The Gifts of the Spirit

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church

Course: The Gifts of the Spirit

Lesson 5

Lesson Title: The Gifts of Healing

Text: '...to another the gifts of healing.' 1 Corinthians 12:9.

Introduction: Gifts of healing

To another of the same kind (allos)….

Gifts of healing are placed within this group: Faith., Working of Miracles, Gifts of Healing, Prophecy and Discerning of Spirits.

Gifts is in the plural. It is not the gift of healing. It is mentioned three times in 1 Corinthians 12, each time it is in the plural (9, 28, 30). The significance of this is that one member of the body of Christ does not have the gift of healing but the Spirit gives gifts of healing 'as He will'. 1 Corinthians 12:11 'But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will'.

The gifts of the Spirit operate according to the will of the Holy Spirit.

It is supernatural and enables the power of God to be seen at work in our lives. This can happen when a person has a hospital appointment, and the doctor is amazed at what has happened.

Dangers associated with false teaching on healing

Many people have wrongly supposed that healing is guaranteed as long as a person has faith. If this were true then there would be no need for gifts of healing. Others associate the scripture “by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5) with physical healing. But this scripture refers to the suffering of Christ on the cross so that we can be reconciled to God. Jesus conquered sin and death on the cross but until Jesus returns we must keep ourselves from sin and be careful to keep our bodies healthy as we can easily become sick. When Jesus returns our bodies will be changed from mortality to immortality and from corruption to incorruption. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)

There have been many tragedies because people have been taught not to confess symptoms of illness and physical problems. This is not just false teaching, it is extremely dangerous. Symptoms are a great blessing because they tell us something is wrong, and then we can do something about it. There are times when God does heal but God does not heal everybody. In fact the opposite is true that God has wonderfully used many people who are disabled or sick.

How the Gifts of healing operate.

1. As He will

The Gifts of the Spirit operate '…as He will' (1 Corinthians 12:11). 'As He will' means the Holy Spirit is in control. Not everyone receives healing this way because gifts of healings, like the other gifts, are given according to the will of the Holy Spirit. It is 'if the Holy Spirit wills'.

We are to trust the Lord in sickness or in health. Many have become discouraged because they believe it is always God’s will to heal, and they are confused when healing doesn’t happen. Presumption is not faith, and recognising that God does not always heal is not unbelief.

How the gifts of healing operate.

Gifts of healing can happen at any time.

By laying hands on the sick by believers This is a promise given to those who believe. Mark 16:17-18.

Through scripture. He sent His word and healed them (Psalm 107:20).

Through preaching.

By prayer.

Gifts of healing can happen through personal prayer, corporate prayer or through the prayer of elders in the church.

1) Individual prayer. Is any sick? Let him or her pray. When we are sick we are told to pray.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will lead someone else to pray.

A person may be nearby or on the other side of the world, and the Holy Spirit can call them to pray for someone at a particular time.

2) Corporate prayer. Get others to pray. Praying as a body for one another. We need one another in the body of Christ. The Bible says 'confess your faults one to another'. This allows openness and prevents our prayers from being hindered.

3) Prayer of the elders. The word used here is presbuteros, which includes both faithful men and women in the church. There is provision for healing within the body of Christ by calling for elders of the church. Men or women who are strong in faith and prayer. They are to anoint the sick with oil and pray the prayer of faith (James 5:14). If they have committed sins they will be forgiven. If sin is the reason that the person is sick this prayer of faith will remove the hindrance. The condition to retain healing is, 'don't continue anymore in the same sin'.

Anointing with oil is associated with healing. In Mark 6:13, Jesus' disciples also anointed the sick with oil and healed them. The disciples at this time were sent out with a delegated authority that enabled them to move in the gifts of the Spirit. The comparison can be seen with Elisha and his servant. The servant could not raise a dead child only the anointed prophet Elisha could do that.

Main Points

1. The Operation of Gifts of Healing in Scripture

The Ministry of Jesus

The gifts of healing through the ministry of Jesus were demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. 'How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.' (Acts 10:38),

1) …that showed the purpose of His coming. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 'He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.'

2) …that confirmed the truth of the words of Jesus, “Say you ... You blaspheme; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though you believe not me, believe the works" (John 10:36-38).

3) …that gained the attention of the people drawing the people to Jesus, "And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased" (John 6:2).

4) …that brought glory to the Lord, "They were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion." "And all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him" (Mark 2:12; Luke 13:17).

Example of Jesus healing.

The pool of Bethesda. John 5:2-9.

There were many sick people at the pool of Bethesda, each one had faith for a miracle because they believed they could be healed if the water moved, but only one was healed by Jesus.

Why did Jesus heal this man and not others?

1. His situation was hopeless, just like lost sinners. The man was waiting for the water to move, but he was incapable of getting into the water. The man had no hope till Jesus came.

2. Jesus did not seek to promote Himself. Healing was not the primary purpose. The Holy Spirit was pointing people to Jesus so that they would follow Him and obey His word.

3. The man desired to be healed, John 5:6. He obeyed in faith the word of Jesus which was contrary to the teaching of the Jews, John 5:8. He received his healing, John 5:9.

Acts of the Apostles

1) Gifts of healing confirmed the preaching of the gospel. 'With great power gave the apostles witness' (Acts 4:33). The preaching of Philip in Samaria was confirmed by the gifts of the Spirit, 'the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.' (Acts 8:6).

2) Gifts of healing gained the attention of the people allowing the gospel to be preached, Acts 9:32-35 'And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.'

3) Gifts of healing empowered believers to be bold witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. 'And now Lord, behold their threatenings," " and grant unto thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy servant Jesus' (Acts 4:29, 30).

2. Testimonies concerning the gifts of healing.

Healing Ministries in the 19^th century.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Charles Haddon Spurgeon prayed for the sick and preached on divine healing at Metropolitan Tabernacle but his healing ministry was primarily through pastoral visitation.

Parishioners requested prayer for healing with great results. It is stated thousands of people were healed.

There are many testimonies of divine healing through the ministry of Spurgeon.

Here is one account from ‘Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon: The World’s Greatest Preacher’ by Russell H Conwell (1892).

‘An incident is recalled of a child who was very sick with a contagious disease which was declared fatal by the doctor. Mr. Spurgeon visited the home at the request of the family, knelt with them in a circle around the bed, and offered up a prayer for the child's salvation and added a petition for her recovery, if it should be in accordance with the will of God. The father and mother both followed in prayer, and when they arose from their knees the child, just then becoming conscious, asked for water and said: "I feel very much better." From that point in the child's sickness there was no break in her continual recovery. She afterward stated to her mother that during the prayer she felt a "strange sensation running all over her, as though the fever began to decline at her head and gradually passed off at her feet."’

Examples of Gifts of healing - testimonies.

Philippines

It is not always possible to verify healings.
In the Philippines people often ask for prayer, but it is not known what is wrong.
One time I went with others to pray for a young woman. Her sickness was paralysing her body. She looked very sick and appeared to be dying. After we prayed for her the young woman got better and made a full recovery. I have no idea what she had but she appeared to be dying.

Another woman was seriously ill. Some people prayed for her. She made a full recovery and gave her life to Jesus.

People who always want proof will not be satisfied with these testimonies but Jesus said 'they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover', and this is exactly what happened.

3. Why are Gifts of Healing necessary today?

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the benefit of the church. This includes the gifts of healing. They strengthen our faith, give boldness to preach, gain the attention of the unsaved, and confirm the preaching of the gospel

(Mark 16:15-18).

Sickness and sin have a common source ‘the fall of man’. The same power that is able to heal is able to forgive sins (Mark 2:9-11).

Who should operate in the gifts of healing? Gifts of healing operate through the body of Christ. If too much attention is put upon a particular healing evangelist then the nature of the church is easily misunderstood. Instead of recognising the ministry of the Holy Spirit through the body of Christ; believers can be led away from a New Testament understanding of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to an Old Testament understanding where only a limited number of people were anointed of the Holy Spirit for ministry.
See Bible Teaching Program 'Introductory course' on the Holy Spirit.

Gifts of healing are necessary because we have bodies that are corruptible and mortal. Gifts of healing remove a particular problem caused by sickness or infirmity. It does not remove the power of sickness and death from our bodies. Healing is only temporary as our bodies will die. The Bible says ‘it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’, (Hebrews 9:27).

Gifts of healings are primarily a declaration that Jesus Christ is Lord.

The person who receives the healing should rejoice that Jesus Christ is Lord and He has overcome the power of sin and death.

Summary:

Gifts of healing is the supernatural manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

1) The operation of gifts of healing in scripture fulfilled the purpose for which Jesus came, to destroy the works of the devil, confirmed the words of Jesus, and drew the attention of the crowds to the preaching of the gospel.

2) The modern day use of the gifts of healing fulfils the same purpose. The gifts operate through the body of Christ for the benefit of the body of Christ.

3) The Holy Spirit heals in different ways. Gifts of healing may occur through individual prayer, through the prayer of another believer, through a particular scripture, through corporate prayer, or through the laying on of hands,

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