Apologetics Ministries
[Apologetics Encyclopedia of Bible Verses -- get your answers here! Look up by person's name, Scripture cite, or keyword search]
[What's New!]
[Book Reviews and Bookstore]
[Donate to the Ministry]
[Challenge to Critics]
[Mission Statement]
[Contact Us]
[Why Critics of the Bible Do Not Deserve Benefit of the Doubt]

[Is Prayer for Getting Anything?]

Search
PicoSearch
Support Us

CrossDaily.com
Awesome
Christian
Sites
Click Here
Vote For
This Site

Christian Top Sites
Christian Top Sites

Print out flyers for your church or school.

Tekton Logo vertical
Get the entire Tekton site on CD or zipfile. Get a stripped-down copy of this page.

Magic, If You Can?

Does John 14:12 Grant Us Miraculous Power?
James Patrick Holding


John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Skeptics who peer at this verse ask when any believer has done a greater miracle than Jesus. As it happens, this is an interpretation of this verse that also catches many of us, in thinking that the "works" referred to are miracles. But the Greek word here (ergon) is not the usual one for miracles; in refers to toil and everyday sort of work - and without (obviously!) snubbing our Lord's earthly ministry, I think it is quite obvious that believers have done things to surpass that on earth! Take a look at how the word is used elsewhere:

Matt. 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Luke 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

The one place where ergon does refer to miracles is John 6:28: "Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Of course, the context and the "worker" is the only thing that allows us to see miracles implied here! The word itself has no such connotation.


Go Home!