The Case for Miracles

by Lee Strobel

  Stafford, Tim. Miracles: A Journalist Looks at Modern-Day Experiences of God’s Power. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2012.

  Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

  Twelftree, Graham H. Jesus the Miracle Worker: A Historical and Theological Study. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1999.

  ———. Paul and the Miraculous: A Historical Reconstruction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013.

  The Gospels and the Resurrection

  Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.

  Blomberg, Craig L. Can We Still Believe the Bible? An Evangelical Engagement with Contemporary Questions. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2014.

  ———. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. 2nd ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Academic, 2007.

  Copan, Paul, and Ronald K. Tacelli, eds. Jesus’ Resurrection: Fact or Figment? A Debate between William Lane Craig and Gerd Lüdemann. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Academic, 2000.

  Craig, William Lane. The Son Rises: Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2000.

  Evans, Craig A. Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the

  Gospels. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2006.

  Evans, Craig A., and N. T. Wright. Jesus, the Final Days: What Really Happened. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press, 2009.

  Habermas, Gary R., and Michael R. Licona. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004.

  Habermas, Gary R., and Antony Flew. Did the Resurrection Happen? A Conversation with Gary Habermas and Antony Flew. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2009.

  Keener, Craig S. The Historical Jesus of the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009.

  Köstenberger, Andreas J., and Justin Taylor. The Final Days of Jesus. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014.

  Licona, Michael R. The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010.

  ———. Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? What We Can Learn from Ancient Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.

  McDowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell. Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World. Updated and expanded ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2017.

  Roberts, Mark D. Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007.

  Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ. Updated and expanded ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.

  ———. In Defense of Jesus (formerly The Case for the Real Jesus). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016.

  Swinburne, Richard. The Resurrection of God Incarnate. Oxford: Oxford Press, 2003.

  Wallace, J. Warner. Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospel. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2013.

  Wright, N. T. The Resurrection of the Son of God. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2003.

  Origin and Fine-Tuning of Our Universe and Planet

  Bussey, Peter. Signposts to God: How Modern Physics and Astronomy Point the Way to Belief. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016.

  Craig, William Lane. Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics. 3rd ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008.

  Dembski, William A. Mere Creation: Science, Faith, and Intelligent Design. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998.

  Gonzalez, Guillermo, and Jay Wesley Richards. The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery. Washington, DC: Regnery, 2004.

  Lewis, Geraint F., and Luke A. Barnes. A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016.

  Ross, Hugh. Improbable Planet: How Earth Became Humanity’s Home. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2016.

  ———. Why the Universe Is the Way It Is. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008.

  Strobel, Lee. The Case for a Creator. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.

  Wallace, J. Warner. God’s Crime Scene: A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for a Divinely Created Universe. Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2015.

  Ward, Peter, and Donald Brownlee. Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe. New York: Copernicus, 2000.

  Guide for Group Discussion and Personal Reflection

  Introduction

  1. What prompted you to pick up this book? Did some experience or question encourage you to select a book on miracles? Describe what generates your interest in this topic.

  2. On a scale of one to ten, with one being “totally skeptical” and ten being “completely convinced,” how would you rate your current stance concerning the miraculous? Why did you choose that number? What would it take for you to move higher on the scale?

  3. The book begins with several short stories about some very unusual events. Do any of them seem like actual miracles to you? Which ones and why?

  4. Do you believe the miracles of Jesus occurred as described in the New Testament gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)? Are any of Jesus’ supernatural acts more difficult to believe than others? Please elaborate.

  5. Have you ever had an experience you can only explain as a divine intervention in your life? Please describe it. What makes it seem supernatural to you? How did this miracle make you feel? Did it change your view of God? If so, how?

  6. How would you distinguish between an unusual coincidence and a real miracle?

  Chapter 1: The Making of a Skeptic

  1. Describe your spiritual journey. What factors influenced your faith as a child? How have your beliefs changed over the years? What is your current spiritual viewpoint?

  2. Skeptic Michael Shermer tells the heartbreaking story of how his girlfriend was paralyzed in an accident. He said his prayers for her healing went unanswered. How do you think you would have responded in a similar situation?

  3. American patriot Thomas Paine wrote, “Is it more probable that nature should go out of her course, or that a man should tell a lie? We have never seen, in our time, nature go out of her course; but we have good reason to believe that millions of lies have been told in the same time; it is therefore, at least millions to one, that the reporter of a miracle tells a lie.”1 Do you agree? Why or why not?

  4. What kind of evidence would be necessary to convince you that a miracle has actually taken place?

  5. Shermer describes some questions that troubled his faith. Are there any issues that cause you to hesitate in fully embracing Christianity? What are they? Where might you find good answers to your concerns?

  Chapter 2: The Knockdown Argument

  1. How would you define faith? There’s an old joke about a Sunday school student who said, “Faith is believing something even though you know in your heart it can’t be true.” Some skeptics say faith involves believing something despite a lack of evidence for it—or even evidence to the contrary. Most Christians define faith as taking a step in the same direction the evidence is pointing. Which of these definitions resonates with you? How would you define faith?

  2. Skeptic Michael Shermer believes that Scottish philosopher David Hume’s arguments against miracles are decisive. Based on what you’ve read, how strong do you believe Hume’s position is?

  3. Atheist Jerry Coyne said, “To have real confidence in a miracle, one needs evidence—massive, well-documented, and either replicated or independently corroborated evidence from multiple and reliable sources.” His conclusion: “No religious miracle even comes close to meeting those standards.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

  4. Shermer said it would take an amputee growing back a limb to convince him that God had healed the person. Is that a reasonable threshold for belief? Why or why not?

  5. How might psychological or emotional factors play into a person believing that God has healed them of a disease? What kind of miracle would defy an explanation based on these factors?

  Chapter 3: Myths and Miracles

  1. Skeptic Michael Shermer believes the four gospels—Matthew,
Mark, Luke, and John—were written to make moral points rather than to record what actually occurred. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

  2. Shermer raises the question of why Jews don’t accept the resurrection story, even though they share much of the same Holy Book as Christians. Why do you think this is the case?

  3. If God brought the universe into existence from nothing, this would be the most spectacular miracle of all. Are you convinced that the universe was created by God? Why or why not?

  4. Shermer believes that heaven, as described by Christians, would be “boring.” Do you agree or disagree? Why?

  5. If it turned out God does exist, Shermer said he would tell him that he followed the Golden Rule as best he could. How do you believe God would respond? Can you think of any biblical passages that address this issue?

  6. Shermer tells an intriguing story about the transistor radio that started playing after his wedding. What do you make of that incident? Was it simply an extraordinary coincidence, or something more?

  Chapter 4: From Skepticism to Belief

  1. What do you think C. S. Lewis meant when he wrote, “Miracles are in fact a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see”?

  2. Christian scholar Craig Keener came to faith in an emotional experience as a teenager and then subsequently studied the evidence that supports Christianity. Can you relate to that? Why or why not? How has evidence influenced your own faith journey—or has it?

  3. Would you consider Keener’s conversion experience to be “miraculous”? In what way might all spiritual rebirths be viewed as miracles?

  4. The young people who shared Jesus with Keener weren’t exactly adept at “friendship evangelism.” However, God still used their imperfect interactions with him to bring him to faith. Describe a time when you shared your spiritual beliefs with someone else. Did you feel awkward? What was the result? What would make it easier for you to talk about your faith with others?

  5. Keener describes a professor who said he wouldn’t believe in God even if someone were raised from the dead right in front of him. What could cause someone to be so closed-minded? What is needed besides evidence to bring such people to faith?

  Chapter 5: From Hume to Jesus

  1. New Testament professor Craig Keener defends Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as being in the genre of “ancient biographies” rather than mythology or legend. Does this change the way you view these gospels? What does Keener’s observation mean in terms of the historical accuracy of these writings?

  2. The miracles of Jesus are present in the very earliest records of his life and ministry. Does this bolster their credibility to you? Why or why not?

  3. Keener refutes skeptic David Hume, who was cited by Michael Shermer as making a “knockdown argument” against miracles. How does Hume fall into the trap of circular reasoning? Philosopher John Earman, who is not a Christian, titled his book Hume’s Abject Failure. Does that seem like an accurate title? Why?

  4. Some skeptics demand “extraordinary evidence” for miracles, but Keener said “sufficient and credible evidence” is all that should be needed. Is this a reasonable standard in your opinion? Why or why not?

  5. If someone reports that a miracle took place, what evidence would you need to see to back up their claim? What kind of eyewitnesses would you find convincing? If you had the chance, what questions might you ask an eyewitness to try to determine if they were being truthful? What kind of documentation of the supposed miracle would you consider helpful?

  6. Do you think Christians are too quick to describe unusual events as miracles? Are they too credulous? Should they be more skeptical? Why or why not? What’s the difference between healthy skepticism and a closed mind?

  Chapter 6: A Tide of Miracles

  1. Craig Keener tells the story of his wife’s older sister, Thérèse, who was bitten by a snake and stopped breathing for more than three hours. What is your reaction to the story? Was this a miracle, or merely a remarkable resuscitation? Why didn’t she suffer the kind of brain damage that normally happens after six minutes without oxygen?

  2. Keener’s story about Barbara, a multiple sclerosis patient on the edge of death, seems particularly compelling. What is your reaction to it? Did any aspect of her story especially amaze you? Can you think of any naturalistic explanation that would account for everything that happened?

  3. Keener recounts several stories from the research for his book, including the healing of a broken ankle, deafness, and a heart condition. What’s your response to these reports? Do you find them believable? Why or why not?

  4. Why do you think there are no reports of limbs being restored to amputees? Are there other credible healings that are clearly visible, as the healing of an amputee would be? Which ones?

  5. Miraculous healings are fueling the growth of Christian churches in countries around the world, including China, the Philippines, Brazil, and Ethiopia. What are some possible reasons that God is manifesting his power in such a dramatic way in these places?

  6. Keener says, “Anti-supernaturalism has reigned as an inflexible Western academic premise for far too long.” Do you agree? What attitude should scholars take toward claims of the miraculous? Why?

  Chapter 7: The Science of Miracles

  1. Harvard scientist Stephen Jay Gould said science and faith occupy “nonoverlapping magisteria”—in other words, science deals with the empirical universe, facts, and theories, while faith focuses on questions of moral meaning and values. Why doesn’t this distinction work in the case of Christianity?

  2. The textbook Psychology of Religion reads, “The evidence of the effectiveness of prayers . . . remains outside the domain of science.” Do you agree or disagree? Should scholars try to study apparent miracles? What tools might scientists use in determining whether a miracle claim is credible?

  3. Skeptic Michael Shermer relied heavily on the 2006 STEP research that showed no effect of prayer—or perhaps even a small negative impact—on the healing of heart patients. However, Indiana University professor Candy Gunther Brown revealed that the people praying in that study were part of a non-Christian sect that doesn’t even believe God performs miracles. Her conclusion is that this study tells us nothing about the impact of authentic Christian prayer on healing. Do you agree with her? Why or why not?

  4. What is your reaction to the prayer studies Brown conducted in Mozambique and Brazil, where people with vision and hearing impairments were examined, prayed for, and then examined again—with sudden improvements frequently reported? What about the other studies she cited that showed prayer to have a positive impact? Do they seem credible to you?

  5. If you could design a new study to try to determine whether miraculous healings have taken place, what might it look like?

  6. Brown distinguishes between distant intercessory prayer and proximal intercessory prayer. Why is this important?

  Chapter 8: Dreams and Visions

  1. Do you believe that God sometimes guides people through dreams? Have you ever had a dream that you believe came from beyond yourself? Was there any outside corroboration of that belief? Describe your experience.

  2. What are some dangers of Christians focusing too much on dreams? How can they safeguard against being misled?

  3. Tom Doyle, a missionary to the Middle East, describes several examples of extraordinary dreams and visions among Muslims. Did one of his stories especially resonate with you? Why?

  4. In the Middle East, a person who is coming to faith in Christ is often asked, first, if they are willing to suffer for Jesus and, second, if they are willing to die for him. Honestly, how would you answer those questions?

  5. Lee Strobel talks about the only dream he remembers from his childhood—the appearance of an angel who told him that someday he would understand the message of grace. How do you view this experience? Miraculous? Coincidental? Why?

  6. Why do you suppose God doesn’t u
se dreams and visions to reach millions more people with the gospel?

  Chapter 9: The Astonishing Miracle of Creation

  1. Do your interests gravitate more toward science, history, the humanities, or something else? What aspect of science most intrigues you? Why? In addition to using the scientific method, what are some other ways we can determine whether something is true or not?

  2. Romans 1:20 reads, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Based on this verse, physicist Michael Strauss points out that miracles aren’t necessary for us to know there’s a God; rather, we see evidence for him more commonly through the world he has made. In your opinion, what aspects of nature point most strongly toward God’s existence? Why?

  3. Strauss says that because of the overwhelming amount of scientific data, failing to believe in the big bang would be like believing the earth is flat. How confident are you that the world began with the big bang? Do you think this event contradicts or supports the Bible’s assertion that God created everything?

  4. The kalam cosmological argument says that whatever begins to exist has a cause; the universe began to exist; and therefore the universe has a cause. How strong does this argument seem to you? Can you think of any examples of something that has a beginning but lacks a cause?

  5. Philosopher William Lane Craig says if God created the universe, then miracles like the virgin birth are mere child’s play. Do you agree? Why or why not?

  6. Strauss said, “We don’t live our lives based on obscure possibilities; we live our lives based on probabilities. Is it possible my wife poisoned my cereal this morning? Anything is possible, but not everything is probable.” How is this statement relevant to the investigation of miracle claims?

  Chapter 10: Our Miraculous Universe and Planet

  1. Atheist Christopher Hitchens conceded that the fine-tuning of the universe is the most intriguing argument Christians make for the existence of God. How strong does this evidence seem to you?