“miracle 1: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs . . . 3: Christian Science: a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law” Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary.
There is no word for miracle in the Greek New Testament (NTG). The words sometimes translated as “miracle” are sēmeion, also translated as “sign,” “wonder,” or “token,” and dunamis, also translated as “power,” “might,” “strength,” “virtue.” Today, healings and “inexplicable acts of God,” if they are seen as positive events, are sometimes referred to as miracles.
What might these events have meant to the people in Jesus’ time and to those who were contemporaries of the Gospel writers? Were healings ordinary, everyday occurrences or were they seen as extraordinary? In Old Testament and New Testament biblical times, it was expected that God’s people would see His personal interactions in their lives. An important part of Jesus’ teachings was for his followers to continue his works: “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8, New American Standard Bible). In Luke, when the 12 disciples and later the 70 were sent out, they were instructed to heal (see Luke 9:1, 2; 10:1, 9, 17), and were very effective healers.
