@vivify saidOf course not. Not everything that is Christianity is in the Bible. The Bible is a snapshot, frozen in time at the 4th c. Christianity moves on from that. Ecumenical Councils are the medium whereby the Holy Spirit continues to reveal the meaning of God's message for man.
"the Church declared this to be official doctrine some centuries ago"
Are there any Biblical texts to support this doctrine?
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@vivify saidGod is most pleased that the world believe not because of spectacular miraculous events only. He wants the testimony of changed lives, transformed people, renewed souls conformed to the image of His Son, would be the main testifying factor.
Jesus performed miracles in front of crowds of people, the Apostles performed miracles in front non-believes, and even Old Testament figures like Elijah performed miracles in front of non-believers.
So why aren't there miracles today?
Yes, I know there are "testimonies" of miracles; but why aren't they being performed in front of non-believers like in Biblical times?
Christ could have grandstanded before all the Pharisees, scribes, priests and lawyers to make a spectacular confirmation. He did not.
Rather He appeared to some of His lovers and began to transform their lives. These transformed people becoming more and more LIKE Himself was the greatest witness to His teaching that God desired for verification.
Outward miracles may be spectacular. But they may not change the man one little bit. Sensational manifestations of God's power have their place. But Jesus said "By their fruits you will know them".
Many of us Christians are not anti-miracles.
But neither are we prone to be so impressed with them that the sanctification and transformation of our souls into Christ's likeness takes a back seat to sensationalism.
It is a miracle enough that Jesus can get into your heart and conform you to His image over a life span such that you testify to God's power to transform people.
"And the Lord [Jesus] is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, and being TRANSFORMED into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit." (2 Cor. 3:17,18)
This is about "metabolism" and a metabolic transformation of the soul by spending time in the presence of the Holy Spirit which is Jesus Christ in another form.
Again:
"And no not be fashioned according to this age, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of the mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and well pleasing and perfect." (Rom. 12:2)
Transformed and sanctified lives and building up together in love is the chief confirmation God wants to manifest to vindicate His Son's work and words.
@sonship saidJesus still performed many miracles, even in front of Pharisees.
God is most pleased that the world believe not because of spectacular miraculous events only. He wants the testimony of changed lives, transformed people, renewed souls conformed to the image of His Son, would be the main testifying factor.
Christ could have grandstanded before all the Pharisees, scribes, priests and lawyers to make a spectacular confirmation. He did n ...[text shortened]... ations of God's power have their place. But Jesus said "By their fruits you will know them".
@vivify
Yes He did perform signs before even His critics.
And He had some of the apostles perform signs in the book of Acts as well.
I wondered why He did not give a large scale grandstanding confirmation that He had raised from the death of crucifixion. He seemed more interested that the proof was the cowardly lives of the disciples were transformed to be bold witnesses to it.
Actually, Jesus getting into your personality and transforming your life and behavior is quite a witness to the truth of the Gospel to friends and family around you.
This does have its supernatural aspect to it - transformation.
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@sonship saidAn empty tomb where a giant stone blocking it was rolled away, while being guarded by Roman soldiers, would be grandstanding, wouldn't it? Jesus ascending into the sky where potentially thousands could've seen a man flying would also be grandstanding, wouldn't it?
I wondered why He did not give a large scale grandstanding confirmation that He had raised from the death of crucifixion.
When Elijah called down fire from the sky to prove the god of the Bible was real, wouldn't that be grandstanding? Wouldn't ten consecutive plagues on the entire nation of Egypt also be grandstanding? Wouldn't Moses' staff turning into a serpent to prove his god was real, in front of the Pharaoh in his court, and then eating all the other serpents around it, be grandstanding?
There has been lots of grandstanding in the Bible with the specific intent of proving God or Jesus' authenticity. So why not now?
When Jesus comes back with an entire army of angels on a flaming chariot or whatever, won't that be grandstanding? The Bible makes it clear that God/Jesus have no problem with showy displays of power.
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@vivify saidSmaller miracles are not ruled out, even now. The five criteria required for sainthood specify at least two attested miracles (miraculous healings, for example):
An empty tomb where a giant stone blocking it was rolled away, while being guarded by Roman soldiers, would be grandstanding, wouldn't it? Jesus ascending into the sky where potentially thousands could've seen a man flying would also be grandstanding, wouldn't it?
When Elijah called down fire from the sky to prove the god of the Bible was real, wouldn't that be grandstan ...[text shortened]... randstanding? The Bible makes it clear that God/Jesus have no problem with showy displays of power.
"A martyr may be beatified and declared "Blessed" by virtue of martyrdom itself. Otherwise, the candidate must be credited with a miracle. In verifying the miracle, the Church looks at whether God truly performed a miracle and whether the miracle was in response to the intercession of the candidate saint. " quoted from ->
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-process-of-becoming-a-saint.html
Grandstanding miracles were required for grander claims, for example, that Yahweh was the one true God, or that Jesus was that God incarnate.
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An empty tomb where a giant stone blocking it was rolled away, while being guarded by Roman soldiers, would be grandstanding, wouldn't it?
It was surely decisive. But only a few were witnesses.
They were paid to lie about it and say the body was stolen.
I think grandstanding would have been that the rolled away stone had been audienced by thousands of people that first day of the week. God saw fit that the witnesses of this was limited.
I would add though that some universal manifestation of God's power will preceded Christ's descent to stand again on the planet in the Holy Land. Revelation is clear about that.
Jesus ascending into the sky where potentially thousands could've seen a man flying would also be grandstanding, wouldn't it?
I am not sure how many witnessed His public ascension.
Notice that of the thousands that Jesus healed and spoke to and cast demons from etc. ONLY 120 were faithful enough to be in the upper room awaiting the Holy Spirit.
Isn't there something to God seeking quality sometimes over quantity?
When Elijah called down fire from the sky to prove the god of the Bible was real, wouldn't that be grandstanding?
I do love a Bible reading man. Notice though, immediately after this quite dramatic vindication display of God's supernatural power, poor Elijah was terrified that a little woman by the name of Jezebeel swore to have his head on a plate in 24 hours.
I very much appreciate you pointing to this grandstanding of Elijah which God stood by. But apparently a little evil woman, Queen Jezebeel immediately struck terror in Elijah's heart with a threat.
When you read the bible, read carefully and think about why certain things follow other things. For all Elijah's dramatic grandstanding he STILL could not overcome the terror of one little evil woman who promised to remove his head by the same time the next day.
Elijah the mighty supernatural prophet arose and ran for his life ! Then the mighty prophet went and hid in a cave feeling very sorry for himself. Right?
God had to show him that He was not only in earthquakes and windstorms and fire but in the still small voice of the human conscience.
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Wouldn't ten consecutive plagues on the entire nation of Egypt also be grandstanding?
Yes. And I so much love a Bible reading person.
Grandstanding indeed that was.
Now notice how SOON the people forgot about all this and wanted to stone Moses because they couldn't find water to drink in the wilderness.
Point being that it soon wore off - as far as God on their INSIDES is concerned. Am I right? "Hey Moses! What do you expect us to DRINK ?? Why did you take us out of Egypt?"
Don't you think there is some POINT to Exodus telling the history this way?
God wanted to gain their INSIDES.
Miracles remained dramatic proof OUTWARDLY. But God so much more wanted their INWARD being.
God dramatically rested on Mt. Sinai for 40 days in un-mistakenly supernatural manifestations. Yet it did not stop the Israelites from wanting to make a golden calf and stone Aaron and Moses and return to Egypt in spite of these.
Yes, God did grandstand sometimes. Notice that too often the people's hearts were not really affected.
Wouldn't Moses' staff turning into a serpent to prove his god was real, in front of the Pharaoh in his court, and then eating all the other serpents around it, be grandstanding?
Again, I agree.
Why did the people doubt to want to replace Moses and return to the "iron furnace" of their oppressors? In spite of the mighty, mighty miracles God still had the job of gaining their quickly unbelieving and rebellious hearts in the innermost way.
Read Exodus one more time with this in view.
There has been lots of grandstanding in the Bible with the specific intent of proving God or Jesus' authenticity. So why not now?
When Jesus comes back with an entire army of angels on a flaming chariot or whatever, won't that be grandstanding? The Bible makes it clear that God/Jesus have no problem with showy displays of power.
And we Christians have the opportunity to be WITH Him when He does these things. IF . . . IF . . . He can gain completely the hearts of some who overcome.
That will be a reward to them to participate in this grandstanding in His second coming.
"These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and they who are with Him,
the CALLED and CHOSEN and FAITHFUL, will overcome them (Rev. 17:14, RcV)
Along with the victorious Christ will be those so rewarded.
They were chosen.
They were called.
And to this they added something - they were FAITHFUL.
These FAITHFUL ones who have had their inside persons saturated with the Spirit of Christ will accompany Him on this dramatic vanquishing of His foes in a grandstanding manner.