Firstly Paul ignored both the Jewish demand for miracles and the Greek's demand for wisdom, although saying that miracles were not within the power of Paul.

My understanding is that Jesus performed miracles precisely because they were signs to the Jews, and in ignoring such signs the Jews opened the way for the Gentiles to be joined to Israel and for their own ejection. As the Gospel of John records:


"Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

"Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,

"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."

Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him."

John 12:37-41 (ESV)

__________________
Mike
London City Presbyterian Church
London
England

"Surely, we wish to be orthodox, but we must first learn what real orthodoxy is. Surely, we wish to be progressive, but we must first have a basis to progress from."