Gifts of Healing
Notes
Transcript
Let’s begin by looking at all of the mentions of the gift of healing in scripture.
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
As we look at the gifts of healing, we really need to break down some misconceptions.
Before we jump into misconceptions, let’s have a working definition of the gift of healings:
As, with all of the gifts that we have talked about, we define the gift as scripture does:
7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
So, the gifts of healings is the HS working through us to heal someone with a sickness, disease, or ailment
As with prophecy, tongues, and miracles, the gift originates with God and not us.
So, let’s spend some time breaking down some misconceptions of the gifts or healings:
1. Scripture mentions one singular “gift of healing.”
1. Scripture mentions one singular “gift of healing.”
There are two greek words used to describe the gifts of healings
Charimata - we have talked about before comes from grace…meaning grace gifts
iamatone - which just literally means “healings”
The greek word is plural…which is important
Before we look at the plurality of it, let’s check and see if this is the case in each use of the word
Using the search function in the software I use, here is the list of verses that this word is used
Now, to notice a couple of things:
The word that we were searching for, iamatone, is highlighted in orange
Notice the three verses that pulled up when I searched for this word? It is the three verses that mention the gift of healings
So, the only time that the word is mentioned in the plural form is in relation to the gift.
So, how do we know that it is plural?
Here is the screen shot of the morphology, you can see where I highlighted showing that it is plural
So, it tells us that charimata iamatone is used only three times in the Scriptures and each instance is plural
So, there is no gift of healing, but there are gifts of healings.
Why does this matter, well, a lot of time when people think of the gifts of healings, they are thinking of something specific…similar to the gift of teaching, administration, or mercy…
Something that can be activated at any time
Or, as some would call them, residential gifts…
We talked about this a little while back that there seems to be a difference in residential gifts, meaning gifts that are always there, and gifts that come and go as the Spirit wills.
The double plural seems to indicate that there are multiple gifts and thus, are distributed as the Spirit sees fit.
Some make the claim that someone may be more gifted in healing a particular disease or ailment. I think that is certainly possible, though we don’t see direct scriptural evidence of it.
2. Someone with the gifts of healing can heal anytime that they want to!
2. Someone with the gifts of healing can heal anytime that they want to!
First, can someone with the gift of prophecy prophesy on command? Or, WoW, WoK?
No, again, because it is the HS working through us!
Are there any indications in scripture of someone healing anytime that they want to?
Sometimes, people make the argument that if you have the gift of healing you should go and clear out the hospitals…
Let’s start with logical arguments and then move to scripture
The first question I have is why would you want to clear out the hospital?
Well, it’s because we don’t want to see people sick.
Okay, so then my next question is what about sharing the gospel? Don’t we all want to see everyone saved?
They why don’t we stop and share the gospel with everyone that we walk past?
If someone has the gift of evangelism, do they share the gospel with everyone that they walk past?
I would say probably not.
You see, asking a question or making a suggestion doesn’t negate whether the gift exists or not.
Our primary goal is not to operate in a gift, but to be led by the Spirit.
We all know the gospel, but we trust the Spirit to lead us to when to share the gospel?
Is it possible that we should be led by the Spirit in all of the gifts?
Secondly, did anyone in scripture go and clear out the hospitals?
Well, no, because they didn’t have hospitals like ours.
Okay fair, but we see no command in scripture to do so.
You would think, if that were a possibility, when talking about the gift, Paul would say “if you have this gift, go and heal everyone that needs it”
Thirdly, no one in scripture, outside of God, is called a “healer.” There are teachers, prophets, evangelists, elders, deacons, and other titles, yet, no healers?
Why is that? Seems like maybe the reason being the gift doesn’t operate like we think it should.
So, on to scripture now, the person who operates in healing the most, next to Jesus, is Paul.
Did Paul heal everyone that he came into contact with?
In Philippians we see that Epaphroditus was sick and almost died. Why didn’t Paul just heal him if he could heal on command?
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.
27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
The Lord did heal Epaphroditus, but why didn’t Paul just heal him immediately?
We have Timothy who Paul writes to
23 Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
Again, why didn’t Paul just heal him?
20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.
And, even Paul himself
13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, 14 and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
It seems as though Paul operated in the gift of healing, but yet didn’t heal all the time.
So, just because someone did heal, doesn’t mean they always healed or always will.
We have broken down a couple of misconceptions about the gift.
So, maybe that will help us when we think about the gifts of healings.
So, is it possible that the gift is when we are led by the Spirit to pray for someone, and we see them healed?
I would say it seems so.
I think that as with the other gifts, sometimes it can be accompanied by others gifts.
It seems like the gift of faith and the gifts of healings go hand in hand.
Also, it seems like healing can be tied to a word of knowledge.
Maybe the HS will reveal something about someone to you because He wants you to pray for them and heal them.
And, as with all of the gifts, it flows out of a relationship with the Holy Spirit!
So, I believe we can ask for the gift, but more importantly to pursue God and His desire to bring His kingdom to earth!
Lord, use me!
So, we have talked about all of the gifts in the 1 corinthians 12 passage except for distinguishing between spirits.
We may get to that gift down the road, but we are going to take a few weeks at least and talk about healing.
