same basis (cf. also Acts 9:32-43 ; 28:8-9). In no instance is healing made a part of the gospel of grace to be re ceived through faith in Christ’s atoning work. According to the explanation of the Scriptures, these miraculous works were signs (Acts 6:8 ASV; 14:3; Rom. 15:18-19; 2 Cor. 12:12), designed to produce belief (Acts 8:6). This brief study of the healing ministry of Christ and the early church gives no support for a so-called faith healing based upon Christ’s atonement. Not once was the invitation given for physical healing or an exhortation to-seek it. THE PRESENT STATUS OF THE HUMAN BODY Is it God’s purpose to provide healing for our bodies today even as He provides forgiveness of sins? If so, the writers of the epistles, who are our chief source for the explanation of the gospel, are strangely silent. Never is healing made a part of the gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3-4), nor do any of the epistles ever make reference to the healing ministry of Christ. Their message is a salvation from the guilt and penalty of sin and a power to over come the present indwelling sin until the time when the believer is absolutely conformed to Christ at His coming (1 John 3:2). Salvation is complete and sure for the total man, body and spirit, but is not yet fully realized. As in the spiritual aspect of salvation, the atonement did not provide for a healing of the diseased spirit, but rather death and resurrection (Rom. 6:5-6), or as the apostle John explains, a “new birth” (John 3), so with the phy sical body; the plan is not for healing, but a resurrection body. The body is presently in a state of death because of sin (Rom. 8:10). While our “ inward man” (the spir itual nature) is renewed day by day the “ outward man” (the physical nature) is perishing (2 Cor. 4:16). The body is not yet redeemed, leaving the believer in a state of groaning with the rest of the creation (Rom. 8:23). That the apostle Paul knew nothing of a present healing in the atonement is clearly seen in his actions. Trophimus he left sick at Miletum (2 Tim. 4:20), while to Timothy he recommended the use of wine for his stomach infirmity (1 Tim. 5:23). The apostle even de scribes an affliction of his own as “ a thorn in the flesh” and an “ infirmity.” (It should be noted that the word for infirm ity used in the cases of Timothy and Paul is the same as that translated infirmities in Matthew 8:17). In none of these instances connected with the actions of the apostle is there any indication of a lack of faith to account for a failure of miraculous healing. Unless the Lord returns during the life of the believer, death, which is the ultimate of physical infirmity, will be the portion of each. Thus while it is true that bodily health is in the atonement, it is never promised for this life but is to be received through the resurrection for the life of eternity in the presence of God (Rev. 21:4). THE GIFT OF HEALING Although Scripture fails to lend support to universal faith healing based upon the atonement, it does speak of a “manifestation of the spirit” (1 Cor. 12:7) called “ gifts of healings” (1 Cor. 12:9, 28, 30). It would appear that these gifts refer to the ability given by the power of the Spirit to effect healing of a miraculous nature. Are these gifts in operation today? The Scripture does not cate gorically answer this question; nevertheless, it does give some suggestions by which to evaluate the contemporary claims. From the close association of these gifts with the gifts of miracles and tongues, the latter of which is ex pressly declared to be a sign to unbelievers (1 Cor. 14: 22), it would appear that they also had a similar import. This would concur with the fact that the actual healings of the early church recorded in Acts were declared to be
The Holy Spirit (continued) istry of Christ demonstrates that the true relation of miracles and faith was that explained by John: “ and many other signs truly did Jesus . . . but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:34). Jesus Himself testifies to the- same meaning when He explains in connection with the heal ing of the nobleman’s son, “ Except ye see signs and won ders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). These signs of healing were thus designed to bring belief of the gospel rather than being a result of such belief. But does not Matthew plainly teach the substitution ary work of Christ in behalf of physical infirmities when He explains the miraculous healing in the words of Isaiah, “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sick nesses” (Matt. 8:17)? An examination of this passage results in a negative reply. If the diseases were substi- tutionally bom by Christ, surely it was not until His death upon the cross, for who would say that He actually became diseased when removing the infirmity from man? But Matthew says the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled at the time of healing. Nor is there any idea expressed of Christ’s dying for our infirmities. He simply “ took” the infirmities when He removed them through healing. The word used here for “ bare” is never used in the New Testament of Christ’s substitutionary death for sin. It is a word used of bearing a burden either literally or fig
uratively. Here it is undoubtedly used in a sense similar to that in Galatians 6:2, “ bear ye one another’s burdens” a sympathetic bearing of that which is burdensome, in this case the infirmities of sinful man. The healing ministry of the disciples reveals a similar import to these miracles. Surely, if Christ needed and used signs for authentication, how much more did they? Their message of the gospel was to be accompanied with the miracles of healing the sick and raising the dead (Matt. 10:7-8). The record of their acts confirms that ¿he significance of their miracles was that of a “ sign.” Again, as in the case of Christ, there is on occasion mention of faith in connection with the healing (Acts 14:8-10); however, in numerous other instances faith is obviously absent. According to the Acts record, Peter did not ask the lame man at the Beautiful Gate to believe the gospel or to exercise healing faith. (The reference to faith in verse 16 is to that of the apostles.) Peter simply pronounced, “ In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). The amazement at this healing provided the audience for Peter’s second recorded sermon in which the invitation was given for repentance, but nothing was said concerning a bodily healing on the
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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