Miracle claims in other religions are completely compatible with the biblical text. Nowhere in the Bible does it show that God only worked exclusively with His elect. Both Testaments show miracles performed by God and Jesus on the faithful and unfaithful alike; i.e. Numbers 22:28, Balaam (Non-Israelite), and the Donkey. Jesus did not just heal those who believed but used miracles to validate his divinity. This is undergirded by an important scripture in the New Testament: “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45 ESV).1 I find this to be the most compelling argument for a miracle in other religions. I find no reason to see why God would not work within their worldview to accomplish His divine will.
I might split with the authors concerning source material. I feel too much apologetics haggles over this issue, and it might do more harm than good. A major issue arises in the subject of borrowing. Many have used identical stories in other religions as a reason to disbelieve all the stories. The author rightly proclaims: “Superficial similarities between Jesus and other ancient persons do not show that the major miracles surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus arose as Christians adapted other ancient stories. While we may uncover some cases where one religion likely appropriates material from another, we should not conclude too quickly that superficial similarities between miracle stories demonstrate borrowing.”2 This is true however, I think debating source material on the grounds of veracity is the wrong approach. The correct way to view the Bible is a polemic of truth. While various ancient civilizations have their flood accounts, the Bible shows the true flood account, because the one true living God designed it. Likewise, other miracles, however similar to the biblical text, are lesser accounts of what real miracles look like, following the one true God. I would welcome other miracle sources with open arms and dispute them on grounds of purpose and consistency.
The issue is more complex when other religions deal with miracle workers. I actually see more of this within sects of Christianity, particularly Pentecostalism or other offshoots of the charismatic movement. Either one, the best solution is to bring up the purpose and character of Jesus Christ and how he worked miracles. This is in lockstep with the Apostolic age, where other miracles were in abundance. “Jesus neither catered to his audience nor lusted for the attention of the crowds (see Jn 6:60-71). He differed from Simon the Magician, whom the apostles strongly condemned for trying to buy the Holy Spirit’s power to perform flashier tricks (Acts 8:9-24).”3 The purpose of miracles was not to heal (although that was a great by-product), the purpose of miracles was to show the true divinity of the one true God, and that pointed to obedience which brought about repentance and salvation. Both Testaments of the Bible carry the same motifs.
Footnotes:
1 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture is taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.
2 R. Douglas Geivett and Gary R. Habermas, eds., In Defense of Miracles A Comprehensive Case for God’s Action in History (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), 208.
3 Ibid, 206.
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