Topic 6The Miracles

1
Topic 6 The Miracles

• Types of Miracles
• Healings
• Ministers to the sick blind, deaf, lame, lepers,
  etc.
• Healing of a Leper ( 45 Mk. 140-45 par.)
• Exorcisms
• Illness believed caused by demon possession esp.
  mental disorders.
• Gerasene Demoniac ( 106 Mk. 51-20 par.).
• Resuscitations (only 3)
• Jairus Daughter ( 107 Mk. 521-43 par.).
• Widows Son at Nain ( 80 Lk. 711-17).
• Lazarus (Jn. 11).
• Nature wonders
• Stilling the Storm ( 105 Mk. 435-41 par.).
• Feeding the 5,000 ( 112 Mk. 630-44 par.).

2

• Form of healing stories ( 12 Mk. 123-27)
• Description of the condition (v. 23-24)
• Statement of the cure (v. 25)
• Demonstration of effectiveness (v. 26)
• Reaction of crowd (v. 27)
• Nature of miracles
• Pre-scientific age.
• Miracles widely taken for granted.
• Jewish Hanina ben Dosa Honi the Circle-Drawer.
• Hellenistic Apollonius of Tyana.
• Definitions of miracle
• Scientific an event which violates the laws of
  nature.
• Theological an unusual event in which the hand
  of God may be discerned.

3

• Question of authenticity
• Form criticism questions but does not eliminate
  miracles.
• Finds tendencies toward elaboration, expansion,
  borrowing.
• Even Bultmann acknowledged a core of early,
  Palestinian tradition with likelihood of
  authenticity.
• Jesus opponents acknowledged his miracles.
• Accused of exorcism by power of Satan ( 85 Mk.
  322 par.).
• Accused of healing on Sabbath ( 70 Mk. 31-6
  par. etc.).
• Tradition of Jesus inability to work miracles in
  Nazareth ( 108 Mk. 65a par.).
• Authentic by criterion of embarrassment (note
  correction in v. 5b cf. Mt. 1358).
• Presupposes that elsewhere Jesus miracles were
  customary.
• Conclusions
• Most scholars think Jesus performed deeds
  regarded by his contemporaries as miracles.
• More debatable is historicity of individual
  episodes some could be ideal scenes (idealized
  accounts of the types of miracles Jesus did).

4

• Significance of the miracles
• Miracles do not prove Christian claims about
  Jesus.
• Not unique even Jesus opponents did miracles
  (Lk. 1119 par.).
• Jesus refuses to give signs on demand ( 87 Lk.
  1129-32 par.).
• Opponents acknowledge miracles but dont believe.
• Miracles must be seen with eyes of faith to see
  God at work in them.
• Miracles are signs of the in-breaking Kingdom
  of God.
• Gods reign is present or so near its power is
  being felt.
• In Jesus, God is defeating Satan and setting
  right the brokenness of creation.
• 86 Mk. 323-30 par. The strong man is
  bound.
• 86 Lk. 1120 par. If it is by Gods finger
  that I cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God
  has come upon you.
• 140 Lk. 1018 Satans fall is linked to
  exorcisms.
• Miracles show that K of G is concerned with whole
  person.
• Not an evangelistic ploy to attract crowds and
  save souls.
• Miracles flow out of genuine compassion for the
  needy.
• Splanchnizomai (Mk. 141 634 82 etc.)
  moved with compassion (from splanchna
  bowels, intestines).
• Implies a deep, physical, gut-wrenching emotion.

5

• Miracles and Faith
• Most Synoptic references to faith occur in
  miracle stories.
• Characteristic phrase Your faith has saved
  you.
• Distinctive of gospels not found in rabbinic or
  hellenistic stories.
• 107 Mk. 528, 34, 36 Hemorrhaging
  woman/Jairus daughter.
• 193 Mk. 1052 Blind Bartimaeus.
• 182 Lk. 1719 Ten lepers.
• 116 Mk. 729 Syro-Phoenician woman.
• 46 Mt. 88, 10, 13 Centurions servant.
• Faith is a channel through which Gods power
  works.
• Faith precedes and enables the miracle.
• Miracles fail in the absence of faith (Mk.
  65-6).
• Concept of faith in Synoptics
• Not faith in Jesus in the Christological sense.
• Faith is trust/confidence that Jesus is able to
  help in concrete situation.

6

• Miracles and Faith (cont.)
• Genuine faith can move mountains (or trees).
• 201 Mk. 1123 par. (cf. 923 1 Cor. 132).
• Power of faith to do the impossible.
• Jesus rebukes disciples for little faith.
• 35 Mt. 630 par. You of little faith (cf.
  Mt. 826168 1720).
• Little faith is not simply faith which is small
  but faith which is not genuine faith which fails
  when put to test.
• Faith need not be great, but must be genuine.
• 180 Lk. 1720 par. faith the size of a
  mustard seed.
• 126 Mk. 924 I believe help my unbelief.
• Faith is no human achievement or great virtue.
• Faith is genuine recognition of total dependence
  on God.