INTERP REVEL HEALING (HS book pt 8)

Virgil Warren, christir.org PDF

B. Interpretation

The gift of interpretation corresponds with the gift of language speaking; the understanding of the one corresponds with the understanding of the other, particularly when (δι)ερμηνεύω means “translate” rather than “explain.”

C. Revelation

1. Patterns of revelation observed in scripture

a. Urim and thummim (Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:18; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; *1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65)

b. Verbal communication (Deuteronomy 5:22; Exodus 20:1ff.; 1 Samuel 3; Matthew 3:17; 17:5)

c. Dreams (Genesis 20:3-6; 37:5ff.; 41:7-32; Matthew 1:20; 2:12-22)

d. Visions (Daniel 10:7; Genesis 42:2; Daniel 4:9; Isaiah 1:1; 6:1ff.; Amos 1:1; Acts 10:3, 9-16)

e. Lots (Joshua 7:14; Numbers 26:56; Leviticus 16:7-10; Acts 1:26)

f. Diverse supernatural phenomena (Exodus 13:21-22; 19:16ff.; Numbers 5:11-12; Daniel 5:24-25; Matthew 2:7-9)

g. Symbols (Exodus 13:21-22; Jeremiah 1:11ff.; Hosea 1:4, 6, 9)

h. Prophetic ecstasy (Ezekiel 1:28; 2 Corinthians 12:1-4?)

i. Theophanies (Exodus 35:10-11; 25:20-22; Leviticus 16:2; Romans 9:4)

j. Prophet was left to make the inference (Acts 10)

k. On the basis of his call, the prophet might suppose that, unless he was stopped, his ideas were acceptable to God and could be spoken in his name (2 Samuel 7).

2. The necessity of being able to distinguish divine revelation from one’s own thought or from psychological experiences that may be attributed to any number of causes including the residual effects of drugs

D. Miraculous healing (See also documents “Healing and Forgiveness: Sickness and Sin” and “James 5 and Anointing with Oil” as well as “Evaluation of Current Manifestation.”)

1. Instantaneous. The closest thing to an exception is Jesus’ two-step miracle in healing a blind man (Mark 8:22-26).

2. Always successful. One exception was the apostles’ failure during Jesus’ ministry to heal the lunatic boy at the foot of the Mount of Transfiguration. Another was Peter’s failure to succeed completely in walking on the water. In both cases the failure was assigned to the lack of faith in the person attempting the miracle. (See fuller treatment under “Evaluation: Tests.”)

3. Usually performed on those outside the Christian community

a. The case of Trophimus implies that miracles were not usually performed on fellow Christians; Paul left him behind at Miletus sick (2 Timothy 4:20).

b. Epaphroditus was sick to the point of death, but Paul did not heal him presumably. He was in Rome visiting Paul with an offering from the Philippian church when he took sick (Philippians 2:25-27).

c. Timothy’s stomach ailment was not removed miraculously by Paul or anyone else (1 Timothy 5:23). Instead, Paul recommended using medicine. (Paul’s own thorn in the flesh was not removed, even in response to threefold prayer; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9. However, this is a case of prayer, not miracle.)

Exceptions are the resurrection of Dorcas (Acts 9:36-41), the resurrection of Eutychus (Acts 20:7-12), and the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law during Christ’s ministry (Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:29-30; Luke 4:38-39). This pattern looks away from the health-and-wealth, “full faith” gospel.

There are no cases of miracle workers using miraculous powers on themselves. That is an underlying issue in the stones-to-bread temptation; Jesus refused to use miracle for self-preservation (Matthew 4:2-4; Luke 4:2-4). The closest things to an exception are the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand; presumably Jesus himself and his disciples ate with the multitudes.

James 5:13-18 is probably not talking about miraculous healing, but about answered prayer. Both healings and answered prayer were done with anointing and the laying on of hands. Healings involve oil only in James 5 and Mark 6:13. (See separate essay “James 5 and Anointing with Oil.”)

In Isaiah 53 the word disease is not mentioned in the context. Heal has many applications; so the use of it does not require disease to be included, even though Matthew 18:16-17 does cite Isaiah 53 in connection with Jesus’ healings.

In scripture miraculous healing is done on the following maladies:

a. Lameness: Matthew 15:30; 21:14; Acts 3:11; 8:7; Hebrews 12:13?

b. Wounds: 2 Kings 8:29; 9:15; 2 Chronicles 22:6; Job 5:18; Isaiah 30:26;

Jeremiah 30:17; Luke 22:51; Revelation 13:3, 12

c. Plagues: Leviticus 14:48; Mark 3:10

d. Leprosy: Luke 17:15, 19; Revelation 14:13

e. Withered hand: Mark 3:2-5; Luke 14:4

f. Blindness: Matthew 15:30; Mark 10:52

g. Demon possession: Matthew 15:22-28; 17:18; Luke 6:18; 7:21; 8:2, 36;

Acts 5:16; 10:36

h. Boils: Lev. 13:18, 37

i. Waters: 2 Kings 2:22; Ezekiel 47:8, 9

j. “Sicknesses”: Jeremiah 4:47; 12:40; Matthew 7:7, 8, 13; 8:16-17; 9:35; 10:1, 8; 12:15; 14:14; Mark 1:34; 5:23-24; 6:5, 13, 56; Luke 5:15, 17 (= Matthew 9:22-8; Mark 2:3-12); 7:1-10; 10:9; Acts 5:16; 9:34; James 5:16

k. “Diseases”: Psalm 103:3; Matthew 9:22 (= Mark 5:28-34; Luke 8:48); Luke 4:40; 6:17-19; 7:21; 9:1; Acts 28:8, 9

l. Multitudes: Matthew 14:36; 19:2; Luke 9:11

m. People: Genesis 20:17; Exodus 15:26; 21:19; Numbers 12:13; 1 Samuel 6:3; 2 Kings 20:8; 2 Chronicles 30:20; Psalm 6:2; 30:2; 41:4; 107:20; Isaiah 6:10; 17:22; 53:5 (= 1 Peter 2:24); 57:18, 19; Jeremiah 17:14; Hosea 6:1; 11:3; Acts 4:14, 22

In addition, there are figurative usages like these:

n. The brokenhearted: Psalm 147:3; Luke 4:18

o. Places: City (Jeremiah 33:16), Israel (Hosea 7:1), land (Psalm 60:2; 2 Chronicles 7:14), nature (Revelation 22:2)

p. The heart of the people: Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11

q. The backslider: Isaiah 57:18, 19; Jeremiah 3:22; Hosea 14:4

For a fuller treatment, see the separate essay entitled “Healing and Forgiveness: Sickness and Sin.”

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