Ideas

Miracles

Quotations to stir heart and mind.

IF A MAN believes in unalterable natural law, he cannot believe in any miracle in any age. If a man believes in a will behind law, he can believe in any miracle in any age.G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

IT IS MY OPINION that miracle is an essential element of biblical faith. … Miracle, however, is not to be understood in terms of the 19th-century argument between science and religion, but in terms of the biblical doctrine of Creation. From this perspective, miracle is strange and offensive not only to modern man, but to ancient man as well.Millard C. Lind, “Reflections on Biblical Hermeneutics,” in Kingdom, Cross, and Community

A MIRACLE in healing is not the conjuring of some magic, nor a disruption in the created order, or something supernatural. Rather, healing exemplifies the redemption of fallen creation, the restoration of the created order, the return to the usual, the normative, the natural.William Stringfellow, A Simplicity of Faith: My Experience in Mourning

THE FITNESS of the Christian miracles, and their difference from these mythological miracles, lies in the fact that they show invasion by a Power which is not alien. They are what might be expected to happen when [nature] is invaded not simply by a god, but by the God of Nature: by a Power which is outside her jurisdiction not as a foreigner but as a sovereign.C. S. Lewis, Miracles

GOD does not sell himself into the hands of religious magicians. I do not believe in that kind of miracles. I believe in the kind of miracles that God gives to his people who live so close to him that answers to prayer are common and these miracles are not uncommon.A. W. Tozer, Rut, Rot, or Revival

IS NOT the most helpful way to approach the gospel miracles to place them within the familiar and inescapable tension between the already and the not yet, kingdom come and kingdom coming, the new age inaugurated and the new age consummated? To the skeptical (who doubt all miracles), I want to say “but already we have tasted the powers of the age to come.” To the credulous (who think that healing miracles are an everyday occurrence), I want to say “but not yet have we been given resurrection bodies free from disease, pain, infirmity, handicap, and death.”John R. W. Stott, Evangelical Essentials: A Liberal-Evangelical Dialogue

CHRIST HIMSELF … is the supreme miracle and the chief attestation of the truth of the biblical revelation.Alan Richardson, Christian Apologetics

A MIRACLE is a sign of the love of Jesus, Who yearns to heal each one of us So that we can become truly alive and grow in love.Jean Vanier, Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Other Reflections columns are available on our site.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Our Latest

Wire Story

Tony Evans Will No Longer Pastor Dallas Megachurch After Restoration

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship announced that its pastor of 48 years won’t return to leadership. The church expects son Jonathan Evans to succeed him.

You Don’t Have to Be Radical

Most Christians aren’t monks, missionaries, or martyrs. We’re unimpressive and unsatisfactory—yet saved by God’s scandalous grace.

From a Village of Bandits to a Village of the Gospel

Stuartpuram in India’s Andhra Pradesh was once known for its armed robbers. Then the gospel changed them.

Preservation Grants Help Black Churches Hold On to Their History

Over a hundred congregations have received up to a half-million dollars to repair deteriorating buildings and restore their place in their communities.

Four Truths About God for Children Who Can’t Sleep

And for the grownups—that’s all of us—who never outgrow their need for his presence around the clock.

News

Two Years After October 7, Christians See Fruit amid the Suffering

Churches in Israel and Egypt provide food, aid, and a listening ear to those scarred by war.

The CDC Listened to Vaccine-Hesitant Moms in My Living Room

I was surprised to find myself hosting an off-the-record chat with people worlds apart on public health. But I hope that night was a seed of something new.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube