How many miracles are recorded in the book of acts?

Answer 1

A:

A hidden theme in Acts of the Apostles is a comparison between Peter and Paul, such that Peter always comes across as the more worthy apostle, so we will find quite a number of very similar miracles performed by both Peter and Paul, but in each case Peter's miracle was even more awe-inspiring and worthy than the miracle performed by Paul.

Soon after we are introduced to Peter, on the day of Pentecost, we find Peter and the other disciples touched by the Holy Spirit and they speak in every language known (Acts 2:8). Soon after we are introduced to Paul, he meets Jesus on the road to Damascus and is then led, blind and helpless, to Damascus where his blindness is cured and he is taught the gospel. The story of Paul's conversion has parallels to the ancient Greek play, the Bacchae, and is believed to have been inspired by that play.

Peter's first miraculous cure was of a man who had been lame since birth but was immediately cured by being commanded to stand and walk. Paul's first miraculous cure was improbably similar to Peter's first cure. Peter's miracle was performed in the name of Jesus, at the Temple, where the faithful saw the healed beggar praising God, and was the opportunity for some outstanding proselytising. Paul's first cure was clumsy and without apparent purpose, given that Paul did not tell the man about Jesus and he was even mistaken for a pagan god.

Peter and Paul were also capable of malevolent miracles, but Peter was to be feared more than Paul. A certain man named Ananias sold a possession and gave only some of the proceeds to Peter, who believed that the church was entitled to all the money. Peter realised the deceit immediately and Ananias fell dead. Later, Peter told Ananias' wife she would also die, because she repeated the deceit (Acts 5:1-10). In an apparent miracle, Paul blinded Elymas (Bar-jesus) the sorcerer for a season, for trying to frustrate his attempts to convert Sergius Paulus.

Peter was released from prison twice by angels, who in one case accompanied Peter from the prison. Paul was released from prison by a timely earthquake that arguably need not have been of divine origin, but chose not to make good his escape. There is another clear parallel between the story of Paul's release from prison and the Bacchae. Taken together, there is no doubt that the source of both this and the conversion account was a play, not actual events.

As we can see, many of the miracles in Acts of the Apostles serve a theological purpose, and we can even identify the inspiration for some of the accounts in Acts. There are other comparisons made in Acts between Peter and Paul, all leading to the conclusion that the author wanted Peter to be remembered as the more worthy apostle.

Answer 2

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