The Gospel Miracles: What Really Happened?

A Systematic, Open-Minded Review of the Evidence

Michael J. Lowis

• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781498204279
  9781498204293
• eBook ISBN:
  9781498204286
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

The Gospel Miracles examines the thirty-five miracles performed by Jesus, as reported in the four Gospels. The objectives are firstly to try and determine what really happened at the time they were enacted and, secondly, to see if it is possible to explain them. This exercise is neither an attempt to deny miracles, nor to blindly accept the accounts as inerrant, but it is an unbiased attempt to arrive at the truth. The findings conclude that sometimes there are possible naturalistic or simple alternative explanations to a supernatural one. However, this does not discount the possibility that Jesus employed natural means at the right time for the right reasons. The Gospel Miracles concludes with a summary of some more modern reports of miraculous events.

chapter 1

WHAT IS A MIRACLE?

Although the term “miracle” is common terminology for a range of apparently supernatural events cited in the Scriptures and elsewhere, including in modern reports, it is not the most frequently used term for this in the Bible. “Signs”, “wonders”, “works”, and “powers” are among the other descriptions (Butler, 2001)1.

Olander (2006)2 explains that there are differences and nuances that must be considered in the use of these alternative expressions. For example, “miracle” is a common biblical interpretation of the Greek dunamis, which literally means “power”, “might” or “strength” (Note: all Koine translations are taken from Friberg et al., Lexicon, 2005). Likewise Semeion is translated as “sign” or “distinguishing mark”, teras as “wonder”, “marvel”, or “portent”, whilst ergon is “work”, “deed”, or “action”. There are just nine uses of the term “miracles” in the NIV version of the Synoptic Gospels, for example “What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?” (Mark 6:2), but none in John. The fourth Gospel does, however, contain eight mentions of “signs” (“many people saw the signs he was performing.” John 2:23) compared with just two in Matthew and one in Mark. “Wonders” (a word that suggests an audience reaction: Moberly, 2011)3 appears for example in Acts “I will show wonders in the heavens above” (2:19), along with “works” “What must we do to do the works God requires?” (John 6:28).

The Chambers Dictionary (2001)4 defines a miracle as “An event or act which breaks a law of nature, especially one attributed to a deity or supernatural force.” From a theological standpoint this definition is inadequate and the reference to breaking a law of nature is simplistic, although Montefiore (2005)5 in similar vein refers to events that violate the accepted order of nature, or are statistically exceedingly improbable even if possible. Butler’s (2001)6 offering is quite specific regarding divine intervention: “Events that unmistakably involve an immediate and powerful action of God designed to reveal his character or purpose”. He also notes that the Bible makes no clear-cut distinction between the “natural” (God working providentially) and the “supernatural” (God working in striking ways), an observation that will be revisited vide infra. Blackburn (1992)7 is likewise unambiguous in stating that miracles are supernatural events that transcend ordinary happenings, due to the exercise of God’s power either directly or through human or superhuman agents.

Others scholars are somewhat more circumspect by suggesting that the beholders need to evaluate what they have witnessed. For example, Eichhorst (1968)8 suggests: “an extraordinary event inexplicable in terms of ordinary natural forces . . . which causes the observer to postulate a superhuman personal cause.” Similarly, Basinger (2011)9 defines miracles as “unusual, remarkable events that it is assumed would not have occurred in the context in question if not for the intentional activity of a benevolent supernatural being.” Larmer (2011)10 likewise emphasizes events that would not have otherwise occurred, adding that they are seen as interventions of the normal order of nature, whilst Levine (2011)11 quotes Aquinas as stating that they are divine interventions beyond the order commonly observed in nature.

Thus the majority view is that, in the first instance, a miracle is an occurrence that strikes the witness as unusual, either because of the time and the place of its occurrence, or the fact that no natural explanation for its cause is forthcoming. This is not to say that a naturalistic explanation is impossible but that, if one exists, it is beyond the witness’s current level of knowledge or understanding. Following on from this, the witness needs to draw some sort of conclusion that is satisfying for him or her, and therefore avoids the cognitive dissonance that would occur if there were no explanation. A theist might well conclude that the event was an act of God, in other words a divine miracle, whilst an atheist could say that either it was a case of trickery or that there is a naturalistic explanation waiting to be discovered, even if this may be some way in the future.

Because most commentators link their definitions with a non-natural causality, it is necessary to c...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Forward
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: What is a miracle?
• Chapter 2: Reliability of the biblical accounts
• Chapter 3: Eye-witness expectations
• Chapter 4: Categories of miracles, and procedure
• Chapter 5: Considerations concerning healing miracles
• Chapter 6: Healing: blindness
• Chapter 7: Healing: leprosy and paralysis
• Chapter 8: Healing: fever, bleeding and withered hand
• Chapter 9: Various other healings
• Chapter 10: The first three exorcisms
• Chapter 11: The remaining three exorcisms
• Chapter 12: Raising of the dead
• Chapter 13: Nature: changing water into wine; the first catch of fish
• Chapter 14: Nature: calming the storm; feeding the five thousand
• Chapter 15: Nature: Jesus walks on water; feeding the four thousand
• Chapter 16: Various other nature miracles
• Chapter 17: Some alternative explanations
• Chapter 18: Conclusions
• Chapter 19: Modern claims of miracles
• Bibliography