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Topic 6 The Miracles

Topic 6 The Miracles. Types of Miracles Healings Ministers to the sick: blind, deaf, lame, lepers, etc. Healing of a Leper (# 45 Mk. 1:40-45 par.) Exorcisms Illness believed caused by demon possession; esp. mental disorders. Gerasene Demoniac (# 106 Mk. 5:1-20 par.).

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Topic 6 The Miracles

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  1. Topic 6 The Miracles • Types of Miracles • Healings • Ministers to the sick: blind, deaf, lame, lepers, etc. • Healing of a Leper (# 45 Mk. 1:40-45 par.) • Exorcisms • Illness believed caused by demon possession; esp. mental disorders. • Gerasene Demoniac (# 106 Mk. 5:1-20 par.). • Resuscitations (only 3) • Jairus’ Daughter (# 107 Mk. 5:21-43 par.). • Widow’s Son at Nain (# 80 Lk. 7:11-17). • Lazarus (Jn. 11). • Nature wonders • Stilling the Storm (# 105 Mk. 4:35-41 par.). • Feeding the 5,000 (# 112 Mk. 6:30-44 par.).

  2. Form of healing stories (# 12 Mk. 1:23-27) • 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. 3:22 par.). • Accused of healing on Sabbath (# 70 Mk. 3:1-6 par.; etc.). • Tradition of Jesus’ inability to work miracles in Nazareth (# 108 Mk. 6:5a par.). • Authentic by criterion of embarrassment (note “correction” in v. 5b; cf. Mt. 13:58). • 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. 11:19 par.). • Jesus refuses to give signs on demand (# 87 Lk. 11:29-32 par.). • Opponents acknowledge miracles but don’t 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. • God’s 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. 3:23-30 par. – The “strong man” is bound. • # 86 Lk. 11:20 par. – “If it is by God’s finger that I cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” • # 140 Lk. 10:18 – Satan’s 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. 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; 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. 5:28, 34, 36 – Hemorrhaging woman/Jairus’ daughter. • # 193 Mk. 10:52 – Blind Bartimaeus. • # 182 Lk. 17:19 – Ten lepers. • # 116 Mk. 7:29 – Syro-Phoenician woman. • # 46 Mt. 8:8, 10, 13 – Centurion’s servant. • Faith is a channel through which God’s power works. • Faith precedes and enables the miracle. • Miracles fail in the absence of faith (Mk. 6:5-6). • 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. 11:23 par. (cf. 9:23; 1 Cor. 13:2). • Power of faith to do the impossible. • Jesus rebukes disciples for “little faith.” • # 35 Mt. 6:30 par. – “You of little faith” (cf. Mt. 8:26;16:8; 17:20). • “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. 17:20 par. – “faith the size of a mustard seed.” • # 126 Mk. 9:24 – “I believe; help my unbelief.” • Faith is no human achievement or great virtue. • Faith is genuine recognition of total dependence on God.

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