103. Christ's Miracles: Divine Power and Their Sufficiency

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Lecture Notes

Main Topics #

Whether Christ Performed Miracles by Divine Power #

The Problem of Apparent Limitation:

• Mark 6:5 states Christ “was not able” to do miracles in His own country, seemingly contradicting omnipotence
• Christ prayed before performing miracles (Lazarus, multiplication of loaves), which appears inconsistent with divine power
• Others performed miracles (Pharisees cast out demons), suggesting miracles don’t require divine power alone

Thomas’s Resolution:

• “True miracles” can only come about by divine power, since only God can change the order of nature
• The reported inability refers to what is suitable (congruens) or congruent, not absolute power
• Miracles among the unbelieving are not congruent because they lack the disposition of faith
• Christ’s human nature acts as an instrument of divine action, gaining power from the divine nature
• Prayer before miracles demonstrates harmony with the Father and shows the two natures acting in communication

Distinction Between Christ and Demons:

• Demons can only expel other demons from bodies while leaving command over souls
• Christ expels demons from both body and soul completely
• Demons act against their own kingdom only through divine permission, not by their own power
• The Pharisees’ charge that Christ casts out demons by Beelzebub contradicts itself logically

When Christ Began to Perform Miracles #

The Question:

• Apocryphal accounts claim Christ performed many miracles in childhood
• Yet John 2:11 identifies the wedding at Cana as “the beginning of the signs”
• If Christ possessed divine power from conception, why the delay?

Two Key Reasons for the Delay:

1. Purpose of Miracles: Miracles serve to confirm teaching. Christ could not begin teaching before reaching perfect age
2. Prudential Reasons:
   • Early miracles would be mistaken for fantasy or imagination regarding the Incarnation
   • If Christ had performed miracles from childhood, He would have been killed before the Passion
   • John the Baptist would have known of Him, making John’s mission to manifest Him pointless

Chrysostom’s View:

• The apocryphal childhood miracles are “lies and fictions” (fictiones)
• If Christ had performed miracles from youth, neither John nor others would have needed to manifest Him

Sufficiency of Miracles to Demonstrate Divinity #

Main Objections:

1. Others performed miracles (Peter raised Tabitha, Paul raised Eutychus), so miracles aren’t unique to Christ
2. Christ Himself said believers would do “greater works” (John 14:12)
3. Universal divine power cannot be known from particular works

Thomas’s Three-Part Resolution:

1. By the Species (Kind) of Works:

• Christ’s miracles transcended every power of created beings
• Example: Opening the eyes of one born blind was unprecedented (“from the ages, it was not heard”)
• Only divine power can effect such works

2. By the Manner of Performance:

• Christ acted by His own power, not through prayer like others (prophets, apostles)
• Luke 6 records that “power went out from him and healed all”
• This shows He did not take another’s power but acted as naturally God
• The sheer number of miracles (innumerable) demonstrates co-equal power with God the Father
• Matthew 8: “He cast out spirits by his word and he cured all”

3. By the Teaching He Confirmed:

• His doctrine claiming divinity is confirmed by miracles done through divine power alone
• Mark 1: “What is this new teaching? Because in the power, he commands the unclean spirits”
• The coordination of unprecedented works, divine manner of working, and claim to divinity together suffice

Resolution of “Greater Works” Objection:

• Augustine interprets “greater works” as spiritual justification of sinners rather than physical miracles
• Justifying the impious is greater than creating heaven and earth (which will pass away, but justification remains eternally)
• Or, “greater” refers to works done through apostles by Christ’s power, not limited to what Christ alone did on earth
• The apostles preaching led whole nations to belief, whereas Christ’s limited earthly ministry touched fewer
• Yet all such works are done through Christ’s power, not the apostles’ own power

Resolution of Particular-to-Universal Objection:

• When a particular work is private (proper only) to an agent, that particular work suffices to show the agent’s whole power
• Example: Reasoning demonstrates all of man’s rational nature from any single instance
• Similarly, performing by His own power works that only God can do suffices to show Christ is God

Key Arguments #

Supporting Christ’s Performance of Miracles Through Divine Power #

• God alone can change the order of nature, which is the defining characteristic of miracles
• The human nature of Christ is an instrument of divine action, receiving power from the divine nature
• The coordination of the divine and human natures is expressed through Christ’s actions: He acts with His own power while also showing dependence through prayer
• The unprecedented and numerous character of Christ’s miracles (power going out from Him continuously) demonstrates co-equality with God the Father in power
• Miracles become intelligible signs of divinity only when performed by divine power without dependence on created agents or mediation

Against the Sufficiency of Miracles Alone #

• Others performed miracles, so miracles alone cannot uniquely prove divinity
• Universal divine power cannot be adequately shown through particular miraculous acts
• Christ explicitly rejected seeking signs from heaven when challenged by Pharisees

Responses to Apparent Counterexamples #

• Other agents who performed miracles (apostles, prophets) did so through Christ’s power, not their own
• Their miracles show Christ’s power working through them as instruments, not their own independent power
• The fact that they needed to pray for power demonstrates their dependence; Christ’s power emanates directly from Him

Important Definitions #

Congruens (congruent/suitable):

• What is fitting, appropriate, or harmonious with circumstances and purposes
• Distinct from absolute power; something may be possible yet not congruent
• Example: Miracles among the unbelieving are not congruent even though absolutely possible

Fictiones (fictions):

• False or invented accounts
• Applied to apocryphal accounts of Christ’s childhood miracles

Instrumentum (instrument):

• The human nature of Christ serves as an instrument through which divine power operates
• The instrument gains power from the principal agent (divine nature) while remaining distinct
• Contrasted with divine action performed directly by the agent

Privatum (private/proper):

• That which belongs uniquely or exclusively to something
• Example: Reasoning is private to man; being God is private to Christ
• When a private action is performed, it reveals the nature of the agent

Examples & Illustrations #

Miracles Discussed:

• Wedding at Cana: Christ turns water into wine. Berquist notes this as preparation for faith in the Eucharist, showing Christ’s power over material transformation. The circumstance (running out of wine) comes under divine providence, making the contingent events occasions for manifesting divine power.
• Raising of Lazarus: Christ prayed before raising Lazarus, demonstrating the communication between His two natures rather than necessity. The prayer shows harmony with the Father.
• Multiplication of loaves: Christ blessed the loaves and fishes. Combined with His power to do this directly, the blessing shows both His dependence on the Father and His possession of divine power.
• Healing the blind man born blind: Unprecedented miracle proving divine power; never before had anyone opened the eyes of one born blind.
• Expulsion of demons: Unlike demon expulsion by demonic power (which leaves the soul in demonic command), Christ’s expulsion extends to the soul as well.

Other Illustrations:

• Tabitha/Peter: Peter’s raising of Tabitha is mentioned as an example of miracles performed by apostles through Christ’s power, not their own independent power.
• Eutychus/Paul: Paul’s raising of Eutychus is similarly cited as evidence that others performed miracles, yet these were through Christ’s power, not proving divine nature of the performer.

Notable Quotes #

“True miracles are able to come about only by divine power. Because God alone is able to change the order of nature, which pertains to the notion of a miracle.” (Thomas Aquinas, cited by Berquist)

“The human nature is an instrument of the divine action.” (Thomas Aquinas on the Incarnation)

“It is not congruent or suitable that among the unbelieving he does miracles.” (Thomas Aquinas, on why Christ did not perform miracles in His own country)

“From the ages, it was not heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind… Unless this man was from God, he could not do such a thing.” (Scripture, cited in discussion of miracle’s evidentiary power)

“Power went out from him and healed all.” (Luke 6, cited to show Christ’s direct agency in miracles)

“These greater works he did through the apostles, not signifying them alone… Because he believes in me, he himself will also do these works. Because I bring it about that he does it.” (Augustine, on John 14:12, cited to resolve the “greater works” objection)

“To justify the impious… is greater than to create heaven and earth, right? For heaven and earth will pass away, but the salvation, justification of the predestined will remain.” (Thomas Aquinas, on the hierarchy of divine works)

Questions Addressed #

Article 2: Whether Christ Did Miracles by Divine Power

• Question: How can Christ be omnipotent if He “was not able” to do miracles in His own country, and how can He use divine power if He prayed before miracles?
• Resolution: The inability refers to what is suitable/congruent, not absolute power. Prayer before miracles shows the communication of His two natures rather than limitation. His human nature is the instrument of divine action.

Article 3: When Did Christ Begin to Perform Miracles

• Question: Why didn’t Christ perform miracles from infancy if He possessed divine power from conception?
• Resolution: Miracles serve to confirm teaching, which Christ could not do before reaching perfect age. Early miracles would have been misunderstood as fantasy about the Incarnation and would have prevented the necessary Passion.

Article 4: Were the Miracles Sufficient to Show Divinity

• Question: If others performed miracles (Peter, Paul), how do Christ’s miracles uniquely prove His divinity?
• Resolution: Through three aspects—the unprecedented species of works, the direct manner of performance (by His own power without prayer), and the teaching He confirmed. Performing by His own power works that only God can do suffices to show divinity in any particular instance.

Apparent Contradiction: If Christ said believers would do “greater works,” how do His miracles prove His unique divinity?

• Resolution: “Greater works” refers to spiritual justification of souls, which is greater than physical miracles. The apostles’ miracles were through His power, not their own. The justification of many through apostolic preaching may surpass Christ’s direct earthly ministry in scope but remains His work.