The Supernatural in the New Testament

say on the subject. Their opinion of the nature and character of the supernatural occurrences which they have reported is certainly of more

m of commending Christianity to their acceptance, and what use was made

s represented as inherent. To say that he possessed the power of working miracles, is an inadequate statement of the fact. Although he embodies the perfection of human nature with all its finite limitations, the supernatural and the divine take up their [pg 050] abode in his personality. Whenever our Lord is represented as working miracles, he is al

for which of those works do ye stone me?" When contemplated by others only, they assume the form of signs and wonders: "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." It is highly important that we should keep steadily in view that the divine character attributed to Jesus is by no means restricted to the performance of miracles; but that it extends throughout his entire working, and that the two together constitute an harmonious whole. It pertains no less to its moral and spiritual aspects, than to the displays which he made of a power capable of controlling [pg 051] nature. Even in this portion of his working, he draws special attention to its moral and spiritual aspects. According to his view of his own mighty works, they not only exhibited a power of controlling nat

him. To ascertain this is the proper function of the theologian, by comparing together the facts and statements of the New Testament. It is sufficient for my present purpose to observe that the perusal of the Gospels leaves the inevitable impression on the mind th

direct proof of a divine mission. It is worthy of observation that the author of the fourth Gospel has uniformly described the supernatural actions which he has ascribed to Jesus Christ by this term. The expression "mighty works" is intended to bring under our notice the power which was displayed in the performance of a miracle, thereby directly connecting it with a superhuman agency. The term "wonder" contemplates a supernatural event in its simple aspect as an occurrence pre-eminen

t in St. John's Gospel, is also distinctly borne witness to by the Synoptics. It forms the ground of the reiterated refusal of our Lord to comply with the demand of the Pharisees that he would show s

because he was moved with compassion. These evidently belong to the former class of his supernatural workings. But although this was their primary object it did not deprive them of an evidential value. But there is also another remarkable class of supernatural actions attributed to him, viz., those in which he is recorded to have expres

her performed for purposes avowedly evidential or not, he himself affirms, that they bore witness of him, that the F

ons referred to in the Acts of the Apostles, such as the passing of St. Peter's shadow, and the supposed supernatural effects resulting from it, and the conveyance from St. Paul's person of handkerchiefs and aprons to the sick, and one or two other instances. These involve special manifestations of supernatural power, and belong to supernatural occurrences in their aspect of wonders, or very extraordinary events, and as such were specially adapted for drawing attention to the message of the Apostles. But the New Testament also affirms another and very peculiar form of the manifestation of the supernatural

y embraced the Gospel. This is most positively stated [pg 055] by St. Paul to have been a fact constantly taking place under his own observation. It is only nec

be shown to have been impossible, either on grounds of science or philosophy, or because human testimony is of so fallible a character that it cannot establish the truth of a supernatural occurrence, it follows that the whole of Christianity must have been an invention

w Testament rest the truth of Christianity on the evidence o

propounded by some divines, and readily accepted by unbelievers, that the evidence of his divine mission was exclusively founded on the testimony of miracles. To state the point distinc

ich its proper weight has been seldom attached, I will enume

fe." (John viii. 12.) It is impossible to read these and kindred passages without feeling that our Lord appealed to something else besides his miraculous works, viewed as mere objective facts, as a proof of his divine mission. He evidently places the highest proof of it in his great moral and spiritual manifestation. He asserts the possession of an inherent illumination in his own divine Person in unio

heard him, and on this account they had arrived at the persuasion that was the Christ. There was something therefore in his moral manifestation, even apart from his miracles, which produced this persuasion. The Evangelist accepts this position as a correct one. He has even gone further, and has attributed it in the same chapter to our Lord himself. He makes him address the nobleman who came

d shows that a common conception, underlies them all. "What sign," say they, "showest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? what dost thou work?" They then proceed to define the particular sign which they wish to see exhibited, by making an invidious comparison between his miracles and those of Moses, viewed as mere objective facts. In reply our Lord does not appeal directly to even th

im." Here the affirmation is clear and distinct that there is a moral and spiritual element in our Lord's person and teaching, which jointly with his miraculous works bear witness to his divine character. The testimony given by the one is convergent with that of the other. This the following affirma

me of sin? and if I say the truth why do ye not believe me?" (v. 46.) We have here a direct appeal to men's moral and spiritual perception, as an independent witness to the truth of his teaching; and the affirmation that a being who is not simply good and holy, but perfectly

d unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father: Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that

t considerations directly bearing on this s

le in the form of an appearance of God, such as was reco

in his person and work during his previous acquaintance with him were t

al character as proving that he came from the Father: and that his moral and spiritu

cupied the highest place, then [pg 060] he was entitled to be believed on the

as its value confined to those who witnessed it during the time of his personal ministry, but he viewed it as extending to all time. This is made clear by his reply to Thomas in refer

is clear that those Christian writers who have asserted that the evidence of the

ery important evidences of his divine mission, although they are subordinated to

f himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for whatsoever things he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." (vs. 17, 19.) "The w

[pg 061] miracles. Taken in combination with his entire character the speaker affirms that they form a conclusive proof that the Father had sent him. He su

brought forward. "Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?" (vs 37, 38.) "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not, but if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the wo

ighest degree evidential. "They have seen and hated both me and my Father." It is worthy of remark that while our Lord uniformly spoke of his miracles as part of his general working, by which he manifested his divine character, the Evangelist himself almost invariably calls them "signs." This is brought out when he gives us his [pg 062] own reflections on the results of his public ministry. "Though he had done so many signs2 before them yet they believed not on him." (xii. 37.) So again,

when his power to forgive sins was questioned, he directly performed a miracle to prove that he possessed it. "But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, he saith to the sick of the palsy, I say unto thee, arise, and tak

aracter. In fact the [pg 063] evidential purpose of their performance is less clearly stated in them than in the fourth Gospel. All four Gospels view his miracles only as a portion of his superhuman manifestation, and are ignorant of that broad distinct

s is not the view taken by the writers of the New Testament. There is not a single miracle recorded in it which is alleged to have been performed with the direct purpose of proving the truth of a single doctrine properly so called. Those wrought by our Lord are uniformly represented as having been performed in proof of his divine mission, or as an essential portion of the manifestation of the divine which dwelt within him. As

n under the Christian dispensation "in him, who is the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power," the author proceeds to compare it with the former dispensation, and to give us his views of the evidence on which it rests. "How," says h

ny of Christ respecting himself. Secondly, it is confirmed by a number of miracles wrought by God. This view is strictly in accordance with our Lord's own affir

this point are express. "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." (iii. 6.) "His name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong." [pg 065] (iii. 16.) "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made

t only, i.e. on the immediate appearance of a person who united in himself all the attributes of the Messiah. The following was the line of argument adopted by those who believed his testimony: "John did no miracle, but all things that John spoke of this man were true." Secondly, while in the Apostolic Epistles, miracles are stated to have been performed by our Lord, and supernatural powers no less clearly asserted to have been at that very time actually present in the Church, there is only one miracle which is directly referred to in proof of the divine mission of Christ. I need no

se, I may say, constitute a standing miracle which will continue to speak for itself in all time. This evidence is again and again referred to by the writers of the Apostolic Epistles. The two constitute one harmonious whole. To the latter of these it is impossible to

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