A Survey on Healing in the Scriptures

by Carl Johnson

An Explosion of Interest in Healing From the beginning of the 20th century there has been an

explosion of worldwide interest in healing both in secular and Christian circles. Many circumstances have caused this interest to rage like a mighty river, potentially wreaking havoc in the lives who seek help from these healing waters.

1) An Information Explosion has created a Dark Ages in reverse. Now knowledge doubles every five years and people don’t know what to think. 2) Existential Thought – the belief in miracles without believing in content or religious truth. 3) Experiential Christianity – is the judge of all truth today. 4) Sickness runs rampant in our society – the health care industry has billed record increases in payment for medical services over the last decade.

An Explosion of Interest in Healing

The Faith-healing phenomenon came out of new Pentecostal and Holiness movements at the turn of the 20th century. The healing landscape further changed in the 1970’s with the “health & wealth” teaching of the Word-Faith movement and the Signs & Wonders or Third-wave movement.

Faith-healers: John Lake, Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee McPherson, William Branham, Oral Roberts, Kathryn Kuhlman, Jack Cole, A.A. Allen, Kenneth Hagin, Peter Popoff, and the most known faith-healer today Benny Hinn.

Signs & Wonders: Jack Deere, Kevin Springer, John Wimber, and C. Peter Wagner

Benny Hinn

In his book ‘Lord I Need a Miracle’ p.63 he says,

“I believe that its not only God's will for you to be healed, it is his will that you live in health until he calls you home. I’m not one that prays if it be your will Lord grant healing to this person. It is his will, you will never hear me pray such faith destroying words as if it be your will Lord heal them.”

Benny Hinn

(“Praise the Lord” TV Program)

“The day is coming, I tell you this, I know it like I know my name, the day is coming when there will not be one sick saint in the body of Christ. Nobody will be, nobody’s gonna be, no one will be raptured out of a hospital bed. You’re all gonna be healed before the rapture.” [Bible verse- NONE]

Benny Hinn’s believe about Healing?

1) Doesn’t pray “Lord thy will be done.”2) Believes that God always intends for believers to be

healed.3) Teaches that believers should command God to heal.4) Suggests that miraculous healing from God is gradual.5) Teaches that faith on part of the sick person is essential to

healing.6) Writes that we must do our part before God can do his

part.7) Believes that Christians should not be sick.8) Implies that a person’s healing can be lost and that the

healed person must do certain things to keep the healing.

Brings Confusion

These teachings have brought great confusion to the body of Christ.

• Is it real?• If not, how can I explain some of the apparent healings?• How does it work?• Is it biblical?• Why am I sick?• Should I quit taking my medication?• Why haven’t I been healed?• Which teaching on healing is biblical?

The Key

We must understand the difference between “faith-healing” and “divine-healing”. The two are NOT the same!

Faith-healing can be done by anyone – whether Christian or not.

Divine-healing is something that only God can do.

The Faith-Healing Act

There are four main elements that makes the Faith-healing Act work.

1) The Placebo Effect

2) Self-limiting Effect

3) The Psychic Effect

4) Drama & Expectations Effect

The Test for Divine Healing

How can we tell if the results of a miracle-healing crusade are divine or just the psychological results one would expect from the faith-healing act? The best way

to find out is to examine the types of diseases healed.

There are two types – functional disease and organic disease.

Two Types of Diseases

Functional Diseases are associated with a change in function of the bodily organ or tissue without any organ or tissue damage.

Organic Diseases are associated with a demonstrable change in a bodily organ or tissue.

True Divine Healing

To qualify for genuine divine healing two major things are necessary.

1) Adequate medical documentation to provide that organic disease was present before the healing took place.

2) Adequate medical documentation to prove that organic disease was no longer present immediately after the healing took place.

God’s Healing Ministry in OT

We must first start from God’s perspective found in scripture about His direct involvement in the physical affairs of people in the Old Testament.

“The Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” Ex. 4:11

“See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.” Deut. 32:39

God’s Healing Ministry in OT

"Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal.” Job 5: 17-18

“The One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” Isaiah 45:7

“Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and ill go forth?”

Lam. 3: 37-38

God’s Working in the OT

1) Saints of God were not immune to physical infirmities. Both Isaac (Gen. 27) and Jacob (48:1) became sick and died.

2) Ezekiel’s wife expires at the hand of God (Ez. 24:16-18)

3) Miriam healed of Leprosy (Num. 12:13) 4) Syrian general Naaman (2 Kings 5: 1-14) 5) Nebuchadnezzar healed after 7 years (Dan. 4:28-37) 6) Widow’s son at Zarephath (1 Kings 17: 17-24) 7) Job healed from severe boils (Job 2:7; 42:10) 8) Israelites punished, then healed in the wilderness (Num. 21: 4-9).

Summing It Up

1) Saints suffered. 2) God afflicted. 3) Healing methods varied. 4) Unbelievers were healed. 5) Sinners went physically unpunished. 6) The innocent were struck down. 7) Satan proved insignificant. 8) Resurrections from the dead were rare. 9) Faith requirements are never directly mentioned.

God’s Working in the NT

Never in human history have so many people been healed from such a multitude of diseases as during the short time of Christ’s three years of public ministry.

“So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.” Matt. 15:31

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25

Reasons for Healing

1) To fulfill Messianic prophecy “When evening came, they brought to Him many who

were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” Matt. 8:16-17

2) To Show Jesus Had authority to forgive sin.

"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, pick up your bed and go home.“

Matt. 9:6

Reasons for Healing

3) To authenticate the Messianic ministry of John the Baptist. (Matt. 11:2-19)

4) To let people see the works of God on display. “Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned,

nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” John 9:3

5) For the glory of God through Jesus Christ. “But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is

not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.“ John 11:4

Reasons for Healing

6) To call people to believe that Jesus is the Christ. “Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the

presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” John 20: 30-31

7) God’s authentication of Christ. "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a

man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know…” Acts 2:22

What were the Characteristics of Christ’s Healing?

1) He did not heal everyone who needed healing (John 5: 3-5).

2) Healing was immediate (Matt. 8:22-26; Luke 17:11-19;

John 9: 1-7)

3) Healing was abundant (Matt. 15:31)

4) Healing was also in absentia (Matt 8: 5-13; 15:21-28; John 4: 49-53).

5) Healing methods varied – Christ touched, spoke, used spittle, plugged a man’s ears with his fingers and placed spittle on his tongue, and anointed with mud.

6) Jesus approved of doctors (Matt. 9:12)

7) Healed for God’s glory (John 11:4)

What were the Characteristics of Christ’s Healing?

8) Jesus healing ministry was unique (Matt. 9:32-33)

9) Jesus shunned acclaim (Luke 10:20)

10) The healings were undeniable (John 11: 47-48)

11) Faith was not necessary [though at times it was honored] Matt. 9, Luke 7, John 11)

12) Healings were not prearranged (throughout the gospels)

13) Healings were also performed by the disciples (Matt. 10: 1-15; Luke 10:1-16).

What about Today?

Can God Heal? Can God heal miraculously? Can God heal miraculously through men?

Obviously the answer is YES. But the next question is the more important one.

Will God heal? Will God heal miraculously? Will God heal miraculously through men?

The answer is “according to His will.”

Considering God’s View on the Physical Side of Life

1) Metaphysical Dimension – God is sovereignly involved in our physical life. (Ex. 4:11;

Deut. 32:39; Is. 45:7)

2) Moral Dimension “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the

world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned…” Rom. 5:12

3) Material Dimension “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is

decaying…” 2 Cor. 4:16

Next Time in Class

A Christians Response to Sickness