The Doctrine Of Miracles

The Doctrine Of Miracles

Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, May 14, 2026 (Donate)

The God of the Bible is a God of miracles. God is all-powerful and able to do all His holy will. Thus, He is in a position to do miracles unlike man or any other created being. Here are some reminders of amazing miracles God did in the Old Testament:

·       Creation Week (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

·       The confusion of languages at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9)

·       The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25)

·       The Ten Plagues upon Egypt (Exodus 7-12)

·       The parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31)

·       The sun standing still in the days of Joshua (Joshua 10:12-14)

·       Elijah calling down fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:30-39)

·       The crossing of the Jordan River while God stopped the water (Joshua 3:14-17)

·       Jonah swallowed by the great fish prepared by God to swallow Jonah and preserved him alive for three days (Jonah 1:17-2:10)

Moses striking the rock of Horeb at God's command to miraculously provide water (Exodus 17:1-7); Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Here are some reminders of awesome miracles God did in the New Testament:

·       Jesus created all things (John 1:1-3)

·       Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-11)

·       Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41)

·       Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21)

·       Jesus walking on water showing His authority over nature (Matthew 14:22-33)

·       Jesus healing a man born blind (John 9:1-7)

·       Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead after 4 days (John 11:38-44)

·       The resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:1-10)

·       The Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other languages (Acts 2:1-13)

·       Peter healing the lame man at the Temple (Acts 3:1-10)

·       Paul raising Eutychus from the dead (Acts 20:7-12)

God can do miracles directly or He can use people or angels to do His bidding and the power flows through them to do wonderous things. The final example here of Paul raising Eutychus wasn't by Paul’s power but by God’s power through Paul in that instance.

What are Miracles?

Miracles are extraordinary acts of God in which He directly intervenes in His creation for a specific purpose. They aren't random “magic tricks” or contradictions in God’s character, but purposeful events that show God’s authority and display His power. They were also used to accomplish His redemptive plan throughout history.

Miracles don't “break” or “violate” scientific laws in the way skeptics often claim. Instead, scientific laws describe the normal, regular way God sustains the universe.

From a biblical worldview, the laws of nature aren't independent forces that control God; rather, they are descriptions of the consistent patterns God ordinarily uses to govern creation. Since God created and sustains all things, He has authority to act differently whenever He wills. The point is that the laws of nature exist because God upholds them into existence and so God isn't bound by them.

For example, gravity describes how objects normally fall toward earth. But in the Bible, Jesus walking on water (Matthew 14:25) was not gravity “ceasing to exist.” Rather, God temporarily acted in an unusual way beyond the ordinary pattern we observe.

Peter miraculously walking on water out to Lord who was walking on water; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

Likewise, Christ turning water into wine (John 2:1-11) didn't “destroy the laws of chemistry and biology.” Rather, it was an act of divine power in which God supernaturally produced an immediate result that would ordinarily take time through natural processes.

Science itself depends upon regularity in nature. Scientists can study the world because God normally upholds creation consistently. The Bible teaches this consistency in passages such as Genesis 8:22:

“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease.” Because God is faithful, creation usually behaves in predictable ways. (NKJV)

Consider also, that we don’t fully know all the laws of nature in such a precise way that God does. Perhaps some rare miracles are within the realm of the way God uphold the universe, but we simply don’t know those inner workings of the laws of nature like God does.

Nevertheless, miracles are rare precisely because they are extraordinary. If miracles happened constantly, they would no longer be considered miraculous.

In Scripture, miracles often center around key moments: the ministry of Moses, Elijah and Elisha, Christ, and the apostles. Their purpose was frequently to authenticate God’s Word.

Miracles And Worldview

Another thing to keep in mind is that miracles aren't irrational or anti-scientific. Science studies what normally happens under ordinary conditions. Miracles involve God acting beyond those ordinary conditions. Since science cannot test or repeat a unique supernatural event on demand, science is limited in how we can use it when it comes to miracles. That limitation does not disprove miracles; it simply shows that science isn't the ultimate authority over all reality—God is.

The real issue is worldview. If one mistakenly assumes naturalism—the belief that nature is all that exists—then miracles are blindly rejected before evidence is even considered. But because the God of the Bible exists and created the universe, then miracles are not only possible, but entirely reasonable and expected. The Creator who made the laws of nature can work through them normally or act beyond them according to His sovereign will.

Do All Miracles Circumvent The Normal Laws Of Science?

Not at all. Many Christians would argue that some miracles involve extraordinary timing, providence (protection and guidance in human affairs by God), or supernatural knowledge rather than an obvious suspension of ordinary natural processes.

Daniel miraculously seeing the dream of Nebuchadnezzar without being told it; Image requested by Bodie Hodge*

In the Bible, not every miracle is necessarily a visible alteration of nature like the Red Sea parting or Lazarus being raised. Some events appear miraculous because of their precision, timing, prophetic fulfillment, or impossibility apart from God’s orchestration.

For example:

• Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams (Genesis 41) involved supernatural knowledge revealed by God about future events.
• Elijah being fed by ravens (1 Kings 17:4-6) used ordinary creatures, yet in an extraordinary and divinely directed way.
• The exact timing of Esther becoming queen before the Jewish people were threatened demonstrates providential timing throughout the book of Esther, even though God is never directly named in the text.
• Jesus telling Peter where to find a coin in a fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:24-27) involved supernatural foreknowledge and precise providence.
• The detailed fulfillment of Messianic prophecies over centuries points to divine knowledge and sovereignty over history.

From this perspective, a miracle doesn't always require the “breaking” of natural laws. Instead, it may involve God sovereignly arranging events, directing circumstances, revealing hidden knowledge, or governing nature in an extraordinarily purposeful way.

Many theologians distinguish between:

• Providence (e.g., Providential acts/miracles): God governing ordinary events continuously.
• Miracle: A special act of God that stands out as extraordinary, whether through direct supernatural intervention or astonishing divine orchestration.

Some miracles are clearly beyond ordinary natural explanation, such as bodily resurrection or instantaneous healing (healings of the leprous, blind, or deaf). Others may operate through natural means but in such an extraordinary way that God’s hand is unmistakable.

Final Remarks

God is sovereign over all creation at all times. Therefore, whether God acts through ordinary means, extraordinary timing, or direct supernatural intervention, all events ultimately depend upon Him. The difference is that miracles are special acts intended to reveal God’s power, truth, mercy, or judgment in a particularly noticeable way.

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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.  

Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.

His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.

* Images generated using ChatGPT