Chapter 4 -
Is it the will of God to heal?
When searching for healing,
one of the most important things to ask is: Is it the will of God to heal? In
other words, is it His will to heal also today as it was before, in the days of
Jesus and the Apostles? If we are uncertain, it is quite impossible to expect
healing. It is impossible to expect healing, because our faith do not have any
reliable foundation. Neither is the prayer of faith that James mentions in his
letter possible if we are uncertain.
- (Jam 1:6-8) But when
he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7. That man should not think
he will receive anything from the Lord;
8. He is a double-minded man,
unstable in all he does.
- (Jam 5:14,15) Is any one of
you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint
him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15. And the prayer
offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
The same issue is described
in the next quotes. They show how there is no trustworthy and solid foundation
for faith if we are unsure of the will of God to heal. Then we cannot expect
the blessing of God:
Until you are completely
convinced that it is God’s will for you to be healthy, you will always doubt in
your mind as to whether you will be healed or not. As long as you doubt in your
mind, you cannot have total faith and you will perhaps never be healed until
you use your faith without doubt. (…)
As soon as a
person is completely sure that God wants to heal him and that God does not want
him to be sick, he will almost always receive healing when someone prays for
him or even before that. When we are aware of the will of God to heal, we will
have the foundation for total faith.
We never
doubt the eagerness of God to save even the most hopeless man. How can we be so
sure? Because we have been taught the biblical truth.
Since childhood,
we have been taught that salvation belongs to all people who believe, because: For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life.
Had we been
taught the truth about physical healing in the same way as we have been taught
the truth about spiritual salvation, we would believe in healing in the same
way as we believe in regeneration. (1)
But what does the Bible
teach? Is it possible for us to experience health in our own life and is it the
will of God to touch and heal people also now in the same way as 2,000 years
ago?
Next, we are
going to study these issues. Most of the evidence indicates that healing is
indeed meant for this day and age as well. We can experience it also now.
ILLNESSES WERE TAKEN ON THE
CROSS
Firstly, the will of God to
heal illnesses was proven when Jesus carried our sins and illnesses on the
cross. He carried them just as the goat during the time of the old covenant
carried bad acts of the people to the desert (Lev 16:22: The goat will
carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall
release it in the desert.). By this act, He became our substitute in the
sense that he took our sins and illnesses to the cross so that we could be freed
from them:
Sins
- (Isa 53:6) We all, like
sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the
LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
- (Isa his 53:11) After the suffering
of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge
my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.
- (Isa 53:12) Therefore I
will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the
strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the
transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and
made intercession for the transgressors.
- (1 Peter 2:24) He
himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might
die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
- (1 John 3:5) But you know
that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him
is no sin.
Illnesses
- (Isa 53:4) Surely he
took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him
stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.
- (Isa 53:5) But he was
pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed.
- (Isa 53:10) Yet it
was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though
the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong
his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
- (Matt 8:16-17) When evening came, many who were
demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word
and healed all the sick. 17. This
was to fulfil what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up
our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
- (1 Peter 2:24) He himself
bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live
for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.
This proves that as Jesus
acted as our substitute, suffered, and carried our illnesses, we can believe
that all illnesses, both severe and less severe ones – aids, strokes, cancer,
pestilence, bad teeth, the flu, and fever – have already been taken with him on
the cross. This is a good reason to believe that healing belongs to every child
of God.
The extent of
Jesus’ work on the cross can also be seen in the fact that God has done
creative miracles, such as growing a new foot to replace an amputated one or a
new organ replacing one that has been cut out in surgery. These examples prove
that the redemption work of Jesus covers this area as well, and that healing
can be expected from God in all kinds of situations and for all kinds of
illnesses:
Kathryn Kuhlman: We have in our
archives numerous testimonies that God has replaced some organ that has been
cut off in an operation. CREATIVE FAITH RESTORES. Creative faith creates
reality. Creative faith bears miracles. (2)
T.L. Osborn: We have seen how
hopeless cripples have been healed, risen and walked even though they had been
in a wheelchair for as long as forty-two years. Those who have lain in beds and
stretchers have risen fully healed.
We have seen how
cross-eyed people have suddenly seen straight, how stiff joints have bent in a
moment and how strumas and tumors have disappeared.
We have seen how
the creative power of God has recreated and healed eardrums, lungs, kidneys,
ribs and body parts that had been cut off in surgery. (…)
This evening, a young woman
cried as she was telling how she had, at the age of two years, had polio that
resulted in her right foot becoming withered. It had become almost eight
centimeters shorter than the left foot. She is now healthy and walks around
without limping the least bit, and it is impossible to see any difference
between her feet. When she was walking, she covered her face in her hands and
wept for joy, because God had healed her. (…)
A stone-deaf boy
was healed. Behind his ear, there was a big scar where the organs that allow us
to hear had been cut off. God made a creative miracle, and now the boy can hear
even the smallest whisper. (3)
JESUS CAME TO destroy the devil’s work
- (1 John 3:8) He who does
what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s
work.
- (Col 2:15) And having
disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them by the cross.
Another reason to believe in
the will of God to heal illnesses is that Jesus came to destroy the devil’s
work. He came to the world and died to fix the effects of the Fall, also
including illnesses caused by the Devil.
From the devil come the powers of death (1 Cor 15:26 The last enemy
to be destroyed is death.) and it still continues to spread seeds of
disease, illnesses and ailments to the life of people. Some illnesses are
directly and some indirectly caused by the spirit of illness:
You can see this from the
Bible and when you understand it, it will help you to believe that God wants to
heal you with His supernatural power.
One evening, when I was preaching how demons cause illnesses, a
preacher in the audience said, "Dr. Osborn, the message of this evening
has helped me more than anything else that I have heard before to understand
that God wants to heal all illnesses. I realize now that illnesses are not
blessings from God, but the attacks of Satan against our body, and I am ready
to resist the works of Satan, rebuke him and use my power over him.” (4)
The work of Jesus on the
cross included winning all the powers that cause diseases. He crushed the head
of the snake (Gen 3:15), and also came so we would have life and abundance (John
10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that
they may have life, and have it to the full.).
However, it is important to note that the same attitude towards
diseases appeared already during the earthly life of Jesus and not only in His
crucifixion. For if we look at many Bible passages, we can see how He
simultaneously released people from evil spirits and healed their illnesses. He
certainly understood better than anybody else that neither of them was the
sowing of God for His people. In addition to this, when we look at the Acts of
the Apostles, they were also able to release people from the grip of evil and
pray for healing for the sick ones:
- (Matt 8:16,17) When evening
came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out
the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17. This was to fulfil what
was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried
our diseases.”
- (Matt 10:8) Heal the
sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out
demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
- (Mark 1:32-34) That evening
after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
33. The whole town gathered
at the door,
34. and Jesus healed
many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons,
but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
- (Mark 6:13) They
drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed
them.
- (Luke 8:2) and also some
women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)
from whom seven demons had come out;
- (Luke 9:1,2) When Jesus had
called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to
drive out all demons and to cure diseases,
2. and he sent them out to
preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
- (Mark 16:17-18) And these
signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out
demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18. they will pick up snakes
with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at
all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will
get well.”
- (Luke 4:40,41) When the sun
was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of
sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
41. Moreover, demons
came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he
rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the
Christ.
- (Luke 6:18,19) who had come
to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits
were cured,
19. and the people all tried
to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
- (Luke 7:21) At that very time Jesus cured many who
had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were
blind.
- (Mark 5:15) When they came
to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons,
sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
- (Acts 5:16) Crowds gathered
also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those
tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
- (Acts 8:5-8) Philip went down to a city in Samaria
and proclaimed the Christ there.
6. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous
signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
7. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many,
and many paralytics and cripples were healed.
8. So there was great joy in that city.
- (Acts 19:11-12) God did
extraordinary miracles through Paul,
12. so that even
handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and
their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Rebuking of
illness and speaking to it
One issue that should be
mentioned here is speaking to an illness and resisting it, as Jesus rebuked the
fever of Peter’s mother-in-law, and she was healed (a disease can hear our speech):
- (Luke 4:38,39) Jesus left the synagogue and went to
the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever,
and they asked Jesus to help her. 39. So he bent over her and rebuked the
fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them.
- (Jam 4:7) Submit
yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Very often, we may regard
illness only as a hidden blessing (which it of course can also be, when God
changes it into good), but we do not understand that it can occasionally be an
ailment that Satan has sent to us. In no way does this mean that behind every
ailment there is some special spirit of illness (in other words, if you hurt
your foot or become blind in one eye due to an accident, it is a question of
normal life; deafness can also be due to an organic defect and damage to the
malleus, but sometimes deafness may really be caused by the spirit of deafness,
Mark 9:25), but some illnesses can actually be ailments sent by
Satan, like intruders to our residence, in other words to the temple of the
Holy Spirit. They burden people in the same way as the whispering of tormenting
voices some continually hear around them.
Thus, many
diseases should not be regarded as hidden blessing, but as intruders that
destroy our life (John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.).
Therefore, it is not wrong to rebuke illnesses, as Jesus did in His time.
However, caution should be taken so as not to cause damage to the sick or other
people.
Resist illnesses. When
illnesses are knocking at the door, you say, "Here, but no further. The
blood of Jesus has bought my body. Do not come near me.“ An illness is always
an enemy and must be treated as such. Do not identify with your illness. Do not
make your illness a way of life and a subject of conversation. Do not use your
illness as a channel by which you can receive love and attention. (5)
THE OLD AND THE NEW COVENANT
- (Hebrews 7:22) Because of
this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
- (Hebrews 8:6) But the ministry
Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is
mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
One reason to believe in the will of God to heal the
sick is the New Covenant, brought by Jesus, that “is founded on better
promises". When He came to the world, He replaced the Old Covenant by His
perfect life and His atonement. He also shed his blood for the sake of our
sins, so that everyone could receive the promises of God, such as healing. These
promises belong to each and every one of us, so long as we turn to God through
Jesus Christ:
- (2 Cor 1:19,20) For the Son
of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy,
was not “Yes” and “No”, but in him it has always been “Yes.”
20. For no matter how
many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through
him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.
However, it is important to
note that as people were healed during the Old – and worse – Covenant, we can
expect the same nowadays as well. During the Old Covenant, people were healed
by just looking at the image of Christ, the bronze snake. We can therefore
except that God will touch people when they are looking at Christ, who is the
reality itself. God promised in the Old Covenant; "I am the Lord, who
heals you” and if He was of that opinion then, He must be also now, in the
New Covenant, through Jesus Christ. It is certainly wrong to set
prototypes at a higher level than the latter fulfillment:
- (Num 21:7-9, cmp John 3:14
15) The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the
LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So
Moses prayed for the people.
8. The LORD said to Moses, “Make
a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it
and live.”
9. So Moses made a bronze
snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and
looked at the bronze snake, he lived.
- (Gen 20:17) Then Abraham
prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls
so they could have children again,
- (Exo 15:26) He said, “If
you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in
his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will
not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am
the LORD, who heals you.”
- (2 King 5:10,14) Elisha
sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan,
and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
14. So he went down and
dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and
his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
- (2 King 20:5) “Go back and
tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your
father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will
heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the
LORD.
- (Ps 30:2) O LORD my God, I called to you for help and
you healed me.
- (Ps 103:1-3) Praise the
LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2. Praise the LORD, O my
soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3. who forgives all your
sins and heals all your diseases,
- (Ps 107:20) He sent
forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the
grave.
WILL OF JESUS TO HEAL THE
SICK
- (John 4:34) “My food,” said
Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
- (John 6:38) For I have
come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him
who sent me.
One reason for healing is the
will of Jesus to heal the sick. As He came on Earth to do the will of His
father, one of his tasks was to heal and free people of all ailments. This
means that God desired this, and therefore Jesus and the Apostles were able to
strongly serve Him in this area. As a matter of fact, a large share of the work
of Jesus on Earth consisted of healing the sick and freeing people of demons.
In some cases, Jesus Himself told straight out how He wanted to heal the sick.
We can see this in the next passages found in the Bible, for example:
- (Luke 7:21) At that very
time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and
gave sight to many who were blind.
- (Matt 8:5-7) When Jesus had
entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
6. “Lord,” he said, “my
servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering.”
7. Jesus said to him, “I
will go and heal him.”
- (Mark 1:40-42) A man with
leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can
make me clean.”
41. Filled with compassion,
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said.
“Be clean!”
42. Immediately the leprosy
left him and he was cured.
- (Luke 13:12,13,15-17) When
Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free
from your infirmity.” 13. Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she
straightened up and praised God.
15. The Lord answered him,
“You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from
the stall and lead it out to give it water?
16. Then should not
this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for
eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17. When he said this, all
his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the
wonderful things he was doing.
From the Bible we can also
see that when Jesus welcomed sinners on Earth (Luke 15:2: "This man welcomes
sinners...), He welcomed also the sick and healed those needing healing (Matt
9:12: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”). So,
as "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever"
(Hebrews 13:8), we can now in the same way turn to Him with our illnesses. We
can also expect for Him to heal those who need healing.
- (Matt 15:30,31) Great
crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the
mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.
31. The people were amazed
when they saw the mute speaking; the crippled made well, the lame walking and
the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
- (Matt 4:24) News about him
spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill
with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the
demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralysed, and he healed
them.
- (Matt 9:2,6,7) Some men
brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he
said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
6. But so that you may know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .” Then he said
to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.”
7. And the man got up and
went home.
- (Matt 21:14) The
blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
- (Luke 4:40) When the sun
was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness,
and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
- (Luke 5:15) Yet the news
about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to
be healed of their sicknesses.
- (Luke 9:11) but the crowds
learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the
kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
- (John 7:23,24) Now if a
child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be
broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?
24. Stop judging by mere appearances,
and make a right judgment.”
JESUS – SAVIOR AND HEALER
It was mentioned already in
the paragraph above that Jesus welcomes sinners and the sick. On Earth, He
welcomed both and helped them; He gave forgiveness for sins and healed
illnesses.
One reason for
healing is indeed the fact that Jesus, in addition to being the Savior, was a
healer. According to the Bible, through Him we can receive salvation and also
"by touching" Him, we can be healed. We can receive both of these
through faith in the word of God. In addition to this, the Bible says that
salvation, and also healing, belong "to everyone" and "to
all" who turn to Jesus. Therefore, we too can consider ourself a part of
this group "all" and "each", whether it is a question of
salvation or healing. Jesus can assist us in both:
Salvation
- (Romans 10:13) for, “Everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
- (Acts 10:43) All the
prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.”
- (John 3:14,15) Just as
Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15. that everyone who
believes in him may have eternal life.
- (John 1:12) Yet to all
who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right
to become children of God-
- (1 Tim 2:4) who wants all
men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
Healing
- (Matt 14:36) and begged him
to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him
were healed.
- (Matt 8:16,17) When evening
came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the
spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17. This was to fulfill what
was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried
our diseases.”
- (Matt 12:15) Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that
place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,
- (Mark 6:56) And wherever he
went-into villages, towns or countryside-they placed the sick in the
market-places. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and
all who touched him were healed.
- (Luke 4:40) When the sun
was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness,
and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
- (Luke 9:11) but the crowds
learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the
kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
- (Jam 5:14,15) Is any
one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over
him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15. And the prayer offered in
faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
One clear indication of the will
of God heal the sick was that Jesus advised us to pray that His will be done on
Earth as it is in Heaven.
In other words,
it means that if there is no sin, illness, and evil spirits in Heaven, they are
not the will of God on Earth either. He does not want this for mankind: He
wants us to be freed of them. There is certainly no other way to understand the
prayer uttered by Jesus:
- (Matt 6:9,10) “This, then,
is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10. your kingdom come, your
will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- (Col 1:13) For he has
rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of
the Son he loves,
On the other hand, the same
issue of kingdom also appears in that Jesus preached and advised His disciples
to preach about the kingdom of Heaven, which was near. In other words, as there
is no illness in Heaven, we can experience healing now. The coming kingdom of
God is a perfect kingdom with no defects, and this is why we can expect the
blessings of God in this respect already now. The power of His kingdom can
appear also nowadays, because this happened already through the Apostles and
Jesus:
- (Matt 4:17,23) From that time on Jesus began to
preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
23. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in
their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing
every disease and sickness among the people.
- (Matt 9:35) Jesus went
through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
- (Luke11:20) But if I
drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
- (Matt 10:7,8) As you go,
preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
8. Heal the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you
have received, freely give.
- (Luke 9:1,2) When Jesus had
called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all
demons and to cure diseases,
2. and he sent them out to
preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
- (Acts 8:7,12) With shrieks, evil spirits came out of
many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.
12. But when they believed Philip as he preached
the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they
were baptised, both men and women.
- (Acts 19:8,11,12) Paul
entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing
persuasively about the kingdom of God.
11. God did extraordinary
miracles through Paul,
12. so that even
handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their
illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
COMMAND TO DISCIPLES AND
CHARISMA
As in the previous paragraph
we talked about the kingdom of God, which Jesus advised his disciples to
preach, it is good to note that it included a command to heal the sick and
to drive out evil spirits. For as we look at many Bible passages, they indicate
this and the will of God to touch the sick. Jesus certainly would not have
commanded this, if it had not been the plan and will of God.
- (Matt 10:1,8) He called his
twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and
to heal every disease and sickness.
8. Heal the sick,
raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely
you have received, freely give.
- (Mark 6:7,12,13) Calling
the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over
evil spirits.
12. They went out and
preached that people should repent.
13. They drove out many
demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
- (Luke 10:1,2,8,9) After
this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of
him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2. He told them, “The harvest
is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field.
8. “When you enter a town and
are welcomed, eat what is set before you.
9. Heal the sick who
are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
- (John 14:12,13) tell you
the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He
will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.
13. And I will do whatever
you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.
- (Mark 16:15,20) He said to
them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
20. Then the disciples went
out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his
word by the signs that accompanied it.
- (Acts 5:16) Crowds gathered
also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those
tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
- (Acts 8:5-7) Philip went
down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.
6. When the crowds heard
Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to
what he said.
7. With shrieks, evil
spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were
healed.
- (Acts 28:7-9) There was an
estate near by that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He
welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably.
8. His father was sick in
bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after
prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.
9. When this had happened, the
rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.
The fact that Jesus urged His
disciples to heal the sick is only one side of this issue.
According to the
Bible, the gift of healing should also be a part of the activity in a
congregation. For example, Paul, the hardest worker of the Apostles, advised
the Corinthians to eagerly desire these and the other gifts of God. Of course,
these gifts mean that people will get help, but they are also an indication of
the will of God to heal the sick. Otherwise, these gifts would certainly not
have been given:
- (1 Cor 12:8,9) To one there
is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of
knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
9. to another faith by the
same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
- (1 Cor 12:28,31) And in the
church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing,
those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those
speaking in different kinds of tongues.
31. But eagerly desire the
greater gifts.
- (1 Cor 14:1) Follow the
way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of
prophecy.
OTHER VERSES IN THE NEW
TESTAMENT
When we study the New Testament, we will find several
references to the will of God to heal the sick. One of the most obvious ones
are, of course, the acts of Jesus and the Apostles on Earth, because they
healed the sick and released people from the power of evil spirits.
On the other
hand, we will also find other verses that refer to the same issue. Some of them
appear in letters of different writers (John, James, Peter and the writer of
the Hebrew letter, in other words probably Paul), whereas the first of the
passages below appears in the Acts of the Apostles. What is noteworthy in this
passage is that when the disciples asked God to stretch out His hand so that
the sick would be healed, God was pleased with this prayer. The result was that
the place where they were meeting shook and the disciples were filled with the
Holy Spirit:
- (Acts 4:29-31) Now, Lord, consider their threats and
enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.30. Stretch
out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through
the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31.
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they
were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
- (3 John 2) Dear friend, I
pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go
well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
- (Jam 5:14-16) Is any one of
you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint
him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15. And the prayer offered in
faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up.
If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
16. Therefore confess your
sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
- (Hebrews 12:12,13)
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees!
13. “Make level paths for
your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather
healed.
