The miracle-working prophets
Many readers of the New Testament Gospels today believe that if Jesus did all the miracles attributed to him, then surely he must be God. Who else would be able to make nature obey him, or heal the sick with just a word or a touch, or raise someone from the dead. The one who does such things could be none other than God in the flesh. Right?
Anyone who has read their Old Testament carefully knows the answer to the question. Throughout the Jewish Bible, prophets of God such as Moses, Elijah, and Elisha can do spectacular miracles – in fact, very similar kinds of miracles to those reported of Jesus. This is not because any of them was God himself come to earth but because the power of God was at work through them. And so, in the narratives of 1 and 2 Kings, we find both Elijah and Elisha multiplying the food to feed those in need miraculously (1 Kings 17:8-16; 2 Kings 4:42-44; compare Jesus’ feeding the multitudes);
making nature obey their commands (1 Kings 17:1-6; 18:41-45; 2 Kings 6:17; compare Jesus’ calming the storm);
healing the sick (2 Kings 5:1-14; as does Jesus);
even raising the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:8-37; as does Jesus).
at the end of his life, Elijah ascends to heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:1-12).
When Jesus does his miracles in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it is not because he is God Almighty. It is because he is God’s prophet. This is recognised even by those he helps, as in Luke 7:11-17, where Jesus raises a boy back to life, and the crowd responds not by declaring that Jesus must be God but by exclaiming, “A great prophet has risen among us!”
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The Bible: A Historical and Literary Introduction by renowned biblical scholar and New York Times Bestselling author Dr Bart D. Ehrman, p. 125.
Categories: Bible, Dr Bart Ehrman, Gospels, Jesus
So We revealed to Musa, “Strike the sea with your staff.” And it split in two, each part like a towering cliff. And We brought the others right up to it. We rescued Musa and all those who were with him. Then We drowned the rest. There is certainly a Sign in that yet most of them are not believers. Truly your Lord is the Almighty, the Most Merciful. (Qur’an, 26:63-68)
Musa (as) splitting the sea doesn’t make him God (Nauzabillah). God works through His Prophets (Peace Be Upon them All) to perform these miracles. X Person Performing miracles ≠ X Person is God. Not sure why it’s so difficult for Christians to understand this simple concept.
‘Not sure why it’s so difficult for Christians to understand this simple concept.’
Indeed. My guess is that they have it drummed into them by their preachers at church. It’s easy to refute from the Bible.
Sahih International: They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah , and [also] the Messiah, the son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him. Quran 9:31
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The point is where does the power come from which God exerts or applies through the words and actions of the prophet?
In the case of Jesus it was from himself. That is the difference.
@ Watson
Jesus(as) apparently didn’t get the message:
“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. (5:30)
I am constantly amazed how little Christians know their Bibles.
@ Paul
Oh absolutely. It’s kinda like when you see a car accident about to happen, you cringe and want to look away but curiosity makes you keep watching in utmost fascination.
an intriguing analogy
Koran driven eisegesis.
Better than Iggy-driven eisegesis! LOL!!
Iggy is back for his daily beating. And he didn’t disappoint! The level of ignorance of this clown is hilarious!
it wasnt from himself pagan. yhwh and yhwhs spirit are two IDENTICAL things. It can exist in stones, in temples, in…..jesus is not DOING things through his abilities, he dependants on yhwh(or his spirit) remove the spirit and he cries like an apostate “why have u forsaken me”
jesus is dependant on yhwh,not on his “divine nature”
nowhere can u find even one verse in entire nt that jesus has access to a “divine nature” which he can turn on and off at will, again and again he is portrayed as one who NEEDS another to perform things.
“In the case of Jesus it was from himself. That is the difference.”
no u pagan, “it was not FROM himself”
jesus himSELF would need FAITH( Again and again TELLING his pals if u have faith u can MOVE MOUNTAINS) Meaning mark is saying that since jevus was faithful, he just needs to say “fig tree die for not producing figs in the wrong season”
When people have no faith (peter) they cant move stones , so the womens stupid question “who will ROLE AWAY the stone?” A question of the FAITHLESS
U need to read mark holistically
You should be amazed that the muslim quote a chapter that Jesus says: “Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
Did Muhammad do the same as Allah?
You should be amazed how the son and daughter of satan. Take verse out of context of the holy scripture to distort it and to support their false prophet.
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
so jesus was a modalist ? lol
thats like the father looking at himself in the mirror, jumping and he says “hey look, jesus is jumping…”
obviously jesus did not mean that the father can DO nothing by himself ; he can DO ONLY what he sees his son doing, jesus here was talking about the COMMANDS THE father gives his child.
@ Watson
This hurts you even more. Let’s teach you how to interpret things. Starting basic do we use clear cut verses to determine ambiguity or things being debated about in meaning?
@ Paul
Thank you. I’m nothing if not a visual painter.
Watson, let’s see what the Qur’an says about the miracles performed by Prophet Isa (as) and who granted Him (as) the ability to perform these miracles:
SAHIH INTERNATIONAL
And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], ‘Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah . And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead – by permission of Allah . And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.
Reference: Qur’an 3:49
Think about it if what we had about moses was from philos perspective
he says that moses just had to command things and they would obey. philo seems to have completely omitted the “bi idhnillah ” part .
imagine if all u had was philos perspective, erasmuswatson would be worshipping moses
@Paul Williams, @QB, @Stew,
Salaam!
There’s a Christian, Ex-Muslim, and Hindu on YouTube who are talking about the historicity of the Prophet Muhammad (S) and Islam. Is there a way you call can start a refutation series on them? Here is the link below:
No mainstream academic scholar of Islam denies the existence of Muhammad (saw).
Who are these fools that anyone should listen to them? Like Kmak said, there is no scholar who rejects the historicity of Muhammad (pbuh). There is actually far more evidence for him than there is for Jesus (pbuh) and certainly a whole lot more than any of the Hindu figures (Krishna, Rama, etc.). These are just a bunch of wannabes trying to get their 15 minutes of fame.
@ Shazil
To end this stupid stuff pull up the book “Islam as others saw it” you will see every reference to Prophet Muhammad (saw) outside of Islamic sources for the first 100 years I believe (with one being like 3 -10 years after his death) As noted by everyone no one denies his historicity (nor is there reason to)