7:19,21), that the Red Sea was parted (Exodus 14), or the Sun stood still during the time of Joshua (Joshua 10:13), or that a donkey talked (Numbers 23:28). 

Are Miracles Possible?

Certainly if the Bible is the Word of God, as it so claims (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and if an all-powerful God created the universe and has acted, then logic follows that He, being a personable God, would have done some amazing things to draw near to the souls He loves, and that those things were recorded.  What I would stumble over is a belief in a God who has never communicated with mankind or a God who gives a book that records no miracles.  

The Logical Outcome

If one believes in God, then the next two logical steps would be:

• He has spoken.  It does not make any sense that God would go to all the trouble to create this universe and mankind and then remain completely silent.  Hebrews 1:1-2
• He has acted.  It does not make any sense to believe in a God who has never really done anything.
• When He acts, it will be amazing—miracles.
• “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).
• “...nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).
• If this God can create the entire universe out of nothing (Psalm 33:6,9; Romans 4:17  He “calls into being that which does not exist”), then obviously Creation in six days, a world-wide flood, a parted Red Sea, a talking donkey, a sun that stood still—or a resurrected Christ would be effortless.

 

What is the Purpose of Miracles?

This is a good question and one that people don’t often consider.  You see, the miracles that are found in the Bible are not found on every page.  There are long periods of time in the Bible when nothing miraculous happens.  When Jesus healed the blind man in John 9, the same man later commented, “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind” (John 9:32).  People were not being healed right and left even in biblical times, and blind man had never been healed previous to this event.  Jesus noted the same type of thing in Luke 4:27.  Many lepers existed in Israel in times past, but Elisha healed none of them, except Naaman, a leper from Syria.  Clearly, there is a definite purpose behind miracles.

A Gracious and Merciful Purpose

One purpose of miracles was to help us see who was from God and who was not—especially when new revelation, like the New Testament was being given. Throughout the centuries many people have claimed to speak for God. So how do we know who is telling the truth and who is lying?  God graciously helps us here, for the ability to perform miracles were God’s personal stamp of approval on the person speaking, that what He was saying really did come from God.  :

• “You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).
• “The very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me” (John 5:36).
• “Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs” (Acts 2:22).
• “God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders and by various gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Hebrews 2:4).

Thus, we can have confidence that the words of Jesus and the apostles are truly God’s word and not human opinion.  Furthermore, we never have to guess what is Scripture and what is not, or what is truth and what is not.

The Bible has the Answer

• Paul clearly stated that the miraculous gifts, unlike love, would cease: 1 Corinthians 13:8
• So the only question becomes “when” would miracles cease? The answer is found in this same context. When Paul wrote the Corinthian letter the New Testament has already been partially written.  Some truth as revealed, and the another half was being given through such gifts as prophecy.  Hence he states, “We know in part, and we prophesy in part” (13:9).  The early church still received its information in two ways — some was written, and some still needed to come by inspired utterances.
• Then Paul notes, “but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away” (13:10).  What has been under discussion, in this chapter, is knowledge (13:9), what they knew.  Thus, the word “perfect” applies to what has been partial, that is, knowledge.  When all the revelation from God has been given, when the truth has been fully revealed (John 16:13),what is said to cease, is the miraculous gifts.  And since we are told all truth has been revealed, we can conclude, for that reason, the age of miracles ended when the Bible was complete.

What about modern claims? Why don’t we see them today?

Actually, if you think about it, and especially considering the purpose of miracles (to confirm God’s revelation to man), the answer is obvious:  Miracles confirmed revelation from God, and yet that revelation is final, complete and finished.  The Bible is a finished product, and the faith was once for all delivered (Jude 3).  God, in His wisdom, has stated that this confirmed word is of far greater value than the continuance of miracles. Of course, anyone can claim that they have worked a miracle, but let’s breakdown this question into a couple of parts:

The Qualifies of Miracles

Miracles in the Bible were not merely wonderful or unusual events, rather they were impossible events.  Here are some of the qualities that are associated with such miracles:

• No Weeding Out Of Hard Cases:  We never find Jesus or the apostles requiring a preliminary interview with those to be healed.  In fact, they deliberately tackled the most difficult cases (Luke 7:2 “about to die”; 8:42 “she was dying”; 8:49 “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore”; John 11:3,6,17; Mark 5:25-26; John 5:5; 9:1; Acts 3:2; 4:22).  How can anyone conscientiously call an event a "healing service or explosion"; when, sadly, many come out of such an "explosion" still deaf, blind and lame?
• No Exceptions:  Matthew 8:16 “and healed all who were ill”; 14:36; Luke 4:40; 9:11 “curing those who had need of healing.”  Are all in "need" of healing, healed at present day "healing services"?    Hardly.
• Instantaneous and Lasting: (Matthew 8:3,15; 12:13; Acts 3:2-8; 9:33-34).   A true miracle had no "waiting-period" in which to see if you truly had been healed.  Neither was a miracle a minor, gradual or temporary improvement.  Not only was one's disease gone immediately, but also every associated physical consequence of the disease! (Matthew 12:13 “and it was restored to normal, like the other”).  Rehabilitation was unnecessary (Acts 3:8).  In contrast, notice the titles and descriptions of the following books advertised in a denominational publications, "How To Receive & Maintain a Healing".   “A Video that teaches you how to hang onto what God has given you!  Doctor's Panel-Teaching Series IV.  Your healing rate will increase dramatically after you study these tapes”. These kinds of products and healing services are the worst kind of swindling: Using God's name to take advantage of people who are already suffering from health problems, and in the process ruining the credibility of true Christianity.
• Faith Was Not Always Required:  In fact, Jesus healed in the immediate presence of tremendous unbelief (Matthew 12:10-13; Mark 2:1-12).  Jesus and the apostles never complained that a healing did not "take" because the person being healing failed to have enough faith.  In fact, the only "failure" that is recorded, is where the "healers" lacked enough faith (Mark 9:15-29).  The lame man in Acts 3:2, was not even expecting to be cured (3:5-6).
• Diseases/Problems That Could Be Seen/Performed On Well Recognized People:  Luke 5:12-13 “full of leprosy”, that is, in the final stages of the disease (Luke 22:50-51).   In addition, often the person being healed was well known by the non-Christian community! (Acts 3:16)  In the New Testament, miracles happened to non-Christians!

Does God Endorse Error?

The miracles in the Bible confirmed that a man was sent from God (John 3:2).  Is God working “miracles” among religious groups today that among other things, teach false doctrine?  The answer is simple, “of course not”.  On the one hand, God warns us concerning error that in the past has been accompanied by false wonders (2 Thess. 2:9), and on the other hand, from what we learn of the miracles in the Bible, one cannot keep a genuine miracle a secret.  Can anyone today go and lay their hands on the dead and bring them back to life, or lay their hands on someone with cancer and the disease is instantly gone?  No. Think about it: If such were the case, with today's efficiency in transportation, no sick person need exist, for in a time of real miracles  "God was performing  extraordinary  miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them (Acts 19:11-12)". If just one person could do miracles today, they could spend the day touching handkerchiefs to be transported all over the world emptying hospitals and doctors' offices. The same truth can be found in the fact that no prophets, or we might say, psychics exist today, evidenced by the fact that lotteries exist, natural disasters take everyone by surprise, and crimes are not thwarted before they happen.

So can God heal today?  Yes!  God providentially works through medicines, prayer, and doctors.  He need not depend on setting aside the laws of nature to mercifully give us all that we need. Let us praise Him for all He does in our lives, and often seek His blessings earnestly through prayer.

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017

www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net