The Biblical miracles are imbedded in history and the truth of Christianity stands or falls with the validity and historicity of the supernatural events, especially the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Most Naturalists suggest two arguments in their case against miracles:

• Philosophical Argument: The laws of nature are unchanging and can not be broken by unnatural miracles.
• Scientific Argument: Miracles are outside nature and not repeatable, thus they can not be verified or tested.  They can not be explained by the natural process, thus are myths.

Once someone can acknowledge the existence of an all powerful, eternal, personal God, then you can discuss whether or not God can act miraculously in History.

Once one can affirm the possibility of miracles then the concept of miracles can be discussed.  The miracles of the Bible are historical events.  Thus, to affirm these supernatural events one must define and determine the marks of a true miracle, determine whether or not God can and does act in history in a miraculous way, understand history, and recognize the Historicity and reliability of the Biblical manuscripts.

To address this question one must first develop a workable definition of a miracle.

• The event is not natural and is scientifically unusual, it is an exception to the normal patterns of events.
• The event must express some theological truth claim.  All acts of God express some truth about God.
• The event must be compatible to the moral nature of God.  It can not be contrary to the attributes of God.
• The event is antinatural.  They are exceptions to nature, not contradictions; they suspend normal patterns, but do not really violate or break natural processes (virgin birth), she got pregnant).

• God is Transcendent. God is above and independent of the Natural world.  God does not act in history.
• God is Immanent.  God is within and among the natural universe.  God is within us all or God is everything, He is the natural world.
• God is both Transcendent and Immanent.  God is in one sense above His creation and in another sense actively involved in His creation.

Jesus, the immance of God, prayed to the Father in heaven, the transcendence of God.  God is not limited by time or place.  He can be apart from His creation and at the same time among and even within His people.  (Holy Spirit)

For the Christian, God has actively used history as a means to reveal His Character and His redemptive purpose to His people and the world.  God has worked and continues to work through specific people and events, in a certain place and time in history.

Some events in history are miraculous while others are natural.  The question we must answer is "Are these miracles of the Bible historical or mythical?"

Included in this definition are several aspects of History:

• History is made of Real Events: It is composed of events that have actually occurred in time-space history in the lives of people living in the natural world.
• History is Fragmented.  We do not have a record of ALL the events that have occurred in time-space history, but rather an accumulation of fragmented facts that have been orally transmitted or written down.  These facts have been reconstructed to provide an overall sketch of history.
• Value Judgements Play a Part In History. The bare facts of history are compiled by the historian and placed in some kind of workable form.  Thus, some facts are excluded and others included in their account of history.
• History Must Be Interpreted. Any reconstruction of historical facts must be interpreted.  This process can not be done without incorporating the world view or belief of the person involved in history.  A humanist will present a humanistic view of History, etc. . .

The miracles of the Bible were witnessed by men and women who were able to tell the truth, who were willing to tell the truth, and who would die for what they believed was the truth.

The miracles recorded by these individuals did occur in time-space history, by the power of a transcendent and immanent God.  They were done that His truths might be revealed, His moral nature might be known, and to bring good into His creation.

Jesus said, "Believe that I am the Father, and the Father in Me; otherwise believe on account of the works (miracles, signs, and wonders) themselves."  (John 14:11)

In Matthew 12:38-41 Jesus was asked to perform a sign; His comment was, " . . . no sign shall be given to you but the sign of Jonah the prophet, for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth."

Here Jesus was speaking of the greatest sign He would perform - the Resurrection ( See Is the Resurrection of Christ Real? Study)

• The Time of the Exodus and Conquest
• The Time of Elijah and Elisha
• The Time of Christ and the Apostles

Today, most of us don't see these great expressions of God's glory and power in our lifetime.  This does not mean that God can not perform such miraculous events today, because He has and does!  Just as the Scribes and Pharisees (the New Testament skeptics) asked Jesus for a sign, so the modern skeptic is saying, "show us a sign, a miracle, or a wonder we can not explain."  The answer from Jesus will always be the same, " . . . no sign shall be given but the sign of Jonah the prophet . . . "

If the world wants a miracle that can be seen today, they need to look to the miracle of the resurrection of Christ (See Is the Resurrection of Christ Real? Study).

We can participate in this event even though it occurred almost 2,000 years ago.   Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die."  (John 11:25,26)

The participation in the resurrection of Christ is both present and future:

• Ephesians 2:4    "But, God being rich in mercy, because of His great Love with which He loved us even when we were dead in our transgressions made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with Him . . . ."
• I Thessalonians 4:16  "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, . . . and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Skeptics have tried in vain to disprove the greatest of all Biblical miracles only to find the reality of the Resurrection and been compelled to embrace the truths of God trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Miracles are possible Today, changed lives prove it.