Do miracles still happen and how do they compare with those of the Acts of the Apostles? Essay

When studying the subject of miracles they moldiness be approached with design reason and when head word of honoring the existence of miracles we must first fully purpose a line what the tidings miracle means.According to the Oxford English Dictionary a miracle is described as an extraordinary and welcome event attri just nowed to a divine agency, a incompar up to(p) and very welcome occurrence or as an step upstanding achievement. The word miracle originates from the Latin word miraculum meaning object of wonder. A miracle is a unreal event that consists of divine intervention into the natural order as a demonstration of paragons federal agency and mercy, tot all(prenominal)y of these properties are seen in the Acts of the Apostles as perfection does intervene in homo events and they contribute be seen as responses and as a recompense for trust.The Acts of the Apostles contains many miracles however all of these miracles are non the healing of those with demons but the spread of Christianity with the un measurely perform in twain Paul and shafts missionary journeys. St. Paul rouse be seen by approximately as a fake apostle because he was not one of the chosen twelve and at that placefore had not experienced a close relationship with saviour, this is turn whitethorn extradite threatened the apostles at first. However St Paul managed to become one of the apostles greatest assets as he went on to teach to not solitary(prenominal) Jews but to pagans also. Because this man is my chosen instrument to bring my bid before pagans and pagan kings and before the hatful of Israel. Acts 915. This leave aloneed the Christian church to put up as more gestaters were joining thus the Christian churchs assurance began to grow.Two of the best known descriptions of a miracle are that of St. doubting Thomas Aquinas who believed in miracles and that antic Stuart Mill who did not.St. Thomass definition of a miracle is thisA miracle is someth ing beyond the order of created reputation. Therefore since divinity fudge solely is not a created being, He also is the only One who mass pee-pee miracles by His own office. In this the word nature pot be used in three senses, it may mean all that exists, all created things, or all material things.John Stuart Mills definition of a miracle isA phenomenon not preceded by any preexistent phenomenal conditions sufficient again to reproduce it.This definition implies that there is nil but the material world in existence. It takes no account of the human allow, subdued less of the will of paragon.The purpose of miracles in the new testament itself comes in two parts the first part is that they were used for stop as they confirmed who deliveryman was and that deliverer and his apostles message was that of theologys, the foster part is that they were carried out in order to cause belief in the listeners in Jesus.In the New Testament we see confirmation that Jesus is in fa ct who he is verbalize to be when we see the miracle in Acts 36 where Peter and John are going to the tabernacle and mend the lame man who is sitting as the beautiful gate, Peter says to the lame man I impart neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have in the name of Jesus Christ, walk This incident brings us face to face with the question of miracles in apostolic durations and shows us that Jesus had the power to dress miracles through his apostles.We also see within the New Testament that the miracles were carried out to cause belief in Jesus as in Acts 84-8 were those who escaped one of which was Philip from the arrest of Saul to Samaria proclaiming the Christ. The populate united in welcoming the message Phillip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they see them for themselves. Acts 86. This helps us fancy that miracles or even the stories of miracles help us to believe in Jesus as the son of theology.However mass wh o believe that miracles do not occur in right aways society may argue about the existence of miracles that miraculous power was passed on by the laying on of the apostles hands and as no-one today could perchance qualify as an apostle of Jesus then no-one today could possibly have the power to perform miracles. Those who believe this refer to Acts 121-22 where it states that the apostles must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the shaper Jesus was travelling round with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us and he can act as a witness to his resurrection. These three conditions therefore dispute with any hope of miracles happening today.It is commonly agreed that miracles are the reward and result of faith however faith in God should not be based on miracles. They should be seen as the work of God rather than the essence of God. Moreover some people believe that if Jesus had not performed these m iracles then their faith in him may not be as strong.In order to be able to perform a miracle the individual wanting the miracle must have faith in God and those performing the miracle must have a strong relationship with God, in order to have much(prenominal) a good relationship with God a person must pray in order to lace their relationship. Many people may say that in society today, there are those who have a aptitudeened relationship with God such(prenominal) as Priests, Nuns and Monks. This may mean that they have the power to perform miracles however the person wanting the miracle may not have enough faith in God in order to have a bun in the oven the miracle.Another argument that could be used in order to found that miracles do not occur today is that God confirmed his word through miracles, signs and wonders during Jesus life on earth therefore he does not need to reconfirm his existence to this generation as we have enough proof in biblical readings in order to be hi s existence.Although miracles benefited the individual, their true purpose was for confirmation, even though they were often motivated by compassion and belief of those observing.Today some people may believe that miracles still do happen but not in such a magnificent way as they did back in the time of Jesus. People do neertheless believe that in order to win a miracle you must have a strengthened relationship with God through prayer and acting on spirit.Some people may argue with the second circumstance in the sense that they cannot strengthen their faith in God because there are no miracles today that allow them to expand their belief.On the other hand some would say that miracles still do happen today through the work that Doctors, surgeons etc. can do which in apostolic times would have been regarded as miracles.A novel miracle story would be that of an atheist pair and their little misfire, the couple never told their daughter anything about the Lord. One night when the l ittle girl was 5 years old, the parents fought with each other and the dad shot the Mother, in front of the minor. Then, the dad shot himself. The little girl watched it all. She then was direct to a foster home. The foster mother was a Christian and similarlyk the child to church. On the first day of Sunday school, the foster mother told the teacher that the girl had never heard of Jesus, and to have patience with her. The teacher held up a picture of Jesus and said, Does anyone know who this is? The little girl said, I do, thats the man who was holding me the night my parents died.In my eyes this pillow slip can be seen as a groundbreaking day miracle as it shows Jesus helping a little girl through a time of mourning and grief.A miracle found in Acts that can be seen to furrow to this modern day story would be that of the shipwreck in Acts 28. In this Paul, the centurion and his men all rely on God for strength through his intervention to Paul in Acts 2824 an nonsuch come out of the closeted to Paul and told him Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to appear before Caesar, and for this reason God grants you the safety of all who are travel with you.This contrasts with the modern day story of the little girl as they both show God giving strength to those in need.Another modern day miracle is this of Rowena Angell.Since 1982 Rowena was only able to walk short distances. By 1986 Rowena was utilize two walking sticks and to go any distance she had to use a wheelchair. The pain never went away.Life continued in this way until 1991 when Rowena was diagnosed as having Lupus. Just after Christmas in 1998 God told Rowena that she was going to be improve from the awful pain and a few weeks later Pastor Revd. Alan Clarredge told her that when she was baptised she would be healed. Rowena had told no one what God had told her so she knew Alan was confirming what God had already told her.On Sunday the 20th January 2002, she with others went up to the front for prayer. The curate was directed by God to pray for healing for her. It was tremendous, amazing, the Holy inwardness was so strongAfter the meeting ended her Husband henry went to get the car and as she walked to meet him, a division said to Rowena why are you using your stick. She thought about that voice all the way home, was it real? Did she imagine it? When she talked it over with Henry, his reaction was to go in faith he said.Rowena went in faith and the pain has at peace(p) away for the first time in 27 years, the joy of vigilant in the morning with no pain. A few months later a test showed that there was no trace of Lupus in Rowenas ashes She was totally healedShe will never forget the pain she had and she will serve God with whatever he leads her to do, with joy in my nerve she dedicates her life to Him to do, as He wills. Praise the Lord for He is merciful.These modern day miracles are very different from those at the time of Jesus and shortly after. They can be thought of as a persons vocation or saving, this can impact highly on a persons life especially if they were not brought up with Christianity.In Acts 932-35 Peter heals Aeneas at Lydda. This miracle proves to Aeneas and all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon who were watching that Peter had a close relationship with Jesus and also shows how much power he had inherited from the Holy reputation as instead of Peter construction I cure you Peter said to Aeneas Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you get up and fold up your sleeping mat.In this such miracle people today may believe that Peter was taking the glory of the work that Jesus Christ has performed through him as he says I cure you. Also in the modern day miracle the shape of Jesus suffering for all of mankind on the cross can be seen to some as the sign that it was Jesus who performed this miracle.On the other hand in the miracle which Peter performed on Tabitha in Acts 926-43 the women is not healed in by Peter however it was in t he name of Jesus which helps people understand that the miracles that are happening both today and in the time of the New Testament are performed through the power of Jesus.William Barclay argued that miracles can happen apart from we think too much of what we can do and too little about what Jesus Christ can do through us.Miracles altogether play a huge role on the church today as they are an great part of individuals religion as it gives them something to believe in that only Christ is able to do. I personally believe that these modern day miracles allow peoples faith in God to be strengthened as it allows us to understand that if we need it even if we do not want it God will be there for us.Both of these miracles found in Acts are important to Christians today as they are a sign of Gods power, they also show that Jesus lives and has power through the Holy Spirit and the invocation of his name.David Hume however is the arch-enemy of miracles who said that A miracle is a violatio n of the laws of nature he also said that It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die suddenly because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen. solely it is a miracle that a dead man should come to life because that has never been observed in any age or country. There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against every miraculous event other the event would not merit that appellation.However I do not agree with Davids Humes views and myself I believe that a miracle is a God-powered supernatural event.Overall I believe miracles today and miracles in Acts of the Apostles contrast well with each other as they are both God centred and can be directed at both believers and non-believers.Bibliographywww.oxfordonline.comhttp//religion.krishna.org/Articles/http//www.byfaith.co.uk/paulmiracleWilliam Barclay the new periodic study bible Acts of the apostlesThe Jerusalem bible new testamenthttp//www.katap i.org.uk/ChristianFaith/XVIII.htm