Miracles

[Brother Adam]

I am curious, if anyone cares to take me up on it, which of the following miracles in the Bible, because science offers a better reason, did not historically happen, but rather, are myths that teach lessons.

Thank you in advance for your help.

1. Creation of the universe, including plants, animals and humans (Genesis 1-2)
2. The flood (Gen. 7, 8)
3. Confusion of languages (tongues) at Babel (Gen. 11:1-9)
4. Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24)
5. Lot's wife turned into a "pillar of salt" (Gen. 19:26)
6. Birth of Isaac at Gerar (Gen. 21:1)
7. The burning bush not consumed (Ex. 3:3)
8. Aaron's rod changed into a serpent (Ex. 7:10-12)
The ten plagues of Egypt (Ex. 7:20-12:30)
9. waters become blood
10. frogs
11. lice
12. flies
13. murrain
14. boils
15. thunder and hail
16. locusts
17. darkness
18. death of the first-born
19. Red Sea divided; Israel passes through (See: Passage of Red Sea) (Ex. 14:21-31)
20. Waters of Marah sweetened (Ex. 15:23-25)
21. Manna sent daily, except on Sabbath (Ex. 16:14-35)
22. Water from the rock at Rephidim (Ex. 17:5-7)
23. Nadab and Abihu consumed for offering "strange fire" (Lev. 10:1, 2)
24. Some of the people consumed by fire at Taberah (Num. 11:1-3)
25. The earth opens and swallows up Korah and his company. (Num. 16:32-34)
26. Fire at Kadesh (Num. 16:35-45)
27. Plague at Kadesh (Num. 16:46-50)
28. Aaron's rod budding at Kadesh (Num. 17:8)
29. Water from the rock, smitten twice by Moses, Desert of Zin (Num. 20:7-11)
30. The brazen serpent in the Desert of Zin (Num. 21:8, 9)
31. Balaam's ass speaks (Num. 22:21-35)
32. The Jordan divided, so that Israel passed over dryshod near the city of Adam (Josh. 3:14-17)
33. The walls of Jericho fall down (Josh. 6:6-20)
34. The sun and moon stayed. (Josh. 10:12-14)
35. Hailstorm. (Josh. 10:12-14)
36. The strength of Samson (Judg. 14-16)
37. Water from a hollow place "that is in Lehi" (Judg. 15:19)
38. Dagon falls twice before the ark. (1 Sam. 5:1-12)
39. Emerods on the Philistines (1 Sam. 5:1-12)
40. Men of Beth-shemesh smitten for looking into the ark (1 Sam. 6:19)
41. Thunderstorm causes a panic among the Philistines at Eben-ezer (1 Sam. 7:10-12)
42. Thunder and rain in harvest at Gilgal (1 Sam. 12:18)
43. Sound in the mulberry trees at Rephaim (2 Sam. 5:23-25)
44. Uzzah smitten for touching the ark at Perez-uzzah (2 Sam. 6:6, 7)
45. Jeroboam's hand withered. (1 Kings 13:4)
46. Jeroboam's new altar destroyed at Bethel (1 Kings 13:4-6
47. 31. Widow of Zarephath's meal and oil increased (1 Kings 17:14-16)
48. Widow's son raised from the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24)
49. Drought at Elijah's prayers (1 Kings 17, 18)
50. Fire at Elijah's prayers (1 Kings 18:19-39)
51. Rain at Elijah's prayers (1 Kings 18:41-45)
52. Elijah fed by ravens (1 Kings 17, 18)
53. Ahaziah's captains consumed by fire near Samaria (2 Kings 1:10-12)
54. Jordan divided by Elijah and Elisha near Jericho (2 Kings 2:7, 8, 14)
55. Elijah carried up into heaven (2 Kings 2:11)
56. Waters of Jericho healed by Elisha's casting salt into them (2 Kings 2:21, 22)
57. Bears out of the wood destroy forty-two "young men" (2 Kings 2:24)
58. Water provided for Jehoshaphat and the allied army (2 Kings 3:16-20)
59. The widow's oil multiplied (2 Kings 4:2-7)
60. The Shunammite's son given, and raised from the dead at Shunem (2 Kings 4:32-37)
61. The deadly pottage cured with meal at Gilgal (2 Kings 4:38-41)
62. A hundred men fed with twenty loaves at Gilgal (2 Kings 4:42-44)
63. Naaman cured of leprosy, Gehazi afflicted with it (2 Kings 5:10-27)
64. The iron axe-head made to swim, river Jordan (2 Kings 6:5-7)
65. Ben hadad's plans discovered. Hazael's thoughts, etc. (2 Kings 6:12)
66. The Syrian army smitten with blindness at Dothan (2 Kings 6:18)
67. The Syrian army cured of blindness at Samaria (2 Kings 6:20)
68. Elisha's bones revive the dead (2 Kings 13:21)
69. Sennacherib's army destroyed, Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35)
70. Shadow of sun goes back ten degrees on the sun-dial of Ahaz, Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:9-11)
71. Uzziah struck with leprosy, Jerusalem (2 Chr. 26:16-21)
72. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego delivered from the fiery furnace, Babylon (Dan. 3:10-27)
73. Daniel saved in the lions' den (Dan. 6:16-23)
74. Jonah in the fish's belly. Safely landed (Jonah 2:1-10)
75. Gideon's fleece (Judg. 6:37-40)

Miracles Recorded in the Gospels
76. Cure of two blind men (Matt 9:27-31)
77. Piece of money in the fish's mouth (Matt 17:24-27)
78. The deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:31-37)
79. The blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26)
80. Jesus passes unseen through the crowd (Luke 4:28-30)
81. The miraculous draught of fishes (Luke 5:4-11)
82. The raising of the widow's son at Nain (Luke 7:11-18)
83. The woman with the spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11-17)
84. The man with the dropsy (Luke 14:1-6)
85. The ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
86. The healing of Malchus (Luke 22:50, 51)
87. Water made wine (John 2:1-11)
88. Cure of nobleman's son, Capernaum (John 4:46-54)
89. Impotent man at Bethsaida cured (John 5:1-9)
90. Man born blind cured (John 9:1-7)
91. Lazarus raised from the dead (John 11:38-44)
92. Draught of fishes (John 21:1-14)
93. Syrophoenician woman's daughter cured (Matt 15:28; Mark 7:24)
94. Four thousand fed (Matt 15:32; Mark 8:1)
95. Fig tree blasted (Matt 21:18; Mark 11:12)
96. Centurion's servant healed (Matt 8:5; Luke 7:1)
97. Blind and dumb demoniac cured (Matt 12:22; Luke 11:14)
98. Demoniac cured in synagogue at Capernaum (Mark 1:23; Luke 4:33)
99. Peter's wife's mother cured (Matt 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 4:38)
100. The tempest stilled (Matt 8:23; Mark 4:37; Luke 8:22)
101. Demoniacs of Gadara cured (Matt 8:28; Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26)
102. Swine rush into and drown (Mark 5:1-20)
103. Leper healed (Matt 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12)
104. Jairus's daughter raised (Matt 9:23; Mark 5:23; Luke 8:41)
105. Woman's issue of blood cured (Matt 9:20; Mark 5:25; Luke 8:43)
106. Man sick of the palsy cured (Matt 9:2; Mark 2:3; Luke 5:18)
107. Man's withered hand cured (Matt 12:10; Mark 3:1; Luke 6:6)
108. A lunatic child cured (Matt 17:14; Mark 9:14; Luke 9:37)
109. Two blind men cured (Matt 20:29; Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35)
110. Jesus walks on the sea (Matt 14:25; Mark 6:48; John 6:15)
111. Jesus feeds 5,000 "in a desert place" (Matt 14:15; Mark 6:30; Luke 9:10; John 6:1-14)
112. Many fulfilled prophecies (also see: prophets)
113. The conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:35)
114. Star of Bethlehem
115. The transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8)
116. The resurrection (John 21:1-14)
117. The ascension (Luke 2:42-51)
118. Peter and the healing of a the paralytic AEneas at Lydda (Acts 9:32, 35, 38)
119. Miraculous ability to speak and/or understand a foreign language (tongue) previously unknown to the speaker (See: Gift of tongues)
120. Inspiration of Scripture by God

[toledo_jesus]

Yeah, they all happened.

[Brother Adam]

[quote name='toledo_jesus' date='Mar 22 2006, 11:49 PM']Yeah, they all happened.
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Well, you and I will have to wait to hear from those who are smarter than we are, who will share with us that not only did creation not happen, nor the world wide flood, but we will be enlightened on what other miracles science has a reasonable explanation for that did not happen either.

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='Brother Adam' date='Mar 23 2006, 12:51 AM']Well, you and I will have to wait to hear from those who are smarter than we are, who will share with us that not only did creation not happen, nor the world wide flood, but we will be enlightened on what other miracles science has a reasonable explanation for that did not happen either.
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they all happened, regardless of whether they were natural phenomena or something else. It all goes back to God.

[Snarf]

Somehow, isn't quite an adequate expression for the rolling of my eyes.

[missionseeker]

[quote]Wonder of wonders,miracle of miracles
God took up Daniel once again,
Stood by his and side and- miracle of miracles-
Walked him through the lions den!

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-
I was afraid that God would frown,
But like he did so long ago, at Jericho,
God just made a wall fall down!

When Moses softened Pharaohs heart, that was a miracle.
When God made the waters of the red sea part, that was a miracle too!
But of all God's miracles large and small,
The most miraculous one of all
Is that out of a worthless lump of clay,
God has made a man today.

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles-
God took the tailor by the hand
Turned him around and- miracle of miracles- Led him to the promised land!

When David slew Goliath (yes!), that was a miracle.
When God gave us matter in the wilderness, that was a miracle too.
But of all God's miracles large and small,
The most miraculous one of all
Is the one I thought could never be:
God has given you to me.[/quote]

[toledo_jesus]

[quote name='Snarf' date='Mar 23 2006, 01:05 AM']Somehow,  isn't quite an adequate expression for the rolling of my eyes.
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go straighten your bowtie.

[heyyoimjohnny]

Some o' the OT ones might be stories. But I still believe in them.

[Brother Adam]

For as deeply as some people believe in evolution and the explanation of events in the Bible as false (it wasn't a world wide flood, it was a story), frankly, you are only helping prove my position. You've got nothing. You may think its a joke, but it really isn't. If you can prove that all of the events of the Bible were not historic, but had mythological or scientific explanations only, I"ll become an athiest. If Genesis and the flood didn't happen, then why would we assert that any of them happened? There is no reasonable explanation to. The resurrection for instance, should have a plausible explanation, it didn't really happen, but it is a myth-story, that teaches us truths about God, right?

[BullnaChinaShop]

I am far from convinced that evolution can explain how all the species came to be. From what I have seen in order for new species to come about would have required a miracle. In my view the only way for us to have evolved from lesser creatures would have been through a whole series of miracles with God as their source. While this is not the 100% literal creation story from Genisis I don't find it inconsistent with it. As long as God purposefully guided creation and at the proper time gave the first man an immortal soul then I have no issue with how it was done.

As far as the flood goes it didn't necessarily have to cover the whole earth it just had to affect all mankind. If it affected all mankind then that would explain the vast number of societies with some kind of flood story and also correspond with God punishing all mankind other than Noah and his family. I also don't have any issue with the possibility of of a whole world flood as all things are possible with God but I don't believe it is necessary to be consistent with Genisis.

In both of these cases I have no problem believeing either the literal or non-literal interpretaions of these two stories just so long as it is understood that both are miracles and couldn't have happened without God.

Adam - I understand you getting frustrated by people who try to explain away miracles but not everyone who allows for non-litteral interpretaions of the stories of creation and the flood are trying to take God out of the picture.

[Brother Adam]

I guess that is the whole point, I believe Christian evolutionist try to place God into a system that was not developed to for such an occurance.

--

I guess let's take it one at a time though.

Lot's wife turned into a "pillar of salt" (Gen. 19:26)

Yes or no. Did this historically happen, or is there some other reasonable explanation?

[Era Might]

Miracles do not exist. They are the delusion of a fabled people, the opiate of the masses. God is dead.

[dspen2005]

God being the author and creator of all things established the laws of nature and science. Why can we not consider that even in the natural explanations of certain events God wrought a miracle? Isn't the very fact that God holds all things together and upholds existence a miracle, itself?

[dspen2005]

[quote name='Era Might' date='Mar 23 2006, 10:01 AM']Miracles do not exist. They are the delusion of a fabled people, the opiate of the masses. God is dead.
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Thank you David Hume, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche

[Azriel]

[quote name='dspen2005' date='Mar 23 2006, 09:02 AM']God being the author and creator of all things established the laws of nature and science.  Why can we not consider that even in the natural explanations of certain events God wrought a miracle?  Isn't the very fact that God holds all things together and upholds existence a miracle, itself?
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