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miraclemore about miracle

miracle


  5  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Miracle  \Mir"a*cle\,  v.  t. 
  To  make  wonderful.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Miracle  \Mir"a*cle\,  n.  [F.,  fr  L.  miraculum  fr  mirari  to 
  wonder.  See  {Marvel},  and  cf  {Mirror}.] 
  1.  A  wonder  or  wonderful  thing 
 
  That  miracle  and  queen  of  genus.  --Shak. 
 
  2.  Specifically:  An  event  or  effect  contrary  to  the 
  established  constitution  and  course  of  things  or  a 
  deviation  from  the  known  laws  of  nature;  a  supernatural 
  event,  or  one  transcending  the  ordinary  laws  by  which  the 
  universe  is  governed. 
 
  They  considered  not  the  miracle  of  the  loaves. 
  --Mark  vi  52. 
 
  3.  A  miracle  play. 
 
  4.  A  story  or  legend  abounding  in  miracles.  [Obs.] 
 
  When  said  was  all  this  miracle.  --Chaucer. 
 
  {Miracle  monger},  an  impostor  who  pretends  to  work  miracles. 
 
 
  {Miracle  play},  one  of  the  old  dramatic  entertainments 
  founded  on  legends  of  saints  and  martyrs  or  (see  2d 
  {Mystery},  2)  on  events  related  in  the  Bible. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  miracle 
  n  1:  any  amazing  or  wonderful  occurrence 
  2:  a  marvellous  event  manifesting  a  supernatural  act  of  God 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Miracle 
  an  event  in  the  external  world  brought  about  by  the  immediate 
  agency  or  the  simple  volition  of  God,  operating  without  the  use 
  of  means  capable  of  being  discerned  by  the  senses  and  designed 
  to  authenticate  the  divine  commission  of  a  religious  teacher  and 
  the  truth  of  his  message  (John  2:18;  Matt.  12:38).  It  is  an 
  occurrence  at  once  above  nature  and  above  man.  It  shows  the 
  intervention  of  a  power  that  is  not  limited  by  the  laws  either 
  of  matter  or  of  mind,  a  power  interrupting  the  fixed  laws  which 
  govern  their  movements,  a  supernatural  power. 
 
  "The  suspension  or  violation  of  the  laws  of  nature  involved  in 
  miracles  is  nothing  more  than  is  constantly  taking  place  around 
  us  One  force  counteracts  another:  vital  force  keeps  the 
  chemical  laws  of  matter  in  abeyance;  and  muscular  force  can 
  control  the  action  of  physical  force.  When  a  man  raises  a  weight 
  from  the  ground,  the  law  of  gravity  is  neither  suspended  nor 
  violated,  but  counteracted  by  a  stronger  force.  The  same  is  true 
  as  to  the  walking  of  Christ  on  the  water  and  the  swimming  of 
  iron  at  the  command  of  the  prophet.  The  simple  and  grand  truth 
  that  the  universe  is  not  under  the  exclusive  control  of  physical 
  forces,  but  that  everywhere  and  always  there  is  above,  separate 
  from  and  superior  to  all  else,  an  infinite  personal  will  not 
  superseding,  but  directing  and  controlling  all  physical  causes, 
  acting  with  or  without  them."  God  ordinarily  effects  his  purpose 
  through  the  agency  of  second  causes;  but  he  has  the  power  also 
  of  effecting  his  purpose  immediately  and  without  the 
  intervention  of  second  causes,  i.e.,  of  invading  the  fixed 
  order  and  thus  of  working  miracles.  Thus  we  affirm  the 
  possibility  of  miracles,  the  possibility  of  a  higher  hand 
  intervening  to  control  or  reverse  nature's  ordinary  movements. 
 
  In  the  New  Testament  these  four  Greek  words  are  principally 
  used  to  designate  miracles:  (1.)  Semeion  a  "sign",  i.e.,  an 
  evidence  of  a  divine  commission;  an  attestation  of  a  divine 
  message  (Matt.  12:38,  39;  16:1,  4;  Mark  8:11;  Luke  11:16;  23:8; 
  John  2:11,  18,  23;  Acts  6:8,  etc.);  a  token  of  the  presence  and 
  working  of  God;  the  seal  of  a  higher  power. 
 
  (2.)  Terata,  "wonders;"  wonder-causing  events;  portents; 
  producing  astonishment  in  the  beholder  (Acts  2:19). 
 
  (3.)  Dunameis  "might  works;"  works  of  superhuman  power  (Acts 
  2:22;  Rom.  15:19;  2  Thess.  2:9);  of  a  new  and  higher  power. 
 
  (4.)  Erga,  "works;"  the  works  of  Him  who  is  "wonderful  in 
  working"  (John  5:20,  36). 
 
  Miracles  are  seals  of  a  divine  mission.  The  sacred  writers 
  appealed  to  them  as  proofs  that  they  were  messengers  of  God.  Our 
  Lord  also  appealed  to  miracles  as  a  conclusive  proof  of  his 
  divine  mission  (John  5:20,  36;  10:25,  38).  Thus  being  out  of 
  the  common  course  of  nature  and  beyond  the  power  of  man,  they 
  are  fitted  to  convey  the  impression  of  the  presence  and  power  of 
  God.  Where  miracles  are  there  certainly  God  is  The  man, 
  therefore,  who  works  a  miracle  affords  thereby  clear  proof  that 
  he  comes  with  the  authority  of  God;  they  are  his  credentials 
  that  he  is  God's  messenger.  The  teacher  points  to  these 
  credentials,  and  they  are  a  proof  that  he  speaks  with  the 
  authority  of  God.  He  boldly  says,  "God  bears  me  witness,  both 
  with  signs  and  wonders,  and  with  divers  miracles." 
 
  The  credibility  of  miracles  is  established  by  the  evidence  of 
  the  senses  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  witnesses  of  them  and 
  to  all  others  by  the  testimony  of  such  witnesses.  The  witnesses 
  were  competent,  and  their  testimony  is  trustworthy.  Unbelievers, 
  following  Hume,  deny  that  any  testimony  can  prove  a  miracle, 
  because  they  say  miracles  are  impossible.  We  have  shown  that 
  miracles  are  possible,  and  surely  they  can  be  borne  witness  to 
  Surely  they  are  credible  when  we  have  abundant  and  trustworthy 
  evidence  of  their  occurrence.  They  are  credible  just  as  any 
  facts  of  history  well  authenticated  are  credible.  Miracles,  it 
  is  said  are  contrary  to  experience.  Of  course  they  are  contrary 
  to  our  experience,  but  that  does  not  prove  that  they  were 
  contrary  to  the  experience  of  those  who  witnessed  them  We 
  believe  a  thousand  facts,  both  of  history  and  of  science,  that 
  are  contrary  to  our  experience,  but  we  believe  them  on  the 
  ground  of  competent  testimony.  An  atheist  or  a  pantheist  must 
  as  a  matter  of  course,  deny  the  possibility  of  miracles;  but  to 
  one  who  believes  in  a  personal  God,  who  in  his  wisdom  may  see 
  fit  to  interfere  with  the  ordinary  processes  of  nature,  miracles 
  are  not  impossible,  nor  are  they  incredible.  (See  LIST  OF 
  MIRACLES,  Appendix.) 
 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  MIRACLE,  n.  An  act  or  event  out  of  the  order  of  nature  and 
  unaccountable,  as  beating  a  normal  hand  of  four  kings  and  an  ace  with 
  four  aces  and  a  king. 
 
 




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