BIBLICAL DIVINE HEALING;
There are basically three types of healing in the world today. Biblical Divine Healing, Natural Healing, Medicinal/Medical Healing; in this article we are praying and looking at Biblical Divine Healing;
We will be using mainly references from the New Testament for our examples on healing, even though there are many excellent ones in the Old Testament as well. To study the various kinds of healing, I am going to start with Biblical Divine Healing first to give us something to compare with all other forms of healing.
(1) Biblical Divine Healing
True Biblical Divine Healing is immediate, lasting, verifiable and all the glory goes to Jesus Christ. I will add to this description after proving some additional points.
(a)Immediate
All the examples of Biblical Divine Healing in the New Testament (hereafter NT) were accomplished by the power of God instantaneously. They were not done by the person (with the exception of Jesus Christ Himself) but were done through the person by the Holy Spirit. God is the only One who can do a creative healing. All other healings are natural or lying wonders, but only God can create. Healings in the NT never took a long time. They were always accomplished the same day, and in most cases were instantaneous.
(b) Lasting
All Biblical Divine Healings were lasting. They lasted for the rest of the person’s natural life. They did not wear off. The person that was healed did not have to come back for repeated treatments or healings. The only case where there might be an exemption to this fact would be in the case of a conditional healing, where a person is exhorted to obey the Lord or the healing will be nullified. But, though there are hints of this in the story of the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11 (which story is not present in the majority of early manuscripts) and in the healing of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20:5, I am hard pressed to absolutely prove that assumption by Scripture.
(c) Verifiable
All Biblical Divine Healings were verifiable. The NT healings were obvious healings. The most obvious were recorded as proof. Nearly half the incidents of healings in the NT that are descriptively recorded are of the most obvious kind, completely verifiable, beyond question. The people who were healed were well known in the community, in fact they were known by their ailment. Following are the NT incidents of obvious healings that were used as proof, as a sign verifying who Jesus Christ was and the validity of the ministry and the authority of the Apostles.
Matthew 4:24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. – obvious illnesses
Matthew 8:3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
Matthew 8:8, 13 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour. – paralyzed
Matthew 8:14-15 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
Matthew 9:21-22 She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed from that moment. – 12 years bleeding
Matthew 11:5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
Matthew 12:10 and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
Matthew 15:30 Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.
Matthew 21:14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
Mark 1:42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Mark 5:23 and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” – dying daughter
Mark 10:52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. – public figure known to be blind
Luke 7:7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. – dead son
Luke 7:21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind.
Luke 7:22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
Luke 8:50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” – daughter dead
Luke 13:10-13 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
Luke 14:4 But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. – man with dropsy
Luke 17:15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. – 10 lepers
Luke 22:51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him. – servant of the high priest’s cut off ear
John 4:47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
John 5:9-10 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” – an invalid for thirty-eight years
John 11:1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. – Lazarus raised from the dead
Acts 3:16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. – crippled from birth
Acts 4:9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, – crippled from birth
Acts 8:7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.
Acts 9:40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.
Acts 14:9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed – a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked.
Acts 28:8 His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.
Furthermore ALL the diseases listed as proof were incurable at that time of history. Demonic diseases, oppression, and possession that were obvious were healed and are listed below:
Matthew 8:33 Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon possessed men.
Matthew 9:33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”
Matthew 12:22 Then they brought him a demon possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. – demon possessed daughter
Matthew 17:18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Mark 7:29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
Luke 4:35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
Luke 6:18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured,
Luke 8:2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;
Luke 8:36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon possessed man had been cured.
Luke 9:42 Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father.
Luke 11:14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
The other verses in the NT on healing, as listed below, were generic listings which were not specific as to what kind of healings were done. We cannot infer anything from the silence of these passages as to the types of healings, simply that Jesus healed many types of diseases and conditions.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Matthew 8:16 When evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
Matthew 9:35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
Matthew 12:15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed him, and he healed all their sick,
Matthew 14:14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him
Matthew 14:36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Matthew 19:2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
Mark 1:34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Mark 3:10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.
Mark 6:5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
Mark 6:13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Mark 6:56 And wherever he went- into villages, towns or countryside- they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.
Luke 4:40 When the sun was setting, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.
Luke 5:15 Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.
Luke 6:18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured,
Luke 6:19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
Luke 9:6 So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.
Luke 9:11 but the crowds learned about it and followed him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.
John 6:2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
John 7:23 Now if a child can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing the whole man on the Sabbath?
Acts 5:16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
Acts 19:12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
Acts 28:9 When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.
(d) All Glory to God
All the glory goes to God for Biblical Divine Healing because it is impossible for anything or anyone to effect Biblical Divine Healing except God Himself. Divine healing can occur at any time or any place. God can heal in response to the prayers of the righteous (James 5:16) in answer to the prayers of the elders in a local church (James 5:14) or simply because God wants to heal someone. I see no evidence in Scripture AT ALL of divine healing occurring as a sign to justify false teachers or false prophets. I believe it is possible for a person to receive divine healing anywhere. It is even remotely possible for God to heal someone for His own purposes at a meeting of a false teacher, but in that case it is also a test and the responsibility of that Christian to understand that the Lord did the healing and he is commanded to get away from false teachers as Jesus and the Apostles told us to do.
To definitively prove that a healing is a Biblical Divine Healing today … that healing would have to be (1) of an incurable condition (2) obvious (3) verifiable (4) a problem well known to many people (5) immediate (6) lasting and (7) ascribed alone to the glory of God Who accomplished it by His omnipotent power alone. If it does not meet ALL these criteria it should not be used to prove it is a type of Biblical Divine Healing.