Does God still heal today? The purpose of Miracles

Healing is a broad subject in the Bible. It describes healings of various kinds in the O.T. such as people: Abimelech (Gen 20:17), Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5:14). Of the nation Israel (Hosea 6:1; Jer 30:17). Even of water (Ezekiel 47:8).

The area I would like to focus on  is the supernatural gift of healing with a subtopic of miracles described in the N.T. particularly in I Corinthians 12: 9,29,30.

The word healing in the Greek is iama which means to cure, to make whole physically and figuratively. The gift of healing was strictly regulated to the era of Jesus and the Apostles. Most in the Church would disagree with this conclusion, but let me ask the reader, if this supernatural gift was still operating like self proclaimed faith healers and others suppose, why aren’t there any verifiable, empirical evidences of these miraculous healings?

When we read the gospels, and the book of Acts, they are littered with healings and miracles Jesus performed along with His disciples.

To name a few:

a.       

Jesus heals the sick and casts out demons (Matt 4:24)

b.      Jesus heals a leper (Matt 8:3; Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14).

c.       Jesus heals the Paralytic (Matt 9:7; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26)

d.      Jesus raises a girl from the dead (Matt 9:25; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56)

e.      Jesus feeds over 5,000 with 5 loaves and two fish (Matt 14:17-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:11-17; John 6:10-14)

f.        Jesus heals the Paralytic at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:8-9)

g.       Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11:44)

h.      Jesus cast demons (perhaps as many as 2,000) out a man from the country of the Gadarenes (Mark 5:5-13; Luke 8:26-39; Matt 8:28-34)

i.         Jesus command the sea and wind to be still and they obey him proving that He has control even over the elements of nature (Mark 4:39)

j.        Jesus walks on water (Matt 15:25; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:14-21)

k.       Jesus caused a large amount of fish to be caught by the disciples (John 21:6)

l.         God heals a lame man through Peter and John declaring the name of Jesus (Acts 3:8)

m.    Stephen the first Christian Martyr performed great signs and wonders among the people (Acts 6:8)

n.      Philip a disciple preached the gospel to the Samaritans and performed miracles (a temporary sign gift of the early church mentioned in I Cor 12:10)

o.      Peter heals Aeneas who had been paralyzed for eight years (Acts 9:32-35)

p.      Peter raises Tabitha-Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:36-41)

q.      Peter is miraculously freed from prison by an angel of the Lord (Acts 12:8-10)

r.        Paul cast  the spirit of divination out of a girl who made her masters a fortune by fortune telling (Acts 16:18)

s.       Scripture records God worked unusual miracles (signs) by the hands of Paul (Acts 19:11-12)

Now, why did Jesus, the Apostles, and their close associates perform these miracles in the first place? Scripture gives a couple of reasons:

1.      

    To authenticate the messenger and their message.  Jesus said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe” (John 4:48). Jesus also said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves” (John 14:11).

  a.        Jesus  rebuked the Jews In John 10:25 when He said, “I told you and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name they bear witness of me.

 b.   Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost said, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22).

c.       Scripture tell us many signs and wonders were done through the hands of the Apostles and all were healed (Acts 5:12, 16).

d.      2 Corinthians 12:12 Paul tells the Corinthians that the signs of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

2.       So those that witnessed the miracles will believe in Jesus:

a.       “But many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in the book. But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:30-31)

It is important we realize that signs and wonders did not  always produce faith in those that witnessed them. We know this from the O.T. when Moses performed signs amongst Pharaoh, and the Egyptians, and when he performed miracles amongst the children of Israel in the wilderness; most of that adult generation over twenty years old died without ever seeing the promised land due to willful unbelief (Exodus 7:3-4; Numbers 14:11-36). That was not their design. The signs were a support to the message and messenger so those that heard the gospel would believe. Miracles were performed due to many having no faith in the words of Christ and the Apostles.

Consider this logic for a moment, if every believer could perform signs and wonders like the Apostles of the first century, we wouldn’t be able to distinguish the Apostles of Christ from anyone else. The miraculous works performed by them gave proof that God was with them in a supernatural way.

Also, if so-called “ Apostles”, and “prophets” of today had these supernatural endowments, why don’t they demonstrate that by going to the hospitals, and heal all the sick, go to grave sites and raise the dead, cast out demons, make the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, etc?

The obvious answer is that they do not have the power Jesus and the true Apostles  had over 1900 years ago.

Does God still heal? Absolutely!  He can heal anyone instantly if He chooses to as an act of pure mercy and love. He also heals I believe through modern medicine with physical therapy, and through  prayers of the saints (James 5:16).

Even more important the healing God is doing all the time is the healing of the soul from sin; by far the most important miracle! Listen to the wisdom of the apostle Peter: “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes (or wounds) we are healed” (I Peter 2:24).

Isaiah some 700 years earlier said the same thing: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Both of these passages speak of being healed from sin’s disease, not physical healing as most have taught.

The main goal is our salvation, not our physical well being although important to us far less important than our souls being saved.

                                      IN SUMMARY

The gift of healings and miraculous signs is not in operation today. For if it is as I mentioned earlier in the article, why do we not see empirical evidence of these miracles today? When Jesus and the apostles performed miracles they were evident and verifiable.  Also, if someone does perform a miracle, it does not mean their power is from God. Jesus made that very clear in Matthew 24:24 in the latter days, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray, if possible even the elect.” These charlatans ability to perform miracles will be very convincing and so compelling that many will believe in them (i.e. the fake christs and prophets). [i]

As a matter of fact, listen to what Jesus says at the end of his sermon on the mount regarding those that claim to perform the miraculous in his name:

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then I will profess to them, I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity” (Matt 7:22-23).

The word knew here is the Greek word ginosko which simply means to know. In the context of Matt 7:23, Jesus is saying He never had a relationship with these individuals who claim to have done these miraculous signs . This definition is according to Vine’s expository dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. A lexical aid of the N.T. gives another meaning which states that to know in the same context is to approve or acknowledge with approbation.

So those that Jesus condemned here are those He has never approved of, acknowledged or has ever had a relationship with. Jesus knows who they are creationally for He made them, but He’s never known them intimately and personally like He knows his sheep (John 10:27-30).

Those that reportedly performed these miraculous signs put the cart before the horse; meaning that they figured their “good works”  of miracles would get them into heaven. They desired the power of God without the forgiveness of God through His  Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance of sin and contrition was not their aim. The wanted to be saved by works perhaps thinking they can impress and bribe the Lord. This is the mindset of the world at large; thinking they can merit God’s grace – blasphemous (Eph 2:8-9)! Jesus knowing the hearts of wicked men justly condemned them to eternal damnation for they were willful violators of God’s law. Only those that do the will of God will enter heaven (Matt 7:21).

Contrary to popular belief miracles and healings were not frequent in scripture. The only periods where the phenomenon occurred and was concentrated was first during the period of Moses and Joshua, then Elijah and Elisha, and Jesus and the Apostles. Less than 400 years of human history when you combine all the dispensations. Authentic signs and wonders will occur again in the Great Tribulation with God’s Two Witnesses (Rev 11:3-7) and with the Seal, trumpet and bowl judgments described throughout the book of Revelation; a period that lasts only three and half years.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                              END NOTES

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[i] The beast or the Antichrist will have the ability to perform miraculous signs on earth by the power of Satan (2 Thess 2:3,9). His companion the second beast or false prophet will perform miraculous signs also during the Great Tribulation (Rev 13:13-14). What is most important is the source behind any miracle(s), God or Satan?