The question of healing

1. Can God heal? Yes, He can!

2. Does God heal? OLD TESTAMENT GOSPELS Yes, He does

3. Does God heal today? Yes, say the charismatics God promised Jesus commanded The Holy Spirit gifts us Experiences prove it

No, say the Cessationists ‘ Former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased'. ‘In Acts 2.43 and 5.12 it is again made clear that all the miracles were performed 'by the hands of the apostles'. This was exclusively their sign. Also, in Hebrews the healing gifts are firmly linked to the apostles.’ ‘We can and must pray for healing, but it may be God's will that a sufferer should witness to God's grace in the illness.’

Perhaps, say the undecided But… Psycho-somatic power Deceivers How long? Misdiagnosis Fallibility of doctors Lack of medical evidence

4. Why are some healed but others are not? Scripture does not lead us to expect everyone to be healed Only one of ‘a great multitude’ healed at Siloam- (John 5) Jesus noted Namaan alone of ‘many lepers was cured. (Luke 4:27) Timothy encouraged to ‘take a little wine for his stomach's sake’ Trophemus and Epaphroditus remained unhealed Paul himself and his thorn in the flesh.

But some would argue: You do not receive because you do not ask You have unconfessed sin in your life You need more faith Others would say: ‘All I know is the God heals some and not others’ Ultimately we shall all have resurrection bodies- no pain and no suffering! Where God withholds healing, he gives grace.

What should we do as a church? BELIEVE That sometimes God can and does heal supernaturally That God sometimes heals through medicine That God sometimes heals through both That we should follow the teaching of James and offer prayer for the sick That we should consider what part healing ministry should have in the total ministry of the church That we should discern if any have the gift of healing within the church