Miracle

Biblical Usage

The New Korean Revised Version of the Bible renders events that correspond to miracles as "signs," "wonders," "marvels," or "powers" (mighty works), depending on the context. "Miracle" serves as a general term that encompasses all of these words.

In the Old Testament, miracle accounts cluster around the Exodus, in the ten plagues and the crossing of the Red Sea brought about through Moses. Many miracle accounts also appear in the sections that deal with the ministries of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17 through 2 Kings 13). The New Testament Gospels record Jesus healing the sick and casting out demons, performing nature miracles such as the feeding of the five thousand, and raising the dead, as in the raising of Lazarus. The Book of Acts records miracles performed through the apostles.

Original Languages

Old Testament Hebrew chiefly uses 'ôt (sign) and môpēt (wonder, marvel). New Testament Greek uses sēmeion (sign, a mark that points to something), teras (wonder, an astonishing portent), and dynamis (power). Scripture often groups these words together, as in "miracles and wonders and signs" (Acts 2:22; Hebrews 2:3–4).

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Old Testament miracles are tied to the deliverance of Israel and to the demonstration that the LORD is the true God (the contest on Mount Carmel). Jesus explained his casting out of demons as a sign that the kingdom of God had come (Luke 11:20). The Gospel of John calls miracles "signs" and states that they were recorded so that readers might believe that Jesus is the Christ (John 20:31; the seven signs of John's Gospel).

At the same time, Jesus told those who sought a sign that no sign would be given them except "the sign of the prophet Jonas" (Matthew 12:38–40). Scripture also warns that false prophets can perform signs (Deuteronomy 13:1–3; Matthew 24:24). For this reason, the Bible treats the God to whom a miracle points, and the message the miracle conveys, as a more important criterion of judgment than the miracle itself.

Interpretations and Debates

• Do miracles still occur? Cessationism holds that sign gifts such as healing ceased once they had fulfilled their role of confirming revelation in the apostolic age. Some within the Reformed tradition hold this position. Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement hold that the gifts of the Holy Spirit continue today, and they emphasize divine healing. Many denominations affirm that God can still heal today in answer to prayer while remaining cautious about the forms in which such gifts are exercised.
• Historicity: Some strands of liberal theology have interpreted miracle accounts as expressions of the worldview of ancient peoples. Evangelicalism accepts miracles as events that actually happened.

In the Korean Church

In the early Korean church, the revival meetings led by the Rev. Kim Ik-du became widely known for healings. Both the "Fourfold Gospel" of the Holiness Church and the "Fivefold Gospel" of the Assemblies of God tradition list divine healing as a core tenet. Gospel miracle passages such as the feeding of the five thousand and the raising of Lazarus are frequently used in preaching. Many denominations cite the warning passages noted above when cautioning against groups that give miracles central prominence.