Few questioned Moses’ divine authority from this
point.
When confronted by belief in pagan deities, Elijah
the prophet of Israel, challenged the people of Israel: ‘"How long
will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him;
but if Baal is God, follow him.’ But the people said nothing" (1 Kings
18:21). To prove he was a prophet of the true God, Yahweh,
Elijah proposed a contest in which they would invoke a supernatural
confirmation. When the prophets of Baal could not bring down fire on
their sacrifice from heaven, Elijah had the altar to Yahweh
drenched with water and prayed: "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and
Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am
your servant and have done all these things at your command" (1 Kings
18:36). The text adds, "Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up
the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up
the water in the trench." And "When all the people saw this, they fell
prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord —he is God! The Lord—he is God!’" (1
Kings 18:38-39).
Miracles Confirmed the Messianic Claim.
Jesus’ ministry was characterized by supernatural, confirming signs of
his identity as a prophet and more. But the Gospel of Matthew records
that some Pharisees and teachers of the law still demanded a
confirming sign: "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
Jesus refused on this day, not because miracles did not constitute a
sign of his identity, but because the question was asked in contempt
and unbelief. Instead, Jesus announced that soon they would have the
greatest confirming sign of all: "A wicked and adulterous generation
asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign
of the prophet Jonah" (Matt. 12:38-39). Just as Jonah was in the
fish’s belly three days, so Jesus was in the grave and then returned
to life. He offered the miraculous sign of his resurrection as proof
that he was the Jewish Messiah.
John sent messengers to ask Jesus whether he was the
Messiah. "At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases,
sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So
he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you
have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who
have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the
good news is preached to the poor’" (Luke 7:20-22). These were just
the sorts of miracles the prophets had predicted would confirm the
presence of Israel s Messiah. The answer was clear: Jesus’ miracles
confirmed his messages.
Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council,
the Sanhedrin, told Jesus, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has
come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are
doing if God were not with him" (John 3:1-2).
In his great sermon on Pentecost, Peter told the
crowd that Jesus had been "accredited by God to you by miracles,
wonders and signs, which God did among you through him" (Acts 2:22).
Miracles Confirmed the Apostolic Claim.
Hebrews 2:3-4 proclaims that God has testified to his "great
salvation" in the gospel "by signs, wonders and various miracles, and
gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will." Miracles
were used to confirm the apostolic message. They were the supernatural
sign for their sermon; the divine confirmation for their revelation.
In defense of his apostleship at Corinth, Paul
wrote: "The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and
miracles—were done among you with great perseverance" (2 Cor. 12:12).
This special apostolic, miracle-working power was offered as proof of
the truth he spoke to them.
Qur’an and Confirming
Miracles. Judaism and Christianity are
not the only religions that recognize the validity of miracles as a
means of confirming a message from God. Islam does as well. Muhammad
recognized that prophets before him (including Jesus) were confirmed
by miraculous powers. "If they reject thee, So were rejected apostles
Before thee, who came With Clear Signs" (sura 3:184).
The Qur’an records Moses saying of his
miracles, "Thou knowest Well that these things Have been sent down by
none But the Lord of the heavens And the earth as eye-opening
Evidence" (17:102). Allah says, "Then We sent Moses and his brother
Aaron, with Our signs and Authority manifest" (23:45). So, in
principle, all three great monotheistic religions agree that a truth
claim can be substantiated by miracles.
Unbelievers and Confirming Miracles.
Even many who reject miracles agree that unique miracles could
be used to support the truth claims of the religion possessing them.
Even Hume implied that truly unique miracles would confirm the truth
claims of a religion. He argued only that similar signs by conflicting
religions would be self-canceling. He claimed only that "every
miracle, therefore, pretended to have been wrought in any of these
religions (and all of them abound in miracles)... so has it the same
force, though more indirectly, to overthrow every other system" and
"in destroying a rival system, it likewise destroys the credit of
those miracles on which that system was established." Since a
miracle’s "direct scope is to establish the particular system to which
it is attributed, so has it the same force... to overthrow every other
system." This leaves open the possibility that a religion presenting
unique miraculous confirmation would be true and all opposing claims
false.
Agnostic Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) admitted
miracles would confirm a truth claim. In response to the question
"What kind of evidence could convince you God exists?" Russell said,
