The Gifts of Healing
12: 9b
There is not the slightest doubt that gifts of healing existed in the Messianic Community, the early Church; Paul would never have cited them unless they were real.370 It is interesting to note that gifts here is plural, pointing to the fact that Paul is speaking of categories or giftedness in which there may be great variety. The gifts of healing were the first temporary sign gifts that Paul mentions in Chapter 12. And since all these gifts were in operation then, the sign gifts are not placed in a separate category. The word healing is also plural in the Greek (iamaton), emphasizing the many kinds of afflictions that needed healing. These gifts were for Messiah (Matthew 8:16-17), the apostles (Matthew 10:1), the seventy (Luke 10:1), and some associates of the apostles such as Philip (Acts 8:5-7).
God may still heal directly and miraculously, in response to the faithful prayers of His children, when consistent with His will. But no believer has the gifts of healing today. This is obvious because no one today can heal as did Yeshua or the apostles. Those who claim they have the gifts of healing today should be able to heal just like Yeshua and the apostles did. They healed with a word or a touch (Acts 9:32-35, 28:8), they healed instantly (Acts 3:2-8), they healed totally (Acts 9:34), they were able to heal anyone (Acts 5:12-16, 28:9), they healed organic disease from birth (Acts 3:2-8, 28:8) and they raised the dead. In Acts 9:36-42 we learn that Peter brought Dorcus (Tabitha) back to life. Note especially verse 42: This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Again, we see a healing giving credence and impact to the gospel message. In Acts 20:9-12 a young man named Eutychus died in a fall; however, Paul brought him back to life. Not every believer at that time had the gifts of healing, only Messiah, the apostles, the seventy, and some associates of the apostles such as Philip. Despite all the claims being made today, no one is exhibiting these six traits in any healing ministry. If people had this gift today, why aren’t they clearing out hospital wings?
The gifts of healing, like the other sign gifts, were temporary, given to the early Messianic Community for authenticating the apostolic message as the Word of God. The Great Commission does not include a call to heal bodies, but only to heal souls through the preaching of the gospel. It is not that God became no longer interested in our physical health and well-being, or that the Church today should have no such concern. Medicine has long been blessed by God and part of ministering to others and is one of the cutting edges of modern missions. But God’s healing work, whether through medicine or a miracle, is no longer an authenticating sign. The apostles have all died. The canon of Scripture is closed. His word has been authenticated.
As did all the others with gifts of healing, Paul used it sparingly and only for its intended purpose. It was never used solely for the purpose of bringing physical health. Paul himself had an eye disease called ophthalmia (see Acts, to see link click Bo – Paul’s Message in Pisidian Antioch), yet he never healed himself nor asked a fellow gifted believer to heal him. Paul’s dear friend and fellow worker Epaphroditus had been terribly ill and would have died but for God’s intervention. Indeed, he was ill, close to death; but God had mercy on him – and not only on him, but also on me – otherwise I would have had sorrow piled on sorrow (Philippians 2:27). God miraculously healed Epaphroditus, but if the apostle had freely exercised the gifts of healing, he would not have had to make a special plea to God. When Timothy, another co-worker, had stomach trouble and other ailments, Paul did not heal him, but rather advised him to drink some wine (First Timothy 5:23). Paul left Trophimus, still another associate, sick in Miletus (Second Timothy 4:20). Thus, he did not exercise the gifts of healing except when necessary to confirm the power of the gospel, nor to make anyone healthy.371
In some circles there is much talk about the casting out of demons today. However, there is no casting out demons from believers. There are those who talk about “the demon of lust,” or “the demon of gluttony,” and so on. Demonic activity is real enough, but no demon ever inhabits any believer. In each instance in the Bible, when Yeshua (God in the flesh) is present, the demons flee in fear. The Bible also teaches us that God is light, and in Him, there is no darkness at all (First John 1:5). Therefore, with Messiah in you (Ephesians 1:10), neither Satan or his demons can be “in you.” Demons still try to influence believers, but if a believer has a problem with lust or gluttony, it is the old sin nature (see the commentary on Romans Cc – The Reality of the Inner Conflict) that is the problem, not demons living within.
God heals today. We should take our case directly to the Great Physician for the healing of any illness. He may choose to heal in order to accomplish some purpose of His and to show His glory. But He is under no obligation to heal, because He has made no blanket promise to heal during any age (Numbers 12:9-10; Deuteronomy 28:21-22; Second Kings 5:15-27; First Corinthians 11:30), and He no longer is authenticating His Word, because the completed Word is its own verification. It is extremely important, however, to understand that when the Lord chooses not to heal a faithful believer, it is not the result of a lack of faith on his or her behalf. Joni Eareckson Tada is a great example of this. We can rest assured that God will never leave us or abandon us (Hebrews 13:5).
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise you for your mighty power of healing. Amazing how you healed with only a word (Matthew 8:13), and you healed such a wide variety of diseases. Yeshua replied: Go report to John what you hear and see: the blind see and the lame walk, those with tzara’at are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised and the poor have good news proclaimed to them (Matthew 11:4-5). And Lord, I praise You, that You continue to heal today according to Your will. Thank you for your greatest act of healing when by your dying and rising from the dead, you healed from sin all who choose to love and to follow you. And by His wounds we are healed of our sins (Isaiah 53:5c). He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). We love You! In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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