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Questions Christians Ask
Do Miracles Happen Today?: And Other Questions about Signs, Wonders and Mighty Works
An engaging and accessible guide to the Bible’s teaching on miracles and whether they happen today.
Lots of extraordinary stuff happens in the Bible. People walk on water. People touch handkerchiefs and are healed. People disappear into the sky. Did these really happen? What was their purpose? And do miracles happen today?
In this warm and accessible book, Tim Chester looks at the Bible’s view of the existence and purpose of miracles and gives a careful and balanced view on whether healings and other miraculous things happen today.
It will help Christians to explore these questions and others regarding miracles, signs, and wonders, and know how to pray.
Includes additional answers
Why did Jesus tell people not to tell others about his miracles?
How should I respond when I hear a claim that a miracle has happened?
Should we hold healing services?
What can I say to a child about praying for healing?
Questions Christians Ask are short, readable books which clearly explain how the Bible answers the tough questions Christians are asking.
Lots of extraordinary stuff happens in the Bible. People walk on water. People touch handkerchiefs and are healed. People disappear into the sky. Did these really happen? What was their purpose? And do miracles happen today?
In this warm and accessible book, Tim Chester looks at the Bible’s view of the existence and purpose of miracles and gives a careful and balanced view on whether healings and other miraculous things happen today.
It will help Christians to explore these questions and others regarding miracles, signs, and wonders, and know how to pray.
Includes additional answers
Why did Jesus tell people not to tell others about his miracles?
How should I respond when I hear a claim that a miracle has happened?
Should we hold healing services?
What can I say to a child about praying for healing?
Questions Christians Ask are short, readable books which clearly explain how the Bible answers the tough questions Christians are asking.
- GenresTheology
96 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2020
About the author
Tim Chester
161 books188 followersDr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 24, 2024
A short book packed with biblically sound reasoning to answer the title of the book. Tim also addresses other questions but doesn't dive into detail given the short length of 90 pages
May 23, 2021
completion note: These little books are just so handy. By all accounts I should have some of those topics "down" already, but I've realised that this actually isn't a helpful way to think. Refreshers are a good thing to have on hand.
★★★★☆ | 4.00 stars | RTC
★★★★☆ | 4.00 stars | RTC
March 11, 2020
Such a small book for such a big question. Do Miracles Happen Today? In a palm-sized book of about ninety pages, Tim Chester—pastor of Grace Church in Boroughbridge, UK—provides a brief apologetic for the presence of miracles.
I suppose that’s giving away the book’s final conclusion. Yes, miracles do happen today. In a world that’s virtually committed to a presupposition of antisupernaturialism, that’s a bold statement. Particularly in the UK, belief in the supernatural is lacking at best and even those within Christianity are a bit loathe to profess belief in miracles.
Within this initial question, Chester nests several other questions, which he takes in turn.
Did miracles happen then?
Do miracles happen today?
Why are there fewer miracles today?
What are the greater miracles Jesus promised?
Can I pray for a miracle?
You can see the logical progression. The divide between Christianity and secularists is the existence of miracles. The divide between parts of Christianity—namely, cessationists and continuationists—is whether or not those spiritual gifts have continued or ceased. But even those who believe in the continuation of miracles must admit that there appear to be fewer miracles today than as seen in Scripture.
Chester strikes a balance between believing in miracles and expecting miracles. He recognizes their existence, but doesn’t see them as normative or usual. On the spectrum from miracles don’t exist to believing in healing services, Chester finds himself about in the middle.
Due to the size and nature of the book, the content is basic and foundational. Because of that, there are times when its portrayal of the opposition’s argument is lacking in nuance. Not many would reduce a belief in the absence of miracles to Hume’s tautism where miracles by definition cannot exist (Nature is fact; miracles are against nature; QED, no miracles). Nor would many use the phrase “We cannot let a Divine Foot in the door” as they quote former genetics professor Richard Lewontin. In other words, Do Miracles Happen Today? occasionally self-selects the weakest presentation of the opposition’s argument instead of dealing with better and more recent scholarship.
Chester’s assertion that there are fewer miracles today than in the ancient world is also suspect. I’m not sure I would say so. My friends who minister in areas where the supernatural is taken for granted still experience these types of miracles. The question (as my friend Nik Ripken likes to ask) is whether the greater miracle is God’s supernatural provision of healing or a society in which doctors and healthcare are accessible. This limitation on miracles takes a decidedly Western stance that doesn’t ring true to a majority of the world’s believers across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Do Miracles Happen Today? was intended to start conversations. While I don’t think Chester does so perfectly—and some of this is doctrinal difference and some of this is his space constraints—he does bring up important questions. He does well in shying away from sensationalism and the faux-healers of the Word of Faith and other fringe movements. But overall, I thought the book could have been better argued. It would be an easy book for critics to discount.
I suppose that’s giving away the book’s final conclusion. Yes, miracles do happen today. In a world that’s virtually committed to a presupposition of antisupernaturialism, that’s a bold statement. Particularly in the UK, belief in the supernatural is lacking at best and even those within Christianity are a bit loathe to profess belief in miracles.
Within this initial question, Chester nests several other questions, which he takes in turn.
Did miracles happen then?
Do miracles happen today?
Why are there fewer miracles today?
What are the greater miracles Jesus promised?
Can I pray for a miracle?
You can see the logical progression. The divide between Christianity and secularists is the existence of miracles. The divide between parts of Christianity—namely, cessationists and continuationists—is whether or not those spiritual gifts have continued or ceased. But even those who believe in the continuation of miracles must admit that there appear to be fewer miracles today than as seen in Scripture.
Chester strikes a balance between believing in miracles and expecting miracles. He recognizes their existence, but doesn’t see them as normative or usual. On the spectrum from miracles don’t exist to believing in healing services, Chester finds himself about in the middle.
Due to the size and nature of the book, the content is basic and foundational. Because of that, there are times when its portrayal of the opposition’s argument is lacking in nuance. Not many would reduce a belief in the absence of miracles to Hume’s tautism where miracles by definition cannot exist (Nature is fact; miracles are against nature; QED, no miracles). Nor would many use the phrase “We cannot let a Divine Foot in the door” as they quote former genetics professor Richard Lewontin. In other words, Do Miracles Happen Today? occasionally self-selects the weakest presentation of the opposition’s argument instead of dealing with better and more recent scholarship.
Chester’s assertion that there are fewer miracles today than in the ancient world is also suspect. I’m not sure I would say so. My friends who minister in areas where the supernatural is taken for granted still experience these types of miracles. The question (as my friend Nik Ripken likes to ask) is whether the greater miracle is God’s supernatural provision of healing or a society in which doctors and healthcare are accessible. This limitation on miracles takes a decidedly Western stance that doesn’t ring true to a majority of the world’s believers across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Do Miracles Happen Today? was intended to start conversations. While I don’t think Chester does so perfectly—and some of this is doctrinal difference and some of this is his space constraints—he does bring up important questions. He does well in shying away from sensationalism and the faux-healers of the Word of Faith and other fringe movements. But overall, I thought the book could have been better argued. It would be an easy book for critics to discount.
October 10, 2021
This is the third title in the 'Questions Christians ask' by thegoodbook company. These books are designed to help enquirers to begin to formulate Biblical perspectives and answers to perplexing issues. The topic of this volume is, 'Do Miracles Happen Today?'
The contents of this 92-page book are adequate to provide a biblical outline for understanding Biblical miracles and the challenges of our current materialistic worldview on understanding Biblical miracles, and whether or not miracles happen today.
It is impossible in such a small encompass to fully deal with all the questions around miracles, but Tim Chester makes a valiant attempt to focus on the most important issues.
The final four paragraphs of his little book ably summarise his conclusions;
"... miracles are designed to reveal God's glory and save his people. But now the revelation of God is complete in Christ and the Bible. And the salvation of God is also complete in the cross and resurrection.
"So where does that leave us? Can we pray for a miracle? Yes, we can. Can the Lord answer that prayer in a miraculous way? Yes, he can. But should we expect him to do so? Probably not. And can we demand that he do so? Certainly never. Miracles are possible but not probable. The Lord can and does still perform miracles today, but that is not the normal way of working.
"The New Testament miracles pointed to the truth about the Lord Jesus, our Saviour. Many of those miracles were seen by eye-witnesses who wrote them down for us so that they point us to the truth about Jesus too. We don't need further miracles - everything we need in order to know who Jesus is and why he came is already revealed in Scripture (Hebrews 1:1-3).
"Of course, sometimes the Lord does something miraculous anyway, and we can rejoice in his kindness when he does. But his ultimate kindness has already been shown in the coming of his Son. And we will experience the ultimate healing when we join him in the new creation."
I consider this a sufficient summary of this wee book!
The contents of this 92-page book are adequate to provide a biblical outline for understanding Biblical miracles and the challenges of our current materialistic worldview on understanding Biblical miracles, and whether or not miracles happen today.
It is impossible in such a small encompass to fully deal with all the questions around miracles, but Tim Chester makes a valiant attempt to focus on the most important issues.
The final four paragraphs of his little book ably summarise his conclusions;
"... miracles are designed to reveal God's glory and save his people. But now the revelation of God is complete in Christ and the Bible. And the salvation of God is also complete in the cross and resurrection.
"So where does that leave us? Can we pray for a miracle? Yes, we can. Can the Lord answer that prayer in a miraculous way? Yes, he can. But should we expect him to do so? Probably not. And can we demand that he do so? Certainly never. Miracles are possible but not probable. The Lord can and does still perform miracles today, but that is not the normal way of working.
"The New Testament miracles pointed to the truth about the Lord Jesus, our Saviour. Many of those miracles were seen by eye-witnesses who wrote them down for us so that they point us to the truth about Jesus too. We don't need further miracles - everything we need in order to know who Jesus is and why he came is already revealed in Scripture (Hebrews 1:1-3).
"Of course, sometimes the Lord does something miraculous anyway, and we can rejoice in his kindness when he does. But his ultimate kindness has already been shown in the coming of his Son. And we will experience the ultimate healing when we join him in the new creation."
I consider this a sufficient summary of this wee book!
July 3, 2020
I cannot recommend this book enough. It is warm, biblically rich, and concise. Chester manages to bring beautiful clarity to a complex issue in a mere 90 pages. Every human should read this lovely book!
July 6, 2022
Chester tends to side-step directly dealing with pentecostal and charismatic theologies of the miraculous. I realize this was probably outside the scope of this small book- a book which was not of bad quality by any means- but I was a bit disappointed in the end.
September 24, 2020
One of the excellent books in this series...worth the read even if only for chapters 1and 2
October 14, 2020
A really helpful little book that asnwers the questions faithfully from Scripture. Highly recommended.
March 21, 2022
What a wonderful explanation and reaffirmation!
Listened using Chirpbooks.com.
Listened using Chirpbooks.com.
December 19, 2023
Very helpful and logical to follow through. Challenges what we think miracles are and how we can better expect them to work.
January 15, 2021
Excellent, biblical, and balance. I listened to the audio version. I think I will revisit this one in print.
August 31, 2020
This is very good!
A very thoughtful and gospel-centered approach to this subject. Short enough to read in one day, but full of direct Scriptural wisdom that counter balances what you hear in some christian circles. This helps me in dealing with some young immature christian friends who tend toward the name it and claim direction. I am praying this will help me approach conversations with sound scriptural insight.
A very thoughtful and gospel-centered approach to this subject. Short enough to read in one day, but full of direct Scriptural wisdom that counter balances what you hear in some christian circles. This helps me in dealing with some young immature christian friends who tend toward the name it and claim direction. I am praying this will help me approach conversations with sound scriptural insight.
January 3, 2021
A very good, but concise account of what the Bible teaches.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews