Lecture 10 - Miracles
"an interference with nature by supernatural
power"
"an event of an extraordinary kind,
brought about by a god, and of religious significance"
Must have meaning.
Interfering <-> reliability of
laws of Nature.
Two types:
- "arranged coincidence"
- Event of radically unexpected character
- resurrection. The Kingdom is manifestly present.
Hume's Objections
- Lack of adequate historical testimony
by reliable persons.
- Passion of surprise and wonder, arising
from miracles, leads towards a tendency towards belief.
- Observed chiefly among "ignorant
and barbarous nations".
- All competing world religions claim
miracles and so these claims cancel each other.
Eastern Religions
Naturalism - person seeks to "realise"
their own godhood and create their own reality - purpose of yoga.
In natural religions, nature is all
there is and so miracles are impossible.
Only in theistic religions is there
a God who can create or perform miracles.
Islam
Q'uran is the only miracle. It's linguistic
form regarded as supernatural.
Transcript of a tablet preserved in heaven.
Archangel Gabriel revealed contents
bit by bit.
Muhammad had ecstatic seizures and his
words written down by listeners.
Authorised version prepared by 3rd caliph, Uthman.
Muslims believe Q'uran is actual reproduction of original preserved
in heaven.
Judaism and Christianity
Miracles of First Kind - coincidences
(?).
- The plagues in Egypt.
- Crossing the Red Sea.
- The bitter waters.
- Striking the rock.
- Provision of quail.
- Elijah and the climate.
- Calming of the storm by Jesus?
2nd Kind
- Theophanies - the non-burning bush.
- The pillar of fire and the pillar
of cloud.
- Water into wine. }
- Resuscitations. } Signs.
- Feeding 5000. }
- Resurrection. }
Joshua's Long Day Josh 10:12-14
- Poetical language.
- God stopped the Sun and the Moon
so enough daylight to defeat the enemy. But would he?
- Miracle of refraction or mirage ->
Sun and Moon appeared to stand still.
- Translate "Sun, be silent". Stop
shining so soldiers had relief from heat of the day.
The Resurrection of Christ
I Corinthians 15:17 "if Christ has not
been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins"
Earliest written references in Paul's
letters e.g. Galatians 1:1 - written AD 48 or 49, 15 years after
event.
I Corinthians 15:3-8 (written 55 AD),
a report first compiled only about 3 years after event.
Jewish scholar - Pinchas Lapide - gives
8 linguistic factors to support this.
Any of the "500" could have been questioned
about its authenticity.
Gospel of Mark is earliest.
- very matter of fact, lacking embellishments.
Compare apocryphal gospels (gospel of
Peter).
Common means of denying resurrection
- Jesus didn't die. He swooned and
revived in the tomb.
- Disciples stole the body.
- They went to the wrong tomb.
Other Points
They didn't expect resurrection, even
though Jesus had told them before. Didn't recognise him. Some didn't
believe it.
Women were first eyewitnesses.
Mary Magdalene was unstable - had a
relapse?
The 7 weeks silence.
Jesus tomb was never venerated in early
years.
Modern Miracles
Associated with gospel breakthrough.
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