Miracles & Healings
COPYRIGHT © 2012 - James M. Frye
All scripture quotations are taken
from the Authorized King James Bible. Any deviations are not intentional. All
underlines, bold and words within brackets are the author's.
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Introduction
Before we
examine what the Bible has to say about the subject of miracles and healings, I
would like to begin with a clarification. In this article, we are not
questioning whether or not God still heals. Of course God still heals. Everyone
believes that God still heals. The question we are seeking to answer is: Are
there still healers? - Not, is there still healing?
Also, we are
not questioning whether or not God can gift people with the ability to
heal today. We are questioning whether or not God is gifting people with
the ability to heal today. God can do anything He wants anytime He wants. It is
not a question of if God can do it, but is God doing it? For
example, I believe that God can part the Red Sea anytime He wants, but I
haven’t seen him do it lately. So, are there healers today? What does the Bible
have to say on this subject?
The Purpose of New Testament Miracles & Healings
The New
Testament (N.T.) records numerous miracles and healings which were performed by
Jesus and the apostles. But what was the purpose of those miracles? Did God
just decide He wanted to perform a bunch of miracles, or was there more to it
than that? According to scripture, those miracles and healings served a
specific purpose.
The Purpose of N.T. Miracles and Healings was to Confirm God’s Messengers and Their Message.
John 10:24-25 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost
thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered
them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works [miracles] that I do
in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
Matthew 9:6-7 But that
ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,
(then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take
up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
Acts 2:22 Ye men of
Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among
you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the
midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Hebrews 2:3-4 How
shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to
be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard
him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders,
and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost,
according to his own will?
Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming
the word with signs following. Amen.
John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his
disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that
ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing ye might have life through his name.
Acts 14:3 Long time
therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave
testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and
wonders to be done by their hands.
So, God wasn’t just randomly performing a bunch
of miracles and healings for no reason. Those miracles and healings served a
purpose. That purpose was to confirm that His messengers (Christ and the
apostles) were sent by God, and that their message was from God Himself. That
is why they are often referred to as “sign gifts”.
Who Performed these Miracles & Healings?
Many in our day have the mistaken notion that all
believers in the early church were performing miracles and healing people, but
that is not what scripture teaches.
Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders
and signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many
signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one
accord in Solomon's porch.
2 Corinthians 12:11-12 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to
have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs
of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and
wonders, and mighty deeds.
Notice that Paul refers to his ability to heal
and perform miracles as "the signs of an apostle". This
miracle-working power was given to the apostles to bear witness that they were
God’s messengers and that what they were teaching was from God.
Matthew 10:1-2 And when he had called unto him his twelve
disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them
out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Now the
names of the twelve apostles are these …
If every
believer had this power, then why did Jesus need to give it to the apostles?
They would have had it already. No, these abilities were given to a select few
for a specific purpose. There is not one healing performed in the entire N.T.
by anyone other than Jesus, the apostles, or those who were directly chosen by
Jesus or the apostles.
Did the Gift of Healing Pass Away?
Did the New Testament
gift of healing continue on or was it only temporary in nature? What do the
scriptures say? Let’s take a look at the life of Paul (the apostle). In the
early days of his ministry, Paul was gifted by God with a tremendous ability to
heal.
Acts 19:11-12 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that
from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the
diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
Notice that
Paul has such healing power that he didn’t even need to be present for the
healing to take place. Simply taking an apron or handkerchief that he had
touched and laying it upon a person would heal them.
But, what about later on in his ministry? Did Paul still have the ability to heal?
2 Timothy 4:20 Erastus
abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I
[Paul] left at Miletum sick.
Later on in
his ministry Paul no longer had the ability to heal. The gift of healing had
passed away, and the very same Paul who had once healed people at will - no
longer had the ability. He was instead forced to leave his friend behind
sick and travel on without him.
1 Timothy 5:23 Drink
no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often
infirmities [sicknesses].
Here we see
Paul telling Timothy to drink wine for medicinal purposes. The text also says
that Timothy was sick often. Why didn’t Paul just heal him or send a
handkerchief to lay on him? He couldn’t, because the gift of healing had passed
away. Scripture also records that Paul’s friend Epaphroditis
was sick. But Paul wasn’t able to heal him either. He instead waited to see if
God would have mercy on him and cause him to recover (Phil. 2:25-27).
So, according
to the teaching of scripture, the gift of healing had already passed away during
the early days of the church. On the next page, there is a chart which
demonstrates that passing away.
The Passing
Away of the Sign Gifts
Points of interest
1. Only the earliest list includes any sign gifts
(see bold above).
2. Tongues, which were only in the earliest list,
were to cease (1 Cor. 13:8).
3. The last reference to a sign gift was around
58 A.D. (Acts 28:9), two years before the end of the book of Acts (Acts 28:30).
4. By the time of his imprisonment (60 A.D.),
Paul could no longer heal.
5. By the time of the book of Hebrews (67-69
A.D.), the sign gifts are said to have taken place in the past (Heb. 2:3-4),
not the present.
6. Revelation & prophecy ceased with the
completion of the N.T. scriptures (1 Cor. 13:9-10, Rev. 22:18).
Biblical Healings -VS- Modern "Healings"
When we take a
look at true Biblical miracles and healings and compare them to the many “so
called” miracles and healings today, we find that they have very little in
common.
There were 5 characteristics of Biblical miracles
and healings.
1. Biblical Miracles and Healings Were Always Immediate.
Luke 5:13 And he [Jesus] put forth his hand, and touched him,
saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy
departed from him.
Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately
their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Luke 8:43-44 And a
woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living
upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched
the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Luke 13:11-13 And, behold,
there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed
together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he
called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine
infirmity. And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she
was made straight, and glorified God.
Acts 3:6-8 Then
Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give
I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took
him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his
feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and
walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and
praising God.
In Scripture, we do not see people being healed
over a period of time, or get better later on. They were healed immediately.
2. Biblical Miracles and Healings Were Always Successful.
Matthew 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him [Jesus] many that were
possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed
all that were sick:
Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from
thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Acts 5:15-16 Insomuch that they brought
forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the
least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto
Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits:
and they were healed every one.
Compare this
to modern “healing” crusades. Jesus and the Apostles didn’t send long lines of
people home in their wheel chairs.
3. Biblical Miracles and Healings Were Always Complete.
Matthew 14:35-36 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out
into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were
diseased; And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his
garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.
Matthew
8:14-15 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother
laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left
her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
When people were healed in Scripture, they didn’t
just "feel better" or go home and take it easy for a few days. They
were healed completely - 100%.
4. Biblical Miracles and Healings Were Always Permanent.
Matthew 9:21-22 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his
garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he
said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the
woman was made whole from that hour [from that hour on].
In Scripture people did not "lose their
healing" through a lack of faith. Once they were healed their symptoms
didn’t return. Jesus never told anyone to deny their symptoms for fear that
they might “lose their healing”.
5. Biblical Miracles and Healings often Involved
Re-Creation.
Luke 6:6, 10 And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and
there was a man whose right hand was withered. And looking round about
upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so:
and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Acts 3:1-2, 6-9 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of
prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's
womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which
is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; Then
Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give
I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took
him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet
and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and
entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
This man was
lame from birth and had never walked. Not only did he have bone problems, but
he would have had muscle problems as well. Have you ever seen the legs of a
person who has been in a wheel chair for a long time? They have no muscles in
them. The muscles in their legs would have to be regenerated before they could
walk.
In the Bible
days, when people wore robes, the change in this man’s calves would have been
seen immediately. Jesus also healed a man with a withered hand. His hand would
have had to have been recreated. Again, this would have been obvious to all who
were watching.
John
11:39-44 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the
sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by
this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead
four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto
thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the
stone from the place where the dead was laid. And
Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard
me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but
because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou
hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus,
come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a
napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose
him, and let him go.
Jesus and the apostles raised the dead. Jesus
raised Lazarus after he had been dead for 4 days. His body was in the process
of decomposing and even stank. These kinds of miracles couldn’t be questioned.
Why don’t we see people performing these types of miracles today? - Because
those who claim to have miracle-working power don’t actually have it. The Bible
says the following concerning the high priest and other religious leaders of
the Jews:
Acts 4:14-16 And
beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say
nothing against it. But when they had
commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed
a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in
Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
It is easy to
deny the works of the so-called healers today. They are often heard about
second hand, and the tale seems to grow with the telling. There are
researchers, many of them medical doctors, who have tried to verify these
so-called miracles. What they find without exception is exaggeration,
deception, and even outright fraud. They find absolutely no evidence that any
true miracle has actually taken place.
Compare that
with the miracles and healings of the true apostles. Their miracles were
performed out in the open for all to see. No one could deny them or speak a
word against them.
Don’t get me
wrong. I believe that God still heals today in answer to our prayers. What I’m
saying, however, is that there are no "apostles" today. There is
"healing" but there are no longer any "healers". (For more
on this see our article “Are There Apostles Today?”.)
Lying Signs & Wonders
As we have seen, the time of miracles and
healings passed away. But there is something else we need to be aware of.
Every single scripture reference to future signs,
wonders, and miracles after that time is a warning against false ones that
would take place in the latter times to deceive people.
Let’s look at some of those scriptures.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders;
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect.
Notice that these signs and wonders
are used to deceive people.
Revelation 13:13-14 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight
of men, And deceiveth them that dwell
on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do...
Again these miracles are used to deceive
people.
Revelation 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles ...
The powers behind these miracles are
devils (evil spirits).
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which
he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and
them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire
burning with brimstone.
Once again, these miracles deceive
people.
2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord
shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the
brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of
Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And
with all deceivableness...
Once again we see that Satan works
these “lying” signs and wonders in order to deceive. These signs and wonders
are lying for two reasons.
1. They are lies themselves (aren’t
true miracles and healings).
2. They bear witness to lies (false
doctrine).
Let’s look at each of these one at a
time.
1. They are lies themselves (aren’t true miracles and healings).
Earlier in a section labeled “Biblical Healings -VS- Modern ‘Healings’” we saw the stark contrast
between true Biblical miracles and the so called “miracles and healings” that
take place in our day. Case after case has been documented by researchers of
people who were supposedly healed by modern day “healers” who still had the
condition they were supposedly healed of. Some of them had even died of the
disease they were supposedly healed of before the researchers got to them.
One modern day “healer” was challenged by a
particular discernment and research ministry to provide the names of the 3 best
cases of people who had been supposedly healed at his crusades. When examined,
all three people turned out not to have been healed at all. The hosts of T.V.
programs have also exposed these “healers” and demonstrated the fact that their
so called “healings” never really took place. These facts are readily available
for anyone who desires to look into the matter.
2. They bear witness to
lies (false doctrine).
Earlier, we saw that the purpose of
true Biblical miracles and healings was to confirm that God’s messengers (Christ and the apostles) were sent by God, and
that what they were teaching was the truth from God Himself.
These lying signs and wonders do just the
opposite. They are used to back up the lies of false teachers who are deceiving
people. In our day, there are many who hold great
"healing crusades" but who teach outright heresy. Would God give
these people healing power to back up such false doctrine? No. God's true
miracles and healings were always used to bear witness to the truth (Mark
16:20; Hebrews 2:3-4; etc.).
Are we to suppose that
"all" of the supposed “miracles and healings” taking place today are
of God? If so, then where are Satan’s lying ones? As
we saw earlier, every single reference in the entire N.T. to signs, wonders and
miracles in the latter times is a warning about false ones that would deceive
people. People need to take heed.
Summary
In this article, we have learned the
following from scripture about miracles and healings.
1. The purpose of Biblical miracles
and healings was to bear witness to (confirm) the truthfulness of God’s word
being taught by Christ and the apostles. But modern day so called
“miracles and healings” bear witness to false doctrine (lies) being taught by
false teachers.
2. There is not one healing performed in the
entire N.T. by anyone other than Jesus, the apostles, or those who were
directly chosen by Jesus or the apostles. But today people are being misled
into believing that all believers can perform miracles and healings if they
will just have enough faith.
3. The gift of healing was only temporary and
passed away before the N.T. scriptures were completed.
4. Biblical miracles and healings were always
successful, immediate, complete, permanent, and often involved re-creation. But
modern day “miracles and healings” are often unsuccessful, or a process, or
incomplete, or temporary, and don’t involve re-creation.
8. Every single reference in the
entire N.T. to signs, wonders and miracles in the latter times is a warning
about false ones that would deceive people. Have you been deceived by them?
Will you believe what the scriptures
say about miracles and healings?