1. 1 Cor. 12:9, 28,30:
A. charisma- plural
B. iama - genitive p1. neuter noun - healings
C. indicates many healing opportunities.
2. Ability to heal the sick through Divine power. Traced
through Acts -
A. 3.1-16; 4.29-30; 5.12-16; 6.8-10; 9.32-41;
14.1-3; 14.8-10; 19.11-12; 28.8-9
B. Summary:
1. All who came were healed
2. No faith required to be healed
3. Sometimes the healer had no control of his power.
4. No failures recorded.
3. Healing was a tool of evangelism to bring attention
to the message of the gospel. Heb. 2:3-4; Rom. 15:18-19; Acts 14:3
A. It was used for unbelievers to focus them on the message
of the gospel for the new dispensation. Ie, Messiah has come.
B. It was used for Jews of the Old Testament age to focus
their attention on the fact of Messiah's arrival and sin sacrifice.
C. It was not used for believers who had already accepted
the authority and teaching of the Apostles.
Principle of 1 Cor. 14:22
4. As the reality of new dispensation truth was being
established, the sign of healings was slowly being discontinued. After
60 AD there was very little healing done through the gift - if any.
A. Principle of Heb. 2:4 (c. 67 AD)
B. Neither signs, wonders, miracles or healings are mentioned
in any letter written after 60 AD except Acts and Heb. 2:4.
C. After 60 AD several instances where healing could have
occurred but did not.
1. Epaphroditus: Phil. 2:25-27, He was sick for awhile
but recovered through God's grace, not because of the gift of healing.
2. Timothy: 1 Tim. 5:23, a continual sickness with him.
3. Trophimus left at Miletus: 2 Tim. 4:20
4. The incident in Acts 28:8-9 occurs in 60 AD and is
the last recorded incident of healing.
5. Even in Acts 28:30-31, during Paul's 1st Roman imprisonment,
teaching is mentioned but no healing signs or miracles as had consistently
been mentioned by Luke of Paul's ministry.
6. Also in Acts 28:23-24 there were no miracles.
7. James 5:14-16, does not recognize the use of the gift
of healings within the local church context and it was written about 45
AD.
5. So, the gifts of healings were temporary and were designed
only for the early church period. God can still heal anytime he chooses,
but not through any gift of healing in man.
6. What occurs today in the so-called "healing movement,"
is a possibility of four things.
A. hoax: Rom. 16:17-18; 1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 3:13; Titus
1:10-11
B. Emotion affect: operation adrenalin
C. psychosomatic: operation illusion
D. Satanic: 2 Thes. 2:7-12
E. The possibility of non-genuine miracle activity is
indicated at Matthew 7:22-23
7. There is no indication that this gift was not available
to both men and women.
8. The issue of healing in the atonement:
There is an argument today that demands healing for all believers because
Christ carried all diseases on the cross. This is false and evil and takes
eyes off the truth of the Word.
A. It is based on Is. 53:4a:
B. The big question is when is this fulfilled?
Mt. 8:16-17 tells us that it was during the ministry of Christ and not
on the cross.
C. Old Testament prophecies are quoted in the Gospel at
the time of the fulfillment. So it is with Mt. 8:16-17
Examples in Matthew -
1.21-23; 2.14-15; 2.16-18; 2.22-23; 4.13-15; 12.15-18;
13.34-35; 21.2-5; 26.53-56; 27.7-10; 27.35
D. There was no healing for Paul,
Epaphroditus, Timothy
or Trophimus.
Were their sicknesses not carried on the cross?
E. Comments on Isaiah 53:5, "by his stripes we are
healed."
The word means to be mended or drawn together. The idea is not physical
healing, but the joining together of two opposing parties;
ie, God and man. This is talking about the doctrine of reconciliation,
the "spiritual" healing that is accomplished when a person trusts
in Christ as Savior.
9. An objective investigation of the current phenomena
with a balanced understanding of the Word of God will expose today's evil
counterfeit for what it really is.
This counterfeit activity abuses the emotions and weaknesses
of people in all walks of life to gain money or approbation or power. It
is not from God and in absolutely no way does it bring honor or glory to
Him.
