pistoff,
I was not going to answer any more posts on this thread but feel compelled to answer you because of the way you are asking.
First, I would like to clear up that I am not saying at all that you or anyone else Must believe the miracles written in the gospel. I think I was quite clear that it is a faith book and you do not have to believe in it. It is your personal choice to believe what you choose. What I said was that believers trust that these accounts are true and that trust is based on our own personal faith.
Secondly, I cannot give you faith in something you do not believe and I cannot give you any of the "proof" you will need in order to believe in miracles. Even if someone can show you a miracle and you see it with your own eyes, you may still not believe it. This was the case in Jesus day even when he performed miracles and they were witnessed. The majority of people did not follow him. For a non believer, there simply is not enough proof in this world to convince you.
As far as Paul, well there is ample proof in the bible to show that he did indeed believe in the same Jesus as the gospel writers and his teachings were in harmony with those of Jesus. You need to remember that Paul was not a believer when Christ was alive on earth and did not "walk with" Jesus like the gospel writers. He was NOT an eye witness to any healings or miracles of Jesus and so it is not surprising that he did not write about them. But he did write about his supernatural conversion and how Christ called him to be his vessel to reach the gentile people. Actually to Paul this supernatural act was a miracle of Christ. It humbled Paul and forever changed him and he spent the rest of his life teaching about Jesus and preaching to the Gentiles. He in fact fulfilled his commission, he himself says Christ gave him, which was to make Christ's name great among the gentiles.
The gospel accounts were written by Jesus' inner circle of followers who personally knew him during the time he was on earth, this does not include Paul. Paul mainly wrote letters to congregations to either encourage them for work well done or admonish them for false teachings. He had a totally different function in the early church then the gospel writers. And had a different perspective on Christ. However, nowhere does he go against any teachings in the gospel. His writings are in full harmony with the rest of the bible, in particular Jesus' teachings.
Here are a few examples;
Jesus said to "not be anxious over our life and what we are to eat, drink or put on" Matthew 6:25
Paul said "not be anxious over anything, but in prayer and supplication, let your requests be known to God" Phillipians 4:6
Jesus said " I am the way, and the truth, and the life, noone comes to the father except thru me" John 14:6
Paul said "There is one mediator between God and Men, a man Christ Jesus" 1Timothy 2:5
Jesus said to "do not commit adultery or murder or steal and love our nieghbors as ourselves" Matthew 19:18
Paul said "do not murder, do not steal, do not covet and love your niegbors as yourself" Romans 13:8-10
Jesus said "the son of man will be delivered up to men, he will be killed and raised on the third day" Matthew 17:22-23
Paul said " I delivered to you what I recieved that Christ died for our sins, was buried and raised to life on the third day, according to the scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Hope this clears things up, Peace Lilly