Miracles - A Study of the Supernatural - Amy Lawrence - Women's Studies

Women’s studies

Amy Lawrence

July 3, 2023

Miracles

A Study of The Supernatural

I stood on my front porch one evening during a thunderstorm and watched bolts of lightning, one after the other, strike at random. Just as I decided to go back inside, a bolt struck so close to my house that it nearly knocked me back, blinding me with light. I immediately thought to myself, “It’s a miracle that didn’t hit something!!!” I didn’t think anything of it until I saw a video on Facebook of a bolt of lightning striking a tree and causing it to explode. The tree stood by itself in an open field. I thought, “It’s a miracle that bolt of lightning hit the only tree in that field!” That’s when I decided to put Google to the test and see if I could learn something about lightning. As it turned out, everything I saw was absolutely natural and explainable by natural laws. That led to my investigation into miracles.

The first step to understanding the miraculous is to understand its source. When one does not have a healthy knowledge of God from the standard He has provided (scripture), then one cannot properly see the supernatural and how it is used in God’s dealings with mankind. Some dedicate themselves to learning and come to a knowledge of the truth through patience and understanding. This is a hurdle that the majority of people refuse to jump. They want to skip ahead and get to the part where the Almighty, Supernatural Being they know little about will grant them whatever they ask - whether it be proof by a sign (Mt. 12:38), deliverance (Mt. 27:42), or fulfillment of selfish desires (James 4:3). If the first step hasn’t been taken, your study into the miraculous needs to begin in a study of the Godhead. Once one understands the Godhead - three Beings completely united, each with their own responsibilities concerning mankind - one has the foundation upon which an understanding of the miraculous can stand. If one does not

understand this fundamental necessity, one cannot come to an accurate knowledge of the miraculous and therefore cannot know what a miracle is - and what it isn’t.

We all suffer the human condition; we limit our view within a box of what we can understand with our own senses and our own perception. Sometimes this is curable. Most times it is of epidemic proportions. It all depends upon the mind and how well-trained it is to see truth, Heb. 5:14.

The definition of miraculous, as described in scripture, is “an event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to authenticate the divine commission of a religious teacher and the truth of his message. It is an occurrence at once above nature and above man. It shows the intervention of a power that is not limited by the laws either of matter or of mind, a power interrupting the fixed laws which govern their movements, a supernatural power.” (Easton’s Bible Dictionary) Many use the term “miracle” in the English language in a much broader sense than it is depicted in scripture. English speakers use this word to express amazement, awe, or to explain happenings we struggle to explain only by what we see on the surface. We often call the birth of a child or the spring season miraculous, but it doesn’t meet the criteria given by scripture of what constitutes a miracle. (Even the birth of Jesus of Nazareth was a natural birth, Lk. 2:6. It was His conception that was miraculous, Is. 7:14.) So this begs the question: we call so many things “miracles”…but are they? The only way to answer this question is to compare what we call miraculous today with what the Holy Spirit called miraculous in scripture.

The word “miracle” was Anglicized from the Latin words “mirus”, “mirari”, and “miraculum”, (“wonderful”, “to wonder”, “object of wonder”). The miraculous in scripture is not described in this singular sense. It is a multi-faceted concept. The original context of scripture uses “sign”, “work”, “mighty work”, and “wonder” as descriptive words of the varying aspects of the miraculous, each with it’s own properties. Let’s look at each one.

“Sign”

Old Testament: תוֹא - ‘ot

New Testement: σημεῖον - semeion

“Sign” is used both as an object or daily activity that has been acted upon by supernatural means to direct the audience toward God. The ten plagues of Egypt were signs, Ex. 10:1, Neh. 9:10. God gave Moses two signs to prove he was the messenger of God, Ex. 4:1-9, and one to Isaiah to prove that his message to Hezekiah was from God, 2 Kings 20:8-11. Jesus Himself was a sign, Lk. 2:12.

“Wonder”

Old Testament: תֵפוֹמ - mopheth

New Testament: τέρας - teras (from which we get our English word “terror”)

This word is often coupled with “sign”, Ex. 7:3, Deut. 13:1-2, Jn. 4:48, Heb. 2:4. It is defined as a special manifestation of God’s power as a supernatural activity and as something unusual that causes the beholder to marvel. As “sign” relates to the understanding, “wonder” relates to the imagination. “Signs and wonders” are used both in reference to God’s activity (Acts 7:36) as well as the work of Satan through human instruments (Mt. 24:24).

“Work”

Old Testament: הֶשֲׂעַמ - ma’aseh New Testament: ἔργον - ergon

This means exactly what it appears - any deed, action, duty, office, or charge of business. When used in reference to God’s works, it is something done outside of physical laws as proof of God and therefore miraculous, Josh. 24:31, Jn. 10:22-42.

“Mighty work”

Old Testament: הרָוּבְגּ - gbuwrah New Testament: δύναμις - dynamis

“Might” and “power” are the common translated words used through the Old and New Testaments for this aspect of the miraculous. The strength of God is unmistakeable. One cannot take something natural and confuse it with the might God puts into the miraculous, into the evidence that supersedes the natural, Deut. 3:24, Mark 6:2. If it is natural, it is therefore by default not miraculous.

Now that we’ve covered “what” a miracle is, it’s time to talk about “why”. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty right away. No human being living today has ever seen a bonafide miracle. Yes,

that’s a bold statement and one that is printed in full confidence of its truth. Let me point out three very important pillars of this truth.

#1: Miracles were not vague. In Acts 4, there is a debate among the rulers of the Jews concerning what they should do about Peter and John teaching Christ. The Jews’ attempts at stopping the teachings of Christ were being thwarted by what scripture called a “notable miracle” (γνωστὸν σημεῖον - gnoston semeion, “known sign”) that was seen by all who lived in Jerusalem, vs. 16. You will also see in that same verse that the miracle was undeniable, even by the men that “could say nothing against it”, vss. 13-14. No matter how badly they wanted to deny that it was indeed a miracle done by Peter and John in the name of Jesus, they couldn’t!

#2: Miracles had a purpose. John 11 records the death of Jesus’ close friend, Lazarus. Jesus did something in this chapter that his apostles found odd; he purposely let Lazarus die. Jesus loved this family dearly, vss. 3,5. So why, having the power to heal Lazarus of his sickness, would the Lord let his friend die? The answer is found in verses 4, 14-15, and 40. The purpose of miracles was to confirm the message of Christ, Heb. 2:1-4, Jn. 20:30-31.

#3: Miracles had a time limit. There is a lot to be said concerning this pillar, so please bear with me. I will be as succinct as possible.

Miracles were like postage stamps. They were necessary to deliver a message. Once that message was delivered, the delivery system was no longer necessary. The envelope and stamp could be discarded. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians draws this out in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 13:

-The delivery system-

1 Corinthians 12 gives the list of nine miraculous categories and how unity is required in order to use them properly. Each miraculous category was a part of the whole. No category on its own accomplished complete delivery of the message. In order for the message to be both delivered and understood, the cooperation of all nine categories was required. Having this nugget of knowledge will make understanding 1 Cor. 13:9-10 a little easier. “In part” refers to each individual category. “Perfect” (this word means “whole” or “complete”) can refer to both the cooperation of all nine miraculous categories and complete delivery of the entire message.

-The delivered message-

1 Corinthians 13 is commonly known as the chapter of love (the glue required for successful unity), but what many do not know is that this chapter also gives the expiration date of miracles.

Verse 8 tells us that miraculous prophecies will fail, miraculous speaking in tongues will cease, and miraculous knowledge will vanish away. When? “When that which is perfect has come”, vs.

10. The message will be completely delivered, Jude 3, and the miracles that confirmed the message will no longer be necessary. One must also understand that miraculous gifts could only be imparted to another through the laying on of an apostle’s hands, Acts 8:14-18, 2 Tim. 1:6. Once death claimed all of the apostles, there was no more imparting of spiritual gifts. Once death claimed all upon whom these spiritual gifts had already been imparted, there were no more spiritual gifts…which is why, through the grace and providence of God, they recorded these truths in the written word, Jn. 20:30-31, Rom. 15:4, 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

So…if God is capable of miraculously forcing everyone on the planet to know who He is and what He can do (Rom. 14:11-12), then why use something that seems prosaic to our human eyes to persuade us of the Truth? Why does He need to persuade us of anything He can simply force us to know? The answer is LOVE. Anyone who understands love knows that it is something that cannot be forced. God does not want what we are unwilling to give, Ex. 25:1-2. What He wants from us is our complete and undivided attention, Mt. 22:37, the kind of attention that can see Him without needing miracles, Jn. 20:29.

There will always be those that refuse to be convinced no matter how much evidence is presented. Judas was such a person. He was one of the Twelve, Mt. 26:47. He not only saw miracles, but performed miracles in the name of Christ, Mk. 6:7-13. Neither the message nor the Messenger could convince him. When the rich man begged Father Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers, Abraham’s answer rang all too true to this fact, Lk. 16:27-31.

The miracles in scripture were simply the bell that brought attention to the message Christ spoke and the signature of God that was attached. The Message has plenty of attention now.

According to Guinness World Records, the Bible is the best-selling book of all time. In the 21st century, Bibles are printed at a rate of about 80 million per year. If you want to know the message that was formerly confirmed by signs, wonders, and mighty works, then pick up a copy of the Holy Scriptures and read. All the evidence you will need to see God is there in black and white and red, 1 Jn. 1:1-4.