Miracle

MIR'ACLE, an action or event produced by a supernatural or divine agency for the purpose of authenticating the divine mission of the person who performs the act or is the subject of the event. A true miracle is above nature, but not against nature; it is a temporary suspension of the operation of the laws of nature, but not a violation of the laws themselves; it is the manifestation of a higher order which the lower order obeys. We have an analogy in the power of our will over the body, as by raising our hand we suspend the operation of the law of gravity. God controls and directs, extends and contracts, the forces of nature which are his agents, God alone can work miracles or enable men to perform them. If we believe in an almighty personal God, we shall have no difficulty in believing the possibility of miracles. The first miracle was the creation of the universe out of nothing by his will. In the case of Christ his person is the great moral miracle, and his miracles are the natural manifestations of his divine-human person, or simply his "works," as John calls them. If we believe in Christ as the sinless Son of man and Son of God, we shall find no difficulty in believing his miracles. The devil (who is called God's ape) can perform only pseudo-miracles - "lying wonders," juggleries, and sorceries. Deut 13:1; Matt 24:24; 2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:13-14; Rev 16:14; Rev 19:20. The N.T. (in Greek) uses three terms for miracles: (1) Sign, by which a divine power is made known and a divine messenger attested. Matt 12:38-39; Mark 16:1, Matt 16:6; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; Luke 23:8; John 2:11, 1 Sam 30:18, Heb 12:23, etc.; Acts 6:8; 1 Cor 1:22; (2) Wonder or portent, with regard to their astounding character. John 4:48; Acts 2:22, Acts 2:43; Acts 7:36; Rom 15:19; usually in connection with "signs;" (3) Power or powers, mighty deeds, with reference to their effect. Matt 7:22; Matt 11:20-21, Ex 11:23; Luke 10:13; Rom 15:19. Miracles were necessary for the founding of religion as divine seals of revelation. Bishop Butler says: "Revelation itself is miraculous, and miracles are the proof of it." The miracles of Christ are appealed to as evidence of his divinity and Messiahship. Matt 9:6; Matt 11:4-5; John 10:47; John 20:29, John 20:31. They were wrought from the purest motives, for the glory of God and the benefit of the souls and bodies of men; they were wrought in open daylight, before great multitudes, in the face of his enemies, who did not deny them, but traced them to Beelzebub. Matt 12:24. Tested by external evidence and intrinsic propriety and conformity to his divine mission, they commend themselves to every honest and reasonable inquirer. The only alternative is truth or wilful fabrication, and the latter is a moral monstrosity in the case of Christ and the apostles. The power of miracles continued in the apostolic age, but with the establishment and triumph of Christianity their necessity ceased, as the primitive creation gave way to preservation. Our faith must now chiefly rely on the moral miracles and internal evidences which continue throughout Christendom. But God may at any time renew the miraculous gifts of the apostolic age. For a discussion of this subject see Mozley's Bampton Lectures on Miracles (delivered at Oxford, 1865), and Archbishop Trench's Notes on the Miracles of our Lord. The chief miracles recorded in the O.T. are the Creation, the Flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the birth of Isaac, the burning bush, the miracles of Moses in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud and fire, the quails and manna, the water from the rock, Aaron's rod budding, healing by looking up to the brazen serpent (symbol of faith in the crucified Redeemer, see John 3:14), Balaam's ass speaking, the crossing of the Jordan divided, the taking of Jericho, the standing still of the sun (which, however, is taken by many only as a poetic hyperbole), Elijah fed by ravens, restores a dead child to life, brings rain from heaven by prayer, is taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire, miracles of Elisha, Jonah preserved by a whale or shark (a type of the resurrection, see Matt 12:40). No miracles are reported of John the Baptist, which is an indirect proof of the miracles of Christ and his apostles. MIRACLES IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST. The conception by the Holy Ghost....................Nazareth. Luke 1:35. Water turned into wine.............................Cana. John 2:1-11. The Capernaum nobleman's son cured...............Cana. John 4:46-54. Draught of fishes......Sea of Galilee. Luke 5:1-11. Demoniac cured......Capernaum. Mark 1:23-26. Peter's mother-in-law healed..Capernaum. Mark 1:30,1 Chr 24:31. Leper healed..........Capernaum. Mark 1:50-45. Centurion's servant healed..........Capernaum. Matt 8:5-13. Widow's son raised from the dead..........Nain. Luke 7:11-17. Tempest calmed.................Sea of Galilee. Matt 8:23-27. Demoniacs of Gadara cured..Gadara. Matt 8:28-34. Man sick of the palsy cured......Capernaum. Matt 9:1-8. Jairus's daughter raised to life............Capernaum. Matt 8:18-26. Woman diseased with issue of blood healed. .........Capernaum. Luke 8:43-48. Sight restored to two blind men...........Capernaum. Matt 9:27-31. Dumb demoniac cured............Capernaum. Matt 7:32,1 Sam 15:33. Diseased cripple at Bethesda cured..........Jerusalem. John 5:1-9. A withered hand cured..........Judaea. Matt 12:10-13. Demoniac cured..........Capernaum. Matt 12:22,Heb 12:23. Five thousand fed........Decapolis. Matt 14:15-21. Canaanite woman's daughter cured......near Tyre. Matt 15:22-28. Man deaf and dumb cured........Decapolis. Mark 7:31-37. Four thousand fed...........Decapolis. Matt 15:32-39. Christ's transfiguration........Mt. Tabor or Hermon. Matt 17:1-8. Blind man restored to sight.....Bethsaida. Mark 8:22-26. Boy possessed of a devil cured.........Mt. Tabor or Hermon. Matt 17:14-21. Man born blind restored to sight......Jerusalem. John 9. Woman cured of eighteen years' infirmity......Galilee. Luke 13:11-17. Dropsical man cured.........Galilee. Luke 14:1-4. Ten lepers cleansed....Samaria. Luke 17:11-19. Two blind men restored to sight............Jericho. Matt 20:30-34. Lazarus raised from the grave to life......Bethany. John 11. Fig tree blasted...........Mt. Olivet. Matt 21:18-21. The ear of Malchus healed......Gethsemane. Luke 22:50, Jer 25:51. The resurrection.................Jerusalem. John 20:1. Draught of fishes................Sea of Galilee. John 21:1-14. The ascension to heaven........Mt. Olivet. Luke 2:42-51. MIRACLES IN THE APOSTOLIC AGE. The outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost.....................................................Jerusalem. Acts 2:1-11. Miracles by the apostles........Jerusalem. Acts 2:43; Am 5:12, 2 Sam 20:15, Ex 17:16. Lame man cured...............Jerusalem. Acts 3:7. Death of Ananias and Sapphira................Jerusalem. Acts 5:5, 1 Kgs 16:10. Apostles delivered from prison.............Jerusalem. Acts 5:19. Miracles by Stephen...............Jerusalem. Acts 6:8. Miracles by Philip..........Samaria. Acts 8:6, 1 Kgs 15:7, 2 Kgs 11:13. Aeneas made whole................Lydda. Acts 9:34. Dorcas restored to life..............Joppa. Acts 9:40. Peter delivered from prison...........Jerusalem. Acts 12:6-10. Elymas struck blind.............Paphos. Acts 13:11. Miracles by Paul and Barnabas............Iconium. Acts 14:3. Lame man cured............Lystra. Acts 14:10. Paul restored........................Lystra. Acts 14:20. Unclean spirits cast out...........Philippi. Acts 16:18. Paul and Silas delivered from prison.............Philippi. Acts 16:25, Acts 11:26. Special miracles...........Ephesus. Acts 19:11, Jud 4:12. Eutychus restored to life..........Troas. Acts 20:10-12. Paul unhurt by a viper..............Melita. Acts 28:5. Father of Publius and many others healed................Melita. Acts 28:8, Gal 1:9.