Miracles, Truth, and the First Christians

Sometimes, when a Christian is challenged about whether the teachings of his church are true and biblical, he would point to the miracles that happen in his church: “Look at all the miracles that happen in my church. Clearly, what my church teaches must be true!”

However, that was not the attitude of the first Christians. Even though miracles were done among the first Christians, they never considered those miracles to be the ultimate proof for the truthfulness of their teachings. Let us take a look at the example of Stephen, one of the first Christians:

Acts 6:8–10 ESV And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. ₉ Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. ₁₀ But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Stephen was able to do miracles (v. 8). However, when people confronted him and disputed with him regarding what he believed and taught (v. 9), the Bible says that “they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he was speaking” (v. 10). The word “resist” here indicates that Stephen defended his beliefs and teachings against those who disputed with him. Even though Stephen could do miracles, he did not point to his miracles as indisputable proof that his beliefs were true, but instead responded with reasonable defences.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul was also able to do miracles by the power of God. Yet even then, he never appealed to the miracles he did to prove the truthfulness of his beliefs and teachings. Rather, he debated with those who disagreed with him, and he is recorded in the Book of Acts to have “reasoned with the Jews from the Scriptures” on multiple occasions (Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19).