Machen Chapter 5

Christ

In this chapter, Machen talked about the fact that before the Bible can really be discussed, or “considered”, we must think about the Person who the message is really about. He explains that the attitude towards Jesus is shown throughout the New Testament. Machen talks at the end of the chapter about the natural and supernatural acts of Jesus that He passed along to Paul and the epistles. His definition of the differences between natural and supernatural struck me. He says on page 85, 

“The distinction between the natural and the supernatural, in other words, is simply the distinction between God’s works of providence and Gods work of creation; a miracle is a work of creation just as truly as the mysterious act which produced the world” 

I found this to be really interesting because, while I knew in the back of my mind the difference between natural and supernatural, I really never thought deeply about them. Machen’s argument that a miracle is a work of creation sort of blew my mind. A miracle is a work of creation because God created miracles. God created these miracles for a purpose. From my understanding of Machen’s argument, he supernatural acts of a miracle are intertwined with being natural, because miracles were intended to accomplish something natural. It is hard to know where the natural act ends, and the supernatural act begins within a miracle. While I have experienced a miracle happen (witnessing people being healed), I can’t say I could distinctly tell when the supernatural began. The best I can say is that I know it happens, because it is “unnatural” for one to be blind and suddenly see, or lame and suddenly walk, deaf and suddenly hear.  

Another example of this supernatural act that God intended to accomplish something natural would be the “natural” concept that Jesus gave his life for the life of others and their sins, and he supernaturally rose again. His desire was to make “naturally” create a way that people could have a personal relationship with God and be in communion with him. Sadly, many of us today do not take this truth and live it out. God sent this person just for me to be in communion with Him. While I love this truth, it is easy to not see the value in it. We have the ability to be a vessel for God and utilize the natural and the supernatural gifts that He has given to us through Christ’s natural act of dying for us, and supernatural act of rising again. In other words, all of these gifts are intertwined, and given to us as gifts from our Father. How could we not take that seriously? As it was stated in the beginning of this chapter, it is so much easier to understand the rest of the Bible when we understand the gospel. This concept of natural and supernatural acts would not be in existence without Christ.