SPIRITUAL HEALING OF THE BODY
Pastor J. C. O’Hair
In Matthew 8:16 we read that Christ healed all that were sick. More than thirty years later Paul wrote, concerning a faithful servant; “Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.” (II Timothy 4:20). What a difference! Sinners were healed. A faithful saint was left sick. Paul wrote this to Timothy, and he also wrote to the same Timothy: “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine oft sicknesses.” (I Timothy 5:23).
Every imaginable sickness is mentioned in the spiritual healing by Christ. (Matthew 4:23 and 24 and Matthew 8:16). Christ commanded and empowered His disciples to do the same supernatural work, and they did. (Matthew 10:5 to 8 and Luke 9:6). The diseases were indeed divers and the healing in almost every case instantaneous.
Then note what Peter did in Acts 5:15 and 16: “Inasmuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
This wasn’t any hit-and-miss proposition. He healed EVERY ONE. There were no misses. Neither were two days, two weeks or two months required for the healing. They healed on the spot.
Then note what Paul did: “So that from his body were brought; unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19:12).
So we have instantaneous, spiritual healing by work, hands, shadow, aprons and handkerchiefs, and a slower process by wine in the stomach and a faithful servant left sick. Then the elders of James 5:14 smeared with oil. And remember no woman could qualify as an elder, the husband of one wife. (Titus 1:5 to 7 - I Timothy 3:2). In John 9:1 to 6 it was clay and a pool of water. Read John 9:1 to 25. This healed man did not know the Son of God.
The carnal fruitless Corinthians of the “Acts” period had the gift of miracle healing (I Corinthians 12:9). Did they do it with hands or shadows or aprons or handkerchiefs or clay or oil or wine or just the spoken work? Which should we use today?
We should not try to do spiritual healing of physical diseases, with the slogan, “Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday and for ever,” and then say that the person must accept the blood of Christ first for soul salvation, before he can have the atonement for body healing.
With the exception of the palsied man in Mark 2:1 to 12, Christ generally healed the body first. After Christ had healed the blind man Christ said, “Dost thou believe in the Son of God?” (John 9:35). Note the answer in 9:36: “. . . Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?” Some, whom the Lord healed did not receive Him as Saviour.
God is sovereign and omnipotent. All Christians believe in Divine healing in harmony with the Scriptures, rightly divided, elective healing in this dispensation of grace, but those who obey II Timothy 2:15 do not believe in the religious healers of the day.
Read Philippians 2:26 to 30 - I Timothy 5:23 - II Timothy 4:20.
These three Scriptures furnish for the Christian the key to Divine healing of the body in this age and economy of grace. Here we have three faithful saints. There were none more faithful than Timothy. He was instructed to take a physical remedy. His sickness seemed to be a chronic case. Earnest prayer was make for Epaphroditus, and God had mercy on him and raised him up to health. Trophimus was left sick. This is elective healing. Many of God’s most faithful saints have trusted Him and His elders, but did not get well.
Posted By – Cecil Spivey
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