Board index ‹ Miracles

[Explorer]

Why does God only seem to do miracles for things that are not obviously miracles? For example;

God consistently ignores and denies the prayers of people who have lost limbs to illness or accident to have their limbs regrow.

However, God will cure arthritis or put cancer into remission. Which are things we know can happening naturally.

If this were to ever occur on the many "healing" events you see on youtube, or other televised healing events around the world. Or even just regularly by non-recorded events, that could be backed up medically. Then that would certainly be some highly convincing starting points for considering the notion that something very unique is happening in accordance with Christian belief.

But this doesn't happen. And it seems really very odd that God at, basically a 100% rate, just denies request by amputees for limb regrowths.

[jimwalton]

The nature of healing in the Bible is restoration, not regeneration. There's one illustration in the Gospels where the disciples are unable to cast out a particular demon and heal the person. Jesus does it easily, and the disciples ask why they weren't able. He basically tells them that it was beyond their pay grade. Some things are not within their capability.

In that sense it's not much different than modern doctors. They are only able to do what the body allows them to do. They can do surgery, but the body is what heals itself. Doctors can't heal bodies; it's not within their capability. They can use surgery to correct (it's amazing what they're capable of), but they can't use surgery or medicine to regenerate limbs or spinal cords. It's not within their capability right now.

You're wrong to think Christians are able to do all things. We can't levitate houses, transport ourselves like on Star Trek, or jump over tall buildings with a single bound. Nor can any faith healer regenerate limbs. It's not discrimination, but limitation. When God gifts us, he doesn't make us into super heroes or members of the Justice League.

[Explorer]

> The nature of healing in the Bible is restoration, not regeneration.

Please define "restoration" and "regeneration" so that I know their precise meanings to avoid potential equivocation. I ask this because it seems to me, that these words can easily be used interchangeably and could essentially mean the same thing.

> You're wrong to think Christians are able to do all things. We can't levitate houses, transport ourselves like on Star Trek, or jump over tall buildings with a single bound. Nor can any faith healer regenerate limbs. It's not discrimination, but limitation. When God gifts us, he doesn't make us into super heroes or members of the Justice League.

I'm not saying you are doing these acts. I am saying God can do these things. If God can make cancers miraculously disappear then why could he not miraculously regrow lost limbs? It does not seem as though this is a tall order, restoring/regeneration lost limbs, no worries. Hence why I want you to define restoration and regeneration.

[jimwalton]

I guess I would define restoration as the kind of healing the body was created to do. The body is able to ward off some infection, bacteria, viruses, mend bones, create new capillary paths, circumvent parts of the brain that are dead, create new skin over wounds, etc. There are many restorative events and possibilities in the way the body works.

I guess I would define regeneration as the ability to grow new limbs or regenerate brain or spinal cord tissue. The human body doesn't have those capabilities.

The nature of healing in the body, even during the ministry of Jesus, is the category in which Jesus does his work, restoring the body through what the body does.

> If God can make cancers miraculously disappear then why could he not miraculously regrow lost limbs?

You'll notice as you read the Bible that healing is a minuscule, almost absent part of what God is doing in the world. The only time it seems to take on some frequency is during the ministry of Jesus, but even then Jesus says that the healing miracles are only signs to teach important truths. The healings themselves are not all that important. In the Old Testament there are only maybe 5 or 6 healings in its entire 2000-year history from Abraham to Malachi. Aside from the ministry of Jesus, there are only a handful in the NT as well. From the Bible we learn that God is not really in the business of healing bodies (though he does it); He's in the business of healing souls.

We learn from the Bible, therefore, that most of the time God lets the body (and disease, and injury) take its normal course. Of course he can miraculously regrow lost limbs, but the Bible shows us that it's not something he does.

What He wants to do is give you Life. What He wants to do is recreate your soul and make you new. What He wants to do is rescue you from sin and bring you into relationship with Him. The restoration and regeneration He is interested in—what the Bible is about, how God works, and why Jesus died—is spiritual restoration and regeneration. You seem to be like a hunter so distracted by leaves blowing in the wind that you miss the deer walking right past you. God is calling you into relationship with Him.