Miracles in the History of Christianity

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Miracles in the History of Christianity

Throughout the history of Christianity, miracles have shaped the way Christians think about God, respond to trials, and reach out to people who do not believe in Him. The biblical account of miracles reveals that Christ performed numerous powerful deeds.

During Jesus’ time, healing was a major part of his ministry. He told his disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. In addition, many miracles surrounded the ministries of Elijah, Elisha, and Moses.

While the first century church did not record the time when miracles stopped, they were generally not very common. After the conversion of Constantine in 312 AD, healing drifted to the margins of the church. Nevertheless, Christians continued to work miracles. Especially effective healing means were sacraments, such as the Eucharist.

Among the miracles that surrounded the ministries of Paul and Peter were the healing of Epaphroditus and Trophimus. These two men were sick when 2 Corinthians 12:5, 7-10, and Philippians 2:25-27, respectively.

These two miracles also gave rise to the term “second blessing”, which is a synonym for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The infilling of the Holy Spirit brings freedom from the power of sin and pollution of sin.

As Christianity expanded throughout the world, the number of new converts skyrocketed. In fact, the church added about half a million new members every generation for three centuries. During this period, some Christians believed that sickness was demonic and others believed that a person could have a “new birth” experience of forgiveness from sin.