The Study Of The Miracles

An attempt to collect from Scripture the innumerable proofs of God's all-mighty power and of the Divine element in the Bible itself.

A miracle is an event not explicable by natural or scientific laws. Such an event may be attributed to a supernatural being (a deity), magic, a miracle worker, a saint or a religious leader. Informally, the word "miracle" is often used to characterize any beneficial event that is statistically unlikely but not contrary to the laws of nature, such as surviving a natural disaster, or simply a "wonderful" occurrence, regardless of likelihood, such as a birth. Other such miracles might be: survival of an illness diagnosed as terminal, escaping a life-threatening situation or 'beating the odds'. Some coincidences may be seen as miracles. Theologians say that, with divine providence, God regularly works through created nature yet is free to work without, above, or against it as well. A true miracle would, by definition, be a non-natural phenomenon, leading many rational and scientific thinkers to dismiss them as physically impossible (that is, requiring violation of established laws of physics within their domain of validity) or impossible to confirm by their nature (because all possible physical mechanisms can never be ruled out). The former position is expressed for instance by Thomas Jefferson and the latter by the celebrated philosopher David Hume. This book discusses Signumology - The Objective Study of Miracles. The reader might be interested in our book on Neurotheology as an interesting new field in the study of such phenomenon.

In our age of theological relativism, Jesus' question to His own disciples continues to ring true: "Who do the people say that the Son of Man is?" Through Jesus' seven miracles and His seven "I Am" sayings, the apostle John provides a clear answer to that all-important question. Furthermore, what do Jesus' miracles represent? Are they designed to point to something or someone? In our "supernatural-crazed" culture that affects even evangelical Christianity, it is refreshing to be reminded that biblical miracles were never arbitrary but were always purposeful, authenticating God's message and His messenger(s). In the Gospel of John, the miracles of Jesus are both Christological, that is, they highlight Jesus' Person, and eschatological, that is, they foreshadow the work the Messiah will do in His future Advent. The miracles remind us that God's desire for every believer is first and foremost a spiritual relationship with Him through His Son. Furthermore, Jesus' miracles also remind us that God's work in and for every believer will be fully and ultimately realized in the everlasting life.

Most of us could use a miracle. Some physical condition, relationship problem or financial crisis we struggle with could be fixed rather quickly with just one miracle. When we open the pages of the Bible, our desire for a miracle intensifies as we read astonishing stories of God's power poured out. What do these events have to do with us? How can we experience the power of God in the battles we face every day? This twelve session LifeGuide® Bible Study, explores the miracles of God to help you discover how he works in our world--yesterday and today.

Miracles in Greco-Roman Antiquity presents a collection in translation of miracle stories from the ancient world. The material is divided up into four main categories including healing, exorcism, nature and raising the dead. Wendy Cotter, in an introduction and notes to the selections, contextualizes the miracles within the background of the Greco-Roman world and also compares the stories to other Jewish and non-Jewish miracle stories of the Mediterranean world. This sourcebook provides an interdisciplinary collection of material which will be of value to students of the New Testament.