GenesisNemesis

I'm currently watching this debate between Richard Carrier and William Lane Craig. I was wondering, what are the historical stories Christians currently use to try to confirm the miracle stories in the Bible, if there are any?

Toto

Are you looking for historical sources or stories? And for miracles in general or the Resurrection in particular?

Basically, some Christians believe the Bible. Christians who try to persuade secular intellectuals that they are not delusional never claim to believe that the Bible is history, but try to make the case that Jesus had a reputation as a miracle worker, as shown by stories in the Bible and a chance phrase in Josephus' Antiquities which refers to Jesus as a doer of wondrous deeds.

Julio

Yeah, but Josephus could have also been, or was also as much a deluded superstitious man as the others in his village [in my private opinion].
What was, in his opinion, "wondrous deeds"?
Change water into wine as the first miracle?!...
Oh, oh!

Steven Carr

From the earliest days, Christians played down the miracle stories of Jesus as not being what they preached about.

1 Corinthians 1
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles....

Julio

Agree fully.
Perfect reply.
Paul never mentioned one specific miracle of Jesus; we all know that.
Not even the most fantastic and most glamourous one of the virgin birth!

Dutch_labrat

None, de nada, nichts, niks, ne rien etc...

All there is are the bible books and they are all written way late too old to count as a historical source. There is nothing but faith.

Julio

Paul was a liar.
He instructed his constituency that he had received his gospel via a private revelation [Galatians 1], but there is no reference to the virgin birth anywhere in his writings.
Imagine receiving such a powerful revelation and nothing to be said about that most incredible miracle of the virginal conception!
Therefore, Paul did not receive any private revelation.
He lied.

dog-on

Isn't it better to simply read what Paul, in fact wrote. That the revelation was made known to Paul through his reading of the scriptures while in the spirit?

Doug Shaver

I'm not quite sure what your question means, but the only stories they have are the ones in the Bible. What they are claiming, if they are evangelicals like Craig, is that the Bible stories *are* historical stories. There are no others for them to use that could have any possible relevance.

Doug Shaver

That's probably because in Paul's day, nobody was under the impression that Christ had ever lived in this world. Paul therefore didn't think Christ had a human mother, virgin or otherwise.