Logical Response to the Miracles in the Bible

As we’ve already seen, one of the skeptics biggest arguments against the Bible has been, “Science and ancient history prove that the Bible isn’t true!” However, we now know that neither of those points are correct:
Science supports it.
History supports it again and again.
Discoveries in archaeology are constantly confirming what it says.

When a skeptic hears the evidence - both scientific and historical - they begin to realize that the belief they hold to doesn’t stand up to reason. Inevitably, they usually turn to one last argument against the Bible; “You don’t really expect us to believe that all those miracles in the Bible actually happened, do you? How do you expect me to believe the stories of Noah’s ark, talking donkeys, little boys fighting giants, a virgin having a baby, and a dead man coming back to life? We know that those things are impossible.”

If you’re caught off guard, it’s easy to be intimidated by this argument. But if you remember how reliable the Bible has been - and how truthful its Author is - you can begin to explain why believing in these miracles is actually the logical thing to do.

What are Miracles?

First of all, let’s define the term “miracle”.

The strict definition of a miracle is this; something that simply cannot happen naturally. There are many miracles mentioned in the Bible:
The Red Sea splitting down the middle.
Balaam’s donkey speaking.
Jericho’s walls collapsing as the Israelites shouted.
Dead people raised back to life.
Mary conceiving while still a virgin.
Jesus calming the sea.
In fact, almost everything Jesus did could be added to this list!

There are some stories in scripture that are amazing - almost incredible - but not necessarily miraculous:
Noah’s flood
David defeating Goliath
Gideon’s victory over the Midianites
Paul surviving his shipwreck
Jonah sitting in the belly of a great fish

Of course, we know that these outstanding events in the Bible were controlled and guided by God’s hands! He supernaturally protected and helped His people...whether the event was literally miraculous or not. It may have been possible for Noah, Paul, and Jonah to survive their situations...but we know that they survived because of God’s protection. These events may not have been miraculous per say, but there’s no doubt that they were still supernatural!

Whenever a skeptic raises the issue of miracles in the Bible, they usually don’t make the distinction between a true miracle and a story of supernatural intervention. In their mind, both of these types of stories are the same, and neither of them should be believed. To the unbeliever, these things are simply myths or fairy tales…”You don’t actually believe that, do you?”

The Logical Response to the Bible’s Miracles

Is it reasonable to believe in the supernatural events we read about in the Scripture?

To answer this objection logically, you need to ask two questions:
1 - Is the written record reliable?
2 - Are any of the details in the story supported from outside sources?

Now let’s take this test and apply it to four of the amazing stories of the Bible.

Noah’s Ark

1 - Is the written record reliable?
   Yes, the Bible has been consistently proven reliable time after time.
2 - Are any of the details in the story supported from outside sources?
   Yes, the rock layers around the world appear to have been laid down by water.
   Yes, there are cultures around the world that tell legends of the same event.

The next time someone scoffs at the story of Noah, remind them of this: You have a reliable eyewitness account of the flood of Noah and outside confirmation of that event...why wouldn’t you believe that it actually happened?

Clearly, we can see that believing this outstanding story from the Bible is the only logical response!

David and Goliath

1 - Is the written record reliable?
   Yes, the Bible has been consistently proven reliable time after time.
2 - Are any of the details in the story supported from outside sources?
   Yes, we know the ancient Philistines have existed and know of the ancient city of Gath Goliath’s hometown.
   Yes, we know that David was a real person in history and have records of him outside of
   Scripture.

As amazing of a story as this is, we have a solid reason to believe it. Our record is impeccable and several details are known from outside sources as well. Why wouldn’t we believe that this actually happened?

Jonah and the Whale

First of all, let’s get this straight...the Bible doesn’t say it was a whale. The Hebrew term is “gadowl dag” and it simply means “great fish”.

Secondly, let’s stop trying to identify this as some type of fish we see today. The Bible very clearly says in Jonah 1:17, “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish…” God made this fish specifically for the purpose of swallowing Jonah!

And now, let’s apply the test to see if it’s reasonable to believe this incredible story.
1 - Is the written record reliable?
   Yes, the Bible has been consistently proven reliable time after time.
2 - Are any of the details in the story supported from outside sources?
   Yes, history verifies that the ancient city of Ninevah was the capital of the Assyrian empire.
   Yes, we have discovered a monument to Jonah (sometimes referred to as his grave) in the
   ancient city of Ninevah.
   Yes, history tells us that just before Jonah preached to Ninevah, it had experienced at least two disastrous outbreaks of disease - which would’ve given Jonah’s message a more powerful impact.

As incredible as the story seems, we can logically believe that it actually happened. Our written source is completely reliable and we have outside details supporting it.    

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

1 - Is the written record reliable?
   Yes, the Bible has been consistently proven reliable time after time
2 - Are any of the details in the story supported from outside sources?
   Yes, Jesus is known from several ancient records (such as Josephus, Pliny, and Tacitus).
   Yes, Pilate and Caiaphas are both known from outside sources.
   Yes, the Christian church has always held to Jesus’ resurrection - from its very beginning.
   Yes, the men and women who saw Jesus after His resurrection were well-known to the first generation of believers.

So we have both a reliable record and outside details that support it. The only logical conclusion is to accept the story of the resurrection as it’s written!

This is how it works in every situation that you didn’t personally witness. The logical way to decide what really happened is to find an eyewitness account that is reliable and then substantiate their claims with supporting evidence. When it comes to the Bible, we have both.

So the next time a skeptic or an atheist asks you “Why would you believe those miraculous stories in the Bible?” tell them: “I have an impeccable eyewitness record that has never been wrong and outside evidence that supports its claims...logically speaking why wouldn’t I believe it?”