In many an over-the-teapot-type chat, I’ve found myself talking about healing with fellow youth workers. After a while I’d chip in a view or two (see below) and face a mix of polite disbelief and warm pat-on-the-head correction.
So what do I believe about healing that’s apparently so odd?
First. There is only one explicit command to the church to pray for healing (James 5:14)
All other mentions of healing are passive, or stories, or else commandments given to specific individuals during Jesus’ earthly ministry (like the disciples).
Second. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 does not include ‘gift of healing’ in its list of spiritual gifts.
Gift or gifts of healing is bad translation from Greek. Its a double plural so should read Gifts of Healings. This sounds small but significantly changes the meaning. A gift of healing is the healing itself, not the power of the healer.
Third. There are more examples of Paul NOT being able to heal than examples of Paul being able to heal.
Paul healed the man who was crippled (Acts 14), lots of folk in Ephesus (Acts 19), and bought Eutychus back from death (Acts 20). However Paul couldn’t heal Timothy (1 Tim 5), Trophimus (2 Tim 4), Epaphroditus (Phil 2). He couldn’t heal also his own ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2 Cor 12), or ‘bodily ailment’ (Gal 4).
Forth. Healing (and other miracles) always accompanied the message preached.
Healing and other signs confirmed the power of what was preached. They always came with teaching or preaching about the Gospel. Jesus himself got ticked off with people that came for the signs and wonders, but ignored his message.
Conclusions.
The first belief above should help us prioritise healing with other commandments to the church; the second should help us look to God rather than ‘gifted’ humans; the third should remind us that healing is not always available to those with faith; and the forth should spur us onto teaching clearly and keeping miracles in a context that confirms the message.
It’s important to get this right because so many modern youth events and ministries are built around experience, miracles, and healing without the necessary giving of sound content, substance, or meat. Sometimes the results are young people hero-worshiping a faith healer, feeling crushing doubt when someone isn’t healed, and responding based on seeing a healing rather than having a personal encounter with Jesus.
Perspective, priority, weight, and focus.
So it is good and Biblical to pray for healing and miracles at our youth meetings – absolutely! But let’s also consider when we plan these meetings what priority we place on healing and miracles, how we explain them when they happen, and how they might accompany and confirm the message.
We should therefore base youth ministry aims around a message to be told, rather than an experience to be had. If we’re faithfully seeing to the former and open to the latter – then the latter will always confirm the former in some way or another.
Amen bro, completely with you in terms of your big thrust here.
Just a thought regarding those ‘commandments to specific individuals’ – didn’t Jesus later tell those same guys that when they make disciples they’re to ‘teach them to obey everything I commanded you’ (Matt 28). If so, wouldn’t those same commandments be equally weighty on us?
Posted by Tom | 31, October 2011, 8:59 amHi matie. Thanks for your comment & your encouragement!
That’s a really helpful thought too. It did cross my mind but as it isn’t an direct command to the church to pray for healing, but rather in context part of the disciples commission – I thought I’d leave it off. Although you are right it does raise some questions about the hows, whats, whens, (and of course how nots etc.) to apply the commands of Jesus to His disciples to the church body & individual Christians today.
Fun food for thought there.
Really glad to see you church planting btw!
Posted by timgough | 12, November 2011, 8:47 pm