Feb. 19, 2023

Gifts of Healings (BTS 19 Feb 23)

Introduction - This lesson takes us deeper into the study of healing.  This is such an important bit of knowledge for us, because we have been given physical bodies to work in as we work in the kingdom of God.   If those bodies are weakened, we are out of service until we are healed.  Healing, then is something that we must understand with wisdom from God.  Let’s look at some basic Scriptures which describe our authority regarding healing:

Mark 16:17-18 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.18 hey will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” NLT

Notice that this Scripture is not qualified for anyone who is a believer.  It doesn’t even say “for those who have great faith.”  This means that every Christian has some ability to heal people who are sick.  Knowing no more than this, we should be motivated to lay our hands on sick people and expect some positive result.  We should consider the opposite possibility as well, i.e., that if we choose not to lay our hands on someone, a positive result may not happen. 

The Apostle Paul’s description of the Gifts of the Spirit seem to (but don’t) limit this broad power:

1 Corinthians 12:8, For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit: 9 to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;…

1 Corinthians 12:11 but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will. ASV

The common way the western church applies these scriptures is that, in a given congregation, there are only a few individuals who are gifted healers.  These people become “Omni-healers” (my term) and attempt to heal every sort of illness, often at great crusades, with spotty results, while the rest of us assume that we might as well not try.  While this concentration of ability may be true for some spiritual gifts, like prophecy, miracles, words of knowledge or wisdom, etc., the ability to heal is, at a minimum, given to every Christian (Mark 16:17-18). How the Holy Spirit distributes these gifts, we do not know.  Does He let us be proficient at healing only certain diseases?  Is this proficiency continuous or does it only work in certain places and times with only certain people?  Only Jesus had all the gifts of the Spirit, including healings.  He was born with the Spirit without measure.  We are not Jesus!  He didn’t need the baptism of the Spirit as we do.  That is probably why He could heal all the sick on many occasions.  It is more likely that our healing abilities are divided up rather evenly amongst us all, so that we are dependent on the entire Body, not on just a few healers, and we all succeed in healing some people.  This is probably why Paul said:

1 Corinthians 12:17-20 Think of it this way. If the whole body were just an eyeball, how could it hear sounds? And if the whole body were just an ear, how could it smell different fragrances? 18 But God has carefully designed each member and placed it in the body to function as he desires. 19 A diversity is required, for if the body consisted of one single part, there wouldn’t be a body at all. 20 So now we see that there are many differing parts and functions, but one body. TPT

Conclusion - it is no coincidence then, that what is called the gift of healing (singular) is referred to in the plural, gift(s) of healing(s), in several respected translations (ASV, YLT, WEB, RV, WYC, HNV) because this is one of the most widely dispersed gifts of all.  Concerning healing, then, we are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit’s distribution of specialized healing gifts throughout our entire church.  He has mixed up His healing power amongst us all, hoping that we will learn to depend on our entire church Body for the laying on of hands, even children.  We should be led by love to seek every chance to lay hands on someone (with their permission, of course) to bring about healing.  We don’t have to say anything; just lay our hands on them, even for an instant.  Wouldn’t it be just like the Lord to be so wise as to take one of the most troubling aspects of our earthly life, sickness, and turn it around to be a force which draws us to one another!