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Recounted Wonders
✦ Public miracles were a noted aspect of Jesus’ ministries. ✦ The Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, writes in The Antiquities of the Jews: ✦ It is reasonable to assume that this reference and the numerous references in the New Testament have some basis in human events. ✦ Few consortiums in the region had the means and ability to orchestrate the documented miracles. ✦ Probably only one consortium had the means and ability to feed four and five thousand people[1] in remote areas. ✦ Rome was well versed at feeding legions in the field. ✦ One miracle directly involves and was initiated by a Roman centurion.[2] ✦ Could one man alone pull off numerous and sometimes complicated miracles? – Highly doubtful. ✦ Could such miracles be orchestrated with the backing of a powerful organization? – Yes. Some may not like this answer, but with Rome’s power and human ingenuity, such feats could have been possible. There are countless modern-day examples where thousands of people fall for orchestrated miracles. ✦ Were the people of Judea hungry for miraculous works from God (i.e. vulnerable to believing godly explanations)? – Yes. They were an oppressed people searching for deliverance from Roman occupation. It is well documented that numerous messiahs came and went during that time period. ✦ Was Rome shrewd enough to take advantage of such vulnerability? – Unmistakably, yes. |
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