Welcome to
APOLOGETICS
(THE3013)
Lesson Ten
“Are Miracles Possible?”
Dr. Arnold Lastinger, Instructor
A PRIORI:
God wants to
communicate with man
3 WAYS GOD COMMUNICATES
WITH US
1. Through the Living Word,
Jesus
2. Through the Written Word, the
Bible
3. Through His acts in nature and
human affairs
MIRACLE
“An extraordinary event manifesting
divine intervention in human affairs”
PRESUPPOSES WHAT 2 THINGS?
1. The existence of a God who is
interested in human affairs
2. The existence of a “normal”
course of events (natural law)
DAVID HUME’S (1711-1776)
PHILOSOPHY (Naturalism)
1. Defined “miracle” as a violation
or contradiction of natural law
2. No power is greater than natural
law
3. ERGO, there can be no such
thing as a miracle
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN’S
PHILOSOPHY
1. Natural law does not “cause”
anything to happen, it just
records what usually happens
2. God transcends natural law
3. ERGO: God can intervene in
natural law and do miracles
CONCLUSION
Whether or not a
person believes in the
possibility of miracles
depends upon his/her
worldview.
NEGATIVE VIEWS OF
MIRACLES
1. NATURALISM: No reality exists
outside the universe; natural law is
the only god there is.
2. DEISM: God set the universe in
motion by natural laws and refuses
to intervene.
3. PANTHEISM: God is in everything;
every act in nature is divine.
POSITIVE VIEWS OF
MIRACLES
It is important to assume a hypothesis
to be true before trying to confirm or
disprove it, because…
1. LOGICALLY: a proposition can only be
tested if it is given a fair chance
2. SCIENTIFICALLY: experimentation is
conducted on the basis of an initial
assumption of truth
3. PSYCHOLOGICALLY: a closed mind can
never be convinced
4 TYPES OF MIRACLES
Greek word
Where used
Translations
Semeion
Jn. 20:30; Lk.
23:8; Mt. 12:38-39
Sign, miracle,
wonder, marvel
Teras
Acts 2:19, 22, 43
Wonders,
portents, marvels
1 Cor. 12:10, 2829
Miraculous
powers, mighty
works
Only in Lk. 5:26
Remarkable
things
Dunamis
Paradoxos
MIRACLES TEACH US THAT…
1. God is sovereign: He moves as He chooses,
when He chooses
2. God is supernatural: He is not subject to
natural laws
3. God is compassionate: miracles usually
relieve human suffering
4. Man’s nature is holistic: man is both body
and spirit
5. Man can have faith in God: relax; God is in
control
6. The gospel is true: miracles authenticate the
truth of the gospel
Dealing With
OBJECTIONS TO MIRACLES
OBJECTION: “Miracles have natural
explanations”
RESPONSE: Even if this were true,
how would you explain the timing
of the “natural” phenomenon?
RESPONSE: It often takes more faith
to believe the “natural” explanation
than to believe the miracle!
Dealing With
OBJECTIONS TO MIRACLES
OBJECTION: “Only superstitious and
ignorant people believe in
miracles.”
RESPONSE: Were there NO smart
people present in the multitude that
Jesus fed?
RESPONSE: Do they award doctorates
to superstitious, gullible idiots?
Dealing With
OBJECTIONS TO MIRACLES
OBJECTION: “Miracles give a low
view of a God who is having to
patch up His creation!”
RESPONSE: When God gave man the
right to make choices, the natural
law was subject to human
intervention; God would then have
to supernaturally make it right.
Dealing With
OBJECTIONS TO MIRACLES
OBJECTION: “Miracles cannot be
verified by reliable testimony.”
RESPONSE: Even the enemies of
Jesus acknowledged that He had
done miracles!
RESPONSE: Today, there are many
documented cases of miracles!
Dealing With
OBJECTIONS TO MIRACLES
OBJECTION: “Miracles ended with the
apostles.”
RESPONSE: Not one verse in
scripture agrees with this!
RESPONSE: We still need miracles to:
Glorify God
Verify God’s Word
Meet human need
Why do we not see more
miracles today?
1. Many people believe Satan’s lie that
God does not do miracles today.
2. Preachers are afraid to preach
miracles, lest they do not happen!
3. Medical advances have eliminated
the need for many miracles today.
4. We are too willing to accept less
than God’s will for us.
CONCLUSIONS
•
•
•
JESUS HAS NOT CHANGED: “Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday and today
and forever. (Heb. 13:8)
HE PROMISED US MIRACLES: John
14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who
has faith in me will do what I have been
doing. He will do even greater things
than these, because I am going to the
Father.”
WE DON’T MAKE THE MIRACLES; we
just preach the Word, God does the rest!