'An Independent Baptist Church'

Is the Gift of Healing available today?

There are those today who teach that the Apostolic 'Gift of Healing' is available today just as it was in Bible days.  Is that so according to the Bible?  I do not believe so.

As we look at the 'Gift of Healing' in the Bible we see that in the days of the Apostles certain people were given the supernatural ability as a 'sign gift' to heal people, completely, by the mere spoken word, or by a touch, or even by sending 'napkins' or handkerchiefs as the Apostle Paul did, from a distance, in the Book of Acts!  Those with the gift of healing in that day could even raise people from the dead!  (Matthew 10:8) Those healings were complete and instantaneous!  As with the other 'sign gifts', they seem to disappear when the completed Bible came onto the scene some 30 or 40 years after Christ's death.  Here are some reasons why we believe this.  First of all, the Apostle Paul and Peter did have the gift of healing, because both healed people and even raised people from the dead!  But later on, we see that they evidently did not have the gift anymore because they did not heal people close to them who were ill.  The gift evidently was no longer available at that time.  Look at these examples:  The apostle Paul couldn't heal Timothy's stomach problem (1 Timothy 5:23), but rather told him to drink a little wine for his stomach's sake.  Evidently the water in that day was not purified as we have it today and was making Timothy sick so Paul told him only to drink grapejuice (not intoxicating wine...remember the word 'wine' can mean either intoxicating or non-fermented).  Why didn't Paul heal Timothy or send him a napkin or handkerchief as he had done earlier as recorded in the Book of ACTS?  Evidently he couldn't heal anymore.  Paul also could not heal his friend and co-worker Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27).  Why not?  Paul spoke of a bodily illness he had himself (Galatians 4:13-15) and we're told he had a 'thorn in the flesh' (2 Corinthians 12:7-9), but yet Paul could not heal himself.  Now evidently the apostolic gift of healing was no longer available!  The Bible seems to teach  in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10 that when the Bible was beginning to be completed (when that which is PERFECT is come), that the the so-called 'SIGN GIFTS' such as tongues, healing, etc. would be done away with.  God used these SIGN GIFTS to bring attention to the new program He was starting...the CHURCH!  Someone asks, "Is healing guaranteed in the atonement according to Isaiah 53?"  Yes, but the 'healing' referred to in this passage if you read it in its context is 'spiritual' healing from our SINS!  Notice Isaiah 53:4,5 says, "He was wounded for our TRANSGRESSIONS, He was bruised for our INIQUITIES..."  Clearly this is talking about 'spiritual' healing from our SINS.  It is evident to me that no one has the spiritual gift of healing today as the apostles had in Bible days because if they did they could raise people from the dead!  Recall that the apostles could heal anyone whether the sick person had faith for not!  If some 'Faith-Healer' has the apostolic GIFT OF HEALING today, why don't they go into St. Jude's Hospital for crippled children and empty that place?  Why don't they raise people from the dead?  Can anyone answer that question?  These little children have faith don't they?  Now don't misunderstand me, I do believe that God CAN heal through prayer when it is His will to do so, but sometimes it is just not God's will to heal someone.  We don't understand 'why' sometimes, and we don't know all the answers.  But to say that some 'faith-healer' has the gift of healing in  some so called Charismatic on Pentecostal 'Healing Meeting' just doesn't match up to the Bible.  To imply to some sick child if they only had 'enough' faith they could be healed is cruel and inhumane, and unbiblical!  How many charlatans and frauds have been revealed in this so called 'healing ministry' down thru the years?  Someone says, "Oh, but I believe in the gift of healing because I know someone who was healed!"  My friend, God can still heal through prayer, but beware of so-called 'faith-healers', because you could be delving into the occultic  and witnessing Demonic powers!  Renown Occultic expert Kurt Koch in his book OCCULT ABC gives examples in his case studies where those involved in occultism and witchcraft have operated on people with rusty knives and even taken their heart out and put it back in..and this being video recorded!  Don't be deceived!  Satan does have the power to do miracles and even HEAL people and he will do so if that will lead a person or family into a false religion away from Christ and the Bible! (2 Thessalonians 2:9) (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)  Recall that Satan has the power to give life to a statue in the Book of Revelation! (Revelation 13:3)  And Remember how Pharoah's occultic magicians performed the same miracle as Moses did by turning their staffs into live serpents!  Where did their power come from?  From Satan!!  My Friend..don't deceived!  Kurt Koch goes on to say that in his case studies, everyone who seeks healing through occultic means usually suffers a tragic death in the end.  That's what the devil does when he's done with you.  Don't go to Lourdes, don't go to the faith-healer!  Go to your Pastor or Christian friend and have them to pray with you for your healing if that is God's will to do so!  God can still heal today!!