Does the Gift of Healing Exist
Today?
I.) The New Testament Gift of Healing Described
A.) Grace-gift (I Cor.12:9)
1.) It was a gift from God… a divine
enablement.
2.) The gift was given by God sovereignly…
as HE chose. (vs.11)
3.) It is a manifestation of the power of the HS. (supernatural
power) (vs.7)
4.) “Healing” means a genuine, complete cure - not just
temporary relief of symptoms.
B.) Authority (Matt.10:1) (exousia = authority; power)
1.) It included “power” over two areas:
a.) Satan/demons
b.) All sickness/disease
2.) The power was given freely (a grace gift). It was not given
to these men because they were good, or because they had much faith. It was
given by “grace” - without regard to human merit. (Even Judas received this
gift!)
3.) The power was also to be dispensed “freely.” (as a gift; not earned or merited; not as a reward
for exhibiting much faith)
4.) The men with this gift were able to dispense it at will.
C.) Power (Luke 9:1) (dunamis
= power or ability)
1.) God gave these men a power that no other men had. (over
demons & disease)
2.) It was not merely that they prayed and men were healed.
Rather, THEY had the power to heal.
3.) They spoke and men were healed. They touched a man and he
was healed. They did not even have to see the individual. It was a supernatural
power.
II.) How the New Testament Gift of
Healing Operated
A.) Those With the
Gift Could Heal All Who Came
1.) Matt.4:24 - Jesus healed “them” - all the sick people.
2.) Matt.12:15 - great multitudes were healed.
3.) Matt.14:14 - he healed their sick - no limits.
4.) Luke
5.) Luke 6:17-19 - virtue went out from Him and he healed them
all
6.) Luke
7.) Acts
8.) This is NOT what we see today in charismatic circles.
·
We see men
leaving still in their wheelchairs; heads still bald from chemotherapy;
children stumbling out on crutches; the blind leaving with their canes…
·
Not only do
they leave still sick & maimed, but they leave disillusioned, and
brokenhearted, thinking that they are somehow displeasing to God and that they
do not trust God.
B.) Those With the
Gift Healed ALL Kinds of Sickness and Disease
1.) Matt.4:24
a.) “Sick people” = including organic diseases; leprosy;
cancers; etc.
b.) “Diseases” = body infirmity: this would include any kind of
infirmity and body parts - such as withered hands and legs; missing limbs;
broken bones; MS.
c.)
Possessed with
devils - demon possession & any associated sicknesses. (not all are!!!)
2.) Matt.9:35 - every sickness
and every disease
3.) Matt.10:1 - ALL manner of sickness and disease…
4.) What we do NOT see at healing services today…
·
Withered hands
restored…
·
Broken bones
healed…
·
A man born
lame, whose legs are withered leaping up & running…
·
Missing limbs
appear…
·
A corpse that
was badly decomposed rises to life!
5.) What we DO see at healing services today…
·
Headaches;
backaches; arthritis pain ceases; wheelchair patients take a few weak steps
across a platform (could they before???); symptoms temporarily disappear…
C.) Those With the
Gift Healed Everywhere (Luke 9:6)
1.) Healing took place in the city, in homes, in the wilderness,
etc.
2.) In the charismatic movement, we see healings taking place in
carefully staged settings & environments controlled by the “healer”.
·
Loud,
emotion-stirring music… lights…
·
An atmosphere
filled with excitement and expectation… (hype?)
·
Carefully
selected “patients”…
D.) Those Healed
Were Completely Cured
1.) Matt.14:35-36 - made perfectly whole
2.) Acts 3:6-8 – from completely crippled to leaping…
3.) Luke
E.) Their Healing
Was Immediate
1.) Luke
2.) Matthew
3.) Today we hear reports of men “feeling much better”, men
rising from a wheelchair to take a few weak steps… That is not an immediate cure or a complete
cure.
F.) Their Healings
Were Undeniable
1.) Acts
2.) Those skeptics would love nothing better than to be able to
discredit the healing as a fake, but they could not.
3.) The healings were well documented… irrefutable… with many
witnesses… proof!
4.) Today we have lots of “claims” of healing… but proof is lacking. There is good reason
to doubt that genuine healing takes place today! (Dr. Nolan wrote on Kathryn Khulmann)
G.)
Faith Was Not Always Required
1.) Luke
2.) But if a man had the gift of healing, that was not always
necessary.
a.) Matt.4:24 - multitudes were healed… most did not have
genuine faith. (Jn.6:66)
b.) Mark 6:5-6 - Jesus healed them, and then marveled at their
unbelief! His teaching ministry was
discontinued because of their unbelief. BUT He still healed a few sick people…
and marveled at their unbelief.
c.)
Matt.8:14-15 -
Peter’s mother was unconscious. Did she express her faith that God would heal
her?
d.) What about Lazarus or the widow’s son? Were they raised because they was trusting in the Lord to do so? In the “afterlife” faith & hope are done
away!
3.) Matt.17:14-21 -
·
The child was
not healed. But it was not because of a lack of faith on the part of the child.
·
It was because
of a lack of faith on the part of the “healers”!!! (vs.20 - because of YOUR unbelief!)
4.) Sometimes God healed a person, not because the person healed
had faith, but because of the faith of a third party!
·
Matt:8:5-13 - the centurion’s servant was healed because of the
faith of the centurion.
·
Luke 8:49-56 -
The daughter was healed because her father had faith.
5.) Sometimes the gift of healing was used on unbelieving
pagans!
·
Acts 28:8-9 - Publius and other pagans were healed… even though they
thought that Paul was a god! (vs.6)
·
II Kings
I.) Who Had the Gift of Healing?
A.) Four
Categories
1.
Christ
(Matt.4:23; 8:16-17)
2.
The 12
apostles (Matt.10:1)
3.
The 70
disciples (Luke 10:1,9)
4.
Apostolic
associates (Acts 8:5-7 - Philip)
B.) Notes
1.
There are no
accounts in the New Testament of anyone else having the power to heal other
than apostles & apostolic assistants.
2.
II Cor.12:12 -
Paul referred to these miraculous gifts as “signs of an apostle.” This
power was not given out randomly, but was reserved for the apostles &
assistants.
3.
Those given
the Biblical gift had POWER to heal… not just to pray.
·
Today faith
healers say they don’t have any power to heal, but that God heals through them.
·
It sound
pious, but that is not the same as the NT gift of healing.
·
It also gives
them a safe “out” if it doesn’t work!
IV.) THE PURPOSE OF
HEALING: to Authenticate a Message & Its Messenger
A.) The Ministry of Moses
1.) Ex.6:28-29 - How shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?
·
Ex.7:1-5 - You
speak, and “I” will show signs and wonders.
·
As a result
the Egyptians shall know that God is Lord! (vs.5)
2.) Ex.7:8-12 - Rods became serpents…
3.) Ex.7:17;
·
Moses could
create human suffering & cause it to cease.
·
It was a
supernatural sign from God.
.