Miracle in Biblical History

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Schaff's Bible Dictionary

Definitions in Biblical History
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What is a 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.

Bibliography Information
Schaff, Philip, Dr. "Biblical Definition for 'miracle' in Schaffs Bible Dictionary".
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