Healings in the epistles
Now is the time to study the Epistles and see what the apostles wrote about healing. You may have already noticed that healing is mentioned relatively little in the Epistles. When we read the Gospels and the book of Acts, we find many accounts and testimonies of healing. In the Epistles, however, there is much less emphasis on this topic. This is not because the Epistles were written much later than the events recorded in the book of Acts. The Epistles were written roughly between the 50s and 100s A.D., while the events of the book of Acts took place between approximately the 30s and 60s A.D. In other words, the same people who lived during the time of the book of Acts also wrote the Epistles. Consider, for example, Paul, John, Peter, James, and Jude.
The reason these writers spoke less about healing was not because miracles and healings had ceased. In fact, they had witnessed many signs and wonders. If you read the letters carefully, you will see that Paul mentioned the miracles and signs that occurred in his ministry:
In mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (Romans 15:19)
Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. (2 Corinthians 12:12)
The letters to the churches were not addressed to a “new generation” church, but rather to the same churches that are described in the book of Acts and were established during that time. Moreover, the letters were written for specific purposes. They were meant to correct errors in the churches, to answer questions, or to share revelations from Jesus Christ (as in the book of Revelation). While we can learn much from the Epistles, not every subject is addressed in them. This is also true for healing.
We will study several passages from the Epistles that speak about healing. However, because there were not many questions from the early churches regarding healing, Paul and the other writers did not discuss the topic in great depth.
Reason 76: The Sick will be Saved
The letter of James is very beautiful and practical. James spoke briefly but powerfully about the healing of the sick. Let us study these verses:
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:13-16)
This is a great promise. James said that the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. He did not say, “Let the elder pray, and if it is God's will, perhaps the sick person will be healed.” Nor did he say, “The sick person will receive strength to bear the disease," or, "We pray for wisdom for the doctors, so that they may heal the sick person.”
Do not misunderstand: praying for strength and wisdom is also beautiful, and you may certainly pray and stand in faith for these things. For example, you can pray that a surgery will go well. But God desires to do more than give us strength or wisdom to doctors—He desires to bring healing. God wants to act as a Doctor in your body.
What, then, brings healing to the sick? Faithful prayer and the effective prayer of a righteous person or an elder. Do you see the role of faith? Faith is of great importance in the healing of the sick. This applies not only to the sick person but also to the righteous man or woman praying. They, too, must stand in faith, believing that the sick are healed in the congregation. James illustrates the power of faith through the example of Elijah:
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18)
Faithful prayer will save the sick. James spoke with absolute certainty and not with doubt. Moreover, he was not describing a long journey in which the sick person must endure many trials and sufferings before becoming well. James spoke of one prayer, provided it is prayed in faith. Of course, there may be a period needed to study what the Bible says about healing, to receive faith, and to remove unbelief. This is not strange, and it is entirely acceptable. But once faith is present, the sick person will be healed, and the disease must go. It does not have to be a long process.
These verses also show how important it is to pray for the sick. It is a command from the Word of God, important both within the congregation and during home visits. In the congregation, we honor God, give thanks for who He is, and desire to know Him more deeply. At the same time, God desires to bless us and restore every area of our lives. Healing is part of God's desire for His children. Indeed, it is a command to pray in faith for the sick. When this happens, the sick person will be saved, and God will restore him.
Reason 77: Healing and Oil
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14)
James also teaches that the elders of the church should anoint the sick with oil. We see this practice not only in James but also among the disciples of Jesus:
And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. (Mark 6:13)
In the time of Jesus, oil was also used to soothe wounds. We see an example of this in the parable of the Good Samaritan:
So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. (Luke 10:34)
Was James then speaking about the healing properties of oil? No. James did not say that the oil would heal. He taught that it is the prayer of faith that brings healing. So why, then, were the elders instructed to anoint with oil?
When we look at the use of oil in Scripture, we see that it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Oil was used not only to anoint the sick but also to appoint kings to their offices. When kings were anointed with oil, they were anointed with the Holy Spirit. We see this in the anointing of King David:
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. (1 Samuel 16:13)
When did the Spirit of the Lord come upon David? At the moment he was anointed. Likewise, in the healing of the sick, the Holy Spirit plays a crucial role. Even when Jesus was on the earth, He did not heal by His own power, but because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. (Acts 10:38)
Thus, the oil is a sign of the Holy Spirit. But can the Holy Spirit also heal sickness?
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)
The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. In the future, the Spirit will also give life to our mortal bodies. If the Spirit can raise the dead, He can certainly heal disease.
But why must anointing be done with oil? Anointing with oil is an act of faith. The healing is not in the oil itself but in the belief that when the oil is applied, the Holy Spirit begins His work in the body. By faith, we believe that the Holy Spirit—symbolized by the oil—removes all sickness. James was not promoting a special “heavenly” oil that would cure every disease. The anointing with oil is a step of faith and a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Reason 78: Healing through Conversion
And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:15-16)
In chapter 16, we will look at the origin of sickness and see that sin can sometimes be a reason a person becomes sick. However, this is not always the case. James speaks about sin and confession in connection with healing, but he does not say that every sickness is a direct result of sin.
Of course, sin can lead to sickness. We also see this in the natural. Consider the following examples:
- Eating too often and too unhealthily can cause physical problems.
- Using many drugs can lead to severe weight loss.
- Drinking too much alcohol damages the liver.
- Sexual immorality can cause sexually transmitted diseases.
- Anger can lead to stress.
- Worry and stress can result in physical symptoms.
And many more examples could be added. What is important in this? Let us consider the following example:
There is a man named David and an elder named Kevin. David loves delicious but unhealthy food and makes a radical decision: from now on, he will eat every morning, afternoon, and evening at fast-food restaurants, drinking only Coke and milkshakes. After one year, David feels very ill. He goes to the doctor, has blood tests done, and is told he has high blood pressure and high cholesterol due to his diet. His knee pain and constant fatigue are also caused by overeating and being overweight. David believes in healing, so he calls Kevin to pray for him. Kevin comes, anoints him with oil, and prays in faith for his healing. God touches David, and he is supernaturally healed. However, David returns to his old habits, visiting fast-food restaurants daily. After six months, he falls ill again and finds himself back where he started.
Do you understand the example? This is a natural case where it is obvious that David’s sickness is connected to his lifestyle. David does not primarily need healing; he needs to repent of his unhealthy way of living. When he chooses to repent, God’s healing and health can continue to flow in his life, and he can remain healthy. We also see a similar example in the Bible, in Paul’s letter to Timothy:
No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities. (1 Timothy 5:23)
Why did Timothy have to drink wine? Because it was healthy and brought healing to his stomach. It is important to understand that the water we drink in the Western world today is much healthier than the water in ancient times. In those days, water could easily be contaminated, which could cause diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. By drinking a little wine, which contained alcohol, certain harmful bacteria in the stomach could be killed. As a result, Timothy would be less likely to suffer from ailments. Paul could have laid hands on Timothy and prayed for his healing, but if Timothy had not changed his drinking habits, he likely would have become sick again within a few weeks. When we look at people's health, it is sometimes necessary to repent of bad or unhealthy habits.
In this reason, we compared this mainly to natural or physical consequences, which are well-known in the medical world. However, this principle can also apply to spiritual sins, which may not (yet) be recognized by the medical world. In such cases, repentance can bring healing.
But must I repent in order to become healthy? This is not the right question to ask. When you live with God and see His goodness, you will desire to be like Him. You do not repent to be delivered from sickness; you repent because you want to be like God and like Jesus. That is the right motivation for repentance.
I call everyone to repentance toward God and to turn from dead works, whether you are healthy or sick. If you live a lifestyle in which you seek to be like Jesus as much as possible, and you repent whenever the Holy Spirit reveals something to you, then you do not need to worry whether a sickness is caused by a hidden sin. Only when you are certain that a sickness stems from sin is it necessary to repent before praying for healing.
Reason 79: Sickness is not Biblical Suffering
When you talk about healing and explain that God does not want people to be sick, you may hear someone say, “Suffering is part of life, and the Bible promises suffering and persecution.” It is true that suffering and persecution are part of life. Jesus said:
(...) In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
On earth, Christians will face persecution, and some will even be killed because of their faith. This is suffering for the sake of Christ. However, in the New Testament, suffering never refers to someone suddenly becoming ill. Whenever someone did suffer from sickness, the Scriptures record that they were healed, or that the sickness could not harm them[1].
Often, the story of Paul's thorn in the flesh is cited as evidence that sickness is part of a Christian’s life and that sickness is part of suffering. Paul wrote:
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (…) (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
What was this thorn in the flesh? Was it a disease? Thankfully, we do not have to guess what Paul meant by a thorn in the flesh. In the following verses, he explained what his weaknesses were:
(…) Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Also, when we study the context of this passage, we find that Paul was not speaking about a disease. Paul was speaking about suffering for the sake of the gospel. In other words, he was referring to reproaches, needs, persecutions, and distresses. Paul was not speaking of a sickness that God refused to take away. Paul—and we too—may suffer for the gospel by being treated wrongly and hated. But suffering for the gospel does not mean that God has given us a disease that He no longer wants to heal.
I encourage you to read the New Testament, and every time you see the words “suffering,” “tribulation,” or “persecution,” take time to read the context. Does it speak about sickness, or does it refer to other forms of suffering? You will find that Biblical suffering and sickness do not go hand in hand.
There is, however, one form of physical suffering that can result from Biblical persecution. This is when someone is physically tortured and experiences bodily harm because of their faith. Yet even in these situations, it is not God who causes the suffering, and God still desires to bring healing. We see this clearly in the stoning of Paul:
Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:19-20)
Paul was stoned, which is part of “the sufferings for the gospel.” But then Paul was healed in a supernatural way. Therefore, even when we suffer for the sake of the gospel, God desires to heal us.
[1] Matthew 17:15, Mark 5:26, and Acts 28:5
Reason 80: Our Body is a Temple
When you think of the heavenly temple of God, what comes to mind? I am sure that the temple of God is beautiful beyond comparison to even the most magnificent buildings on earth. It is perfect, with no cracks, no danger of the ceiling collapsing, and no holes in the floor to trip over. God's heavenly temple is flawless. Did you know that a believer’s body is also called a temple?
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Because our body is a temple, it is important not to use it for immorality. This was the main point Paul was making to the church in Corinth. But at the same time, I find it so beautiful that our body is called a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Many people today struggle with insecurity about their bodies; some are even afraid to look in the mirror. Yet God sees your body as a temple in which His Holy Spirit dwells. You do not need to be ashamed—you are a beautiful temple of God, and you are wonderfully made!
When we look at the Old Testament and read about the temple, we see that it was the most beautiful building in Israel. Everything had to be perfect, decorated with gold, precious stones, and fine materials. In the same way, God desires that our bodies be healthy and without blemish. He desires our bodies to be beautiful and perfect temples of the Holy Spirit.
In my church, someone shared a wonderful testimony. Before coming to faith, she had struggled with depression and had cut herself, leaving scars on her arms. After she came to faith, her depression was lifted. However, the scars remained. During a service, a great miracle took place. As she sat there, all the scars disappeared, and her skin became smooth and beautiful again. Why did God do this? I believe it was because God wanted to restore her completely. He not only wanted to heal her by removing her depression but also desired to restore her body and make it “like new” again. Her body was allowed to become a “perfect temple” of the Holy Spirit.
If you are struggling with sickness, know that God also desires to restore your body, making it a beautiful and perfect temple of the Holy Spirit.
Reason 81: John Prays that you be in Health
Now, we turn to the third letter of John. John wrote this letter to Gaius, who was involved in the church. We read that Gaius was eager to help traveling ministries and to receive them with hospitality. However, another brother in the congregation, Diotrephes, opposed this. He did not help traveling ministers, and he even expelled those who did. In this short letter, John encouraged Gaius that he was right to support traveling ministries and urged him not to listen to Diotrephes. This was a personal letter from John to Gaius. Let us look at the opening verses:
The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray (KJV: wish) that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (3 John 1:1-2)
John wished, or rather prayed, that Gaius would be healthy. The apostle John had walked with Jesus for many years, and he had learned how to pray from Jesus. John knew how to pray according to the will of God, and he understood that it was God’s will for Gaius to be healthy.
When John prayed, he did not pray with uncertainty, hoping that perhaps God might do something. No, John prayed with confidence, knowing that he was praying according to God's will. In fact, in John's first letter we read:
And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. (1 John 3:22)
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)
John understood the power of prayer and knew exactly how it worked. When he prayed for Gaius to be healthy, it was a Biblical prayer aligned with the will of God.
God wants us to pray for one another, and to pray that we remain in health. God is not only concerned about our spiritual lives; He also desires that our souls and bodies prosper and be well.
Reason 82: Remembering the Stripes
In his letter, Peter looked back at the Suffering Servant described in Isaiah. In fact, Peter quoted directly from Isaiah 53:
Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
It is interesting to consider to whom Peter was writing. He addressed this letter to slaves who were instructed to be submissive to their masters. Some masters were kind and loving, but others were harsh and abusive, even beating their slaves and leaving them with injuries.
For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. (1 Peter 2:20)
Peter reminded the slaves that Jesus also suffered unjustly and endured beatings He did not deserve. In their suffering, they could identify with Jesus. Yet the stripes that Jesus bore resulted in something wonderful: healing. Peter encouraged the slaves to persevere, remembering how Jesus had endured injustice and how His suffering brought healing.
Peter wrote to slaves who had suffered physical wounds and welts from their masters. Could it be that Peter specifically mentioned, “By whose stripes you were healed,” to show them that the physical pain and injuries they endured could be healed through the stripes of Jesus? That because of His suffering, they did not have to continue living in pain and physical affliction? In any case, the crucifixion of Jesus clearly shows that He brought full restoration—spirit, soul, and body. In Reason 34, we looked more deeply into the crucifixion of Jesus and the significance of His stripes.
Reason 83: Let the Body be Preserved
As we saw in the previous reason, God desires that our spirit, soul, and body be well. This is reflected in 1 Thessalonians:
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
This was a prayer of the apostle Paul for the church. He prayed that our whole spirit, soul, and body would be preserved blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ. Paul spoke not only about our spirit and soul, but also about the body. God is interested in the whole person, including the body.
It is also difficult to separate the soul and the body. For example, the soul contains your emotions, will, and thoughts, while the body is the “earth suit” in which you walk. When the body is not doing well, it often affects the soul. If you experience pain every day, it can cause sadness in your soul. When physical limitations prevent you from doing certain things, it may affect your will and thoughts. Where you once had great plans, smaller or more negative thoughts may now take their place.
It is not Biblical to view the body, soul, and spirit as separate parts. Man is a unit and consists of spirit, soul, and body. God is concerned with the whole person, not just certain parts. He desires to bring complete health and restoration.
Reason 84: death is an enemy
The Bible speaks of death as an enemy. Death is not a friend of man, but the enemy. Many diseases lead to death, and there are many incurable diseases in the world that bring death and destruction within weeks, months, or years. Right now, death is still an enemy of man, and everyone dies at some point. But this was never God's will.
The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26)
Sometimes, when someone is sick, it is considered a blessing or a beautiful learning process. It is true that you can learn lessons during sickness, but sickness itself is not a tool of God, nor is it His way of disciplining or teaching you. We should regard sickness, which often leads to death, as an enemy and an intruder. God does not want you to be sick, nor does He use sickness to test His children.
It is important to see disease as an enemy and an invader. When we recognize it as such, we will make every effort to resist it. However, if we say, “This sickness has been given to me so that God can test me,” we embrace the sickness instead of resisting it. We may then hold on to the idea that God has a higher purpose with the sickness, and that we need to learn something from it, or that it is a form of discipline.
Sickness is also an enemy of the world. Medical science does everything it can to fight disease, so that people can live healthy lives. Every person knows that sickness is wrong and is not a blessing. Man was not created to go through life in pain, where every movement hurts. Man was created for freedom, and that includes freedom from sickness and pain.
But how did disease come into the world? We discussed this in the first chapter. Disease was not created by God but entered the world through the Fall. Because of the Fall, imperfection came into the world, and death, sickness, and trouble came into existence.
Reason 85: God has Appointed Healers
When we look at a congregation, we see that different people and ministries are needed to lead it. Most people are familiar with the pastor or shepherd who leads the congregation. There are also support ministries that help people with specific needs. In many congregations, there is also a board that oversees legal matters. Paul listed the ministries that should be present in a congregation:
And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28)
According to Paul, what has God given to the church? Apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healings (which I will refer to as healers), helps, administrations, and varieties of tongues. Have you ever noticed the order Paul uses? When we compare this to a typical church today, it looks different. In many modern congregations, the board is in charge. The board (or the congregation members) appoints a pastor, who works under the board. Then support ministries, such as pastoral caregivers, support the pastor. Some congregations also recognize the ministry of a Bible teacher. However, in many congregations, you do not often find apostles, prophets, those who perform miracles, healers, or those who pray in tongues and interpret them. Yet Paul showed that these ministries should have a place in the church.
In this book, I do not want to go into detail about all the different ministries. I want to focus on healers. According to Paul, healers should have an important and active role in the local congregation. What does this reveal about God's will to heal?
First, it shows that God desires healers to be present in every local congregation. Sometimes, people argue that only Jesus and His apostles could heal. But this is not true, because James and Paul instructed that healers should be appointed in every local congregation to pray for the sick and bring healing.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14)
Second, it means that healing plays an important role in the church of God. God desires to heal in His church and wants people to be actively involved in the healing ministry. It is important that the church makes room for healing teaching, healing services, and visiting the sick. Healings are often dismissed with the attitude, “It is nice when it happens, but the focus is on the Sunday morning service and spiritual growth.” Of course, it is wonderful for people to grow spiritually, but there should also be an urgency to care for the sick and to heal them.
Third, it means that specific people are called as healers. While the command to heal the sick applies to all followers of Jesus, there is also a special ministry within the church.
And these signs will follow those who believe: (…) they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. (Mark 16:17-18)
When you are on the street, you may pray for the sick. But within the church, this role is given to specific people. God has given this ministry to every local church. Usually, a city has several churches, which means there are many people whom God has called to be healers, but who are not yet walking in their purpose and destiny. If every church had at least one person with the ministry of healing, there would already be thousands of healers called by God. When all these people are active in their ministry, the church will be healthier than ever before. Healing is truly an important part of the structure of the church.
Reason 86: The Gifts of Healings
But how can these healers heal? Paul explains this in 1 Corinthians 12, where he speaks about the gifts of the Spirit:
Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: (...) There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
From this passage, I would like to share some important lessons.
First, the whole Trinity—God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit—desires to heal. Do you notice that all Three are mentioned? God wants to heal you, as is confirmed throughout the Bible.
God the Father desires to heal:
(...) for I am the Lord, your healer. (Exodus 15:26, ESV)
Jesus Christ also desires to heal:
Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Mark 1:40-41)
And the Holy Spirit desires to heal:
(...) to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:9)
This is wonderful to know, because it means we can approach God's throne with boldness, already confident that God is eager to hear us. We do not need to convince Him or change His mind—He already desires to heal us.
The second lesson we can learn is that it is the Holy Spirit who works through the healer. When we go to a healer, we should not expect healing from the man or woman who prays or speaks healing. Instead, we can trust that the Holy Spirit is working through the healer to touch and heal us. We do not put our trust in people, but in God, who uses people as His vessels. Our faith and hope must always be in Jesus and the Holy Spirit who heals us, not in any human being.
The third lesson is that God has appointed healers in His church, as we also saw in the previous reason. Sometimes people are skeptical about healers, and healing is even labeled as “of the devil.” But it is God who has appointed healers, and it is the Holy Spirit who uses them and has given them to the church. Of course, it is important to test everything, but if the fruit is good and Jesus is exalted, then the healer is from God.
A healer is an important tool that God has given to you as a church member. You may confidently make use of the healer’s ministry and stand together in faith for a miracle and breakthrough from God.
Summary
In this chapter, we looked at what the apostles wrote about healing in the epistles. Although there are many accounts of healing in the Gospels and the book of Acts, healing is mentioned less often in the epistles. This is because the letters were written to answer specific questions from the congregations, or to encourage and correct them on matters they were dealing with.
Nevertheless, there are several texts in the epistles that speak about healing. For example, the letter of James teaches about praying for and anointing the sick. James emphasizes the importance of faith in healing, both for the one who desires healing and for the elders who pray. In his third letter, John expresses his prayer that Gaius, a member of the church, would prosper in all things and be in health. This prayer shows that it is God's will for people to be healthy.
Peter also refers to healing by quoting from the Old Testament. He cites Isaiah, saying that by Jesus’ wounds, we are healed. Peter wrote this to slaves who were suffering physical abuse from their masters.
In addition, the letter of James highlights that repentance and confession of sins can sometimes lead to healing. It is important to understand that sickness is not always the result of sin, but in some cases, repentance can bring healing.
When we study the concept of suffering, we see that it does not refer to sickness. When God speaks about suffering and persecution as part of the Christian life, He does not mean that sickness must be accepted as coming from Him.
The epistles also emphasize the importance of the body, which is described as the temple of the Holy Spirit. God desires that our bodies be healthy and whole, just as His heavenly temple is perfect. Paul also prays that the believer’s body would be preserved blameless until the coming of Jesus Christ.
In the same way, death is seen as man's enemy, not as a friend. Since disease often leads to death, disease too can be regarded as an enemy.
Finally, Paul teaches that healing plays an important role in the church and that healers are appointed by God. Healing is an essential part of the structure of the church, and it is the Holy Spirit who works through the healers to bring healing to people.