Do Christians Today Have the Gift of Miraculous Healing?
Definition of Miracles
Did miracles take place in every time period of the Bible? One might think that miracles were a constant phenomenon throughout Bible history. In fact, there are periods or “Ages of Miracles.” Miraculous events seem to be grouped or gathered in seven different eras: Creation, time of Abraham, period of the Exodus, during the days of Samuel; Elijah’s prophetic work, mission of Jesus, and in the days of the early Church.
What about Christians having gifts of miraculous healing, today? Before we can answer first consider this question: “Do you believe in Divine Healing?” Yes, I do. Also, the question “Do you believe in miraculous Divine healing?” needs to be answered. Again, yes, I do. Personally, I have never met a single member of the body of Christ who taught that God cannot work a miracle. Are the same miraculous signs and wonders which were performed by Christ and His Apostles present today? The answer is “NO.” But some will argue that miracles happen every day everywhere around the world. That depends on one’s definition of a miracle.
The problem many have with this question is complicated by a misuse of the term “miracle.” Someone sees a stunning and beautiful sunset or sunrise and says it is a miracle of nature. Others speak of the “miracle of birth.” In the area of health, we talk about a “miracle drug” or a “miraculous recovery.” There is talk of “miracles” of science. Some new amazing invention comes along, and it is hailed as a new “technological miracle.” Science will never perform “miracles” in the way that the Bible uses the term which involves the direct use of the power of God. After a terrible vehicle accident some will proclaim “it’s a miracle that anyone survived.” But a Biblical miracle is something quite different from a lucky escape.
Modern day dictionaries are not much help. Webster defines a miracle as “a wonderful thing – a marvel.” The Thorndike Barnhart Junior Dictionary does a better job by defining a miracle as “a wonderful happening that is above, against, or independent of the known laws of nature.” A miracle in the Bible was an extraordinary event manifesting the supernatural power of God for the fulfilling of His purposes. It was a supernatural event resulting from supernatural power.
The Bible in fact uses three different descriptive terms for miracles. All three are used in the words of Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost. He preached, “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22). A “miracle” or “mighty work” indicates the origin of the event, that is, it comes by the will and power of God. A “wonder” is used to describe the reaction of those who witness this supernatural event. They are often filled with “astonishment” (Mark 2:12; 4:41; 6:51; 7:37). Finally, the term “signs” points to the purpose of miracles. In the case of Jesus’ miracles, they were used for the purpose of proof that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. A single miraculous/supernatural event could be a “mighty work” in that it comes by the power of God, secondly, it is a “wonder” in that those who witness it are astonished and finally it is also a “sign” because its purpose is to point to a particular purpose.
The Bible mentions several types of miracles. First, there are miracles which demonstrate God’s power over nature, such as, the time Jesus stilled a storm (Matthew 8:26-27). Second, the wonders where God shows His power over material things, such as, in the feeding of the five thousand with a few loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:15-21, 17:24-27, John 2:1-11, 21:1-14; Luke 9:10-17). Additionally, some mighty works prove God’s power over all manner of diseases (Matthew 8:16; Matthew 9:20, John 4:46-54, 9:1-41). God’s power over the spirit world is seen when Demons are cast out (Matthew 8:16; Luke 10:1 17-18, Matthew 12:28-29, Luke 11:20-22, Mark 1:21-28). Finally, there are those miracles evidencing Divine power over life and death, such as in the resurrection of Lazarus and others in both the Old and New Testaments (Matthew 9:18-26; John 11:14-44).
What about prayer and miracles? Does God answering prayers prove there are miracles today? In a sense God answering prayer is like a miracle in that someone without ears hears and without a mouth or arms or legs answers. But nowhere in the Bible is the act of praying defined as a miracle. Although, some prayers have been answered with a miracle. Such as the time Elijah prayed, and God answered with fire from heaven (1 Kings 18). The problem is some have the idea that God is only able to answer prayers through use of miracles. We are to pray for our daily bread (Matt. 6:11). No one expects loaves of bread to miraculously appear on the lawn like manna from heaven. We are to pray for guidance and protection (Matt. 6:13). We are to pray for the rulers of nations that we may lead “quiet and peaceable lives” (1 Tim. 2:2). Do we expect a supernatural mighty work in response? And we are to pray when we or others are sick (James 5:13). Is God limited to just being able to heal via a miracle?
The problem is in one’s definition of a miracle. Some think that “any supernatural intervention in the ordinary course of natural events” is a miracle. But God can providentially work through the natural laws He created to answer our prayers indirectly. That is why we can pray without demanding God to answer it with a miracle. Otherwise, we are caught in an insolvable quandary. Are we going to have to cease teaching that miracles were only for the apostolic period in order to maintain our belief in the reality of prayer?
A Biblical miracle is not just any divine intervention in our lives. When God forgives us, it is not categorized as a miracle in the Bible. God is not like one of your lazy brothers-in-law. “It would be a miracle if he ever did a lick of work.” God can do work which supersedes the laws of nature by doing a miracle or God can work within the laws of nature to do His will. That is why we can still pray for God in faith to answer our requests. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:6-7). “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 5:16).
Divine intervention working within the laws of nature is providential working of God and not a miracle. Roland H Worth, Jr., wrote: “Since our minds are finite and God’s infinite, there is no way that we will ever have the full mastery of the natural laws of this universe in the sense and to the degree that he does.” God works within the Laws of nature which He created them.
So, when I pray for the sick, I do not pray that God will heal them by a miracle. Every time God heals a person today, He does so by the established laws of nature. I never witnessed a single prayer answered with a miraculous Divine healing nor have I seen someone like Lazarus raised from the dead.
Am I limiting the power of God? Those who claim that God can only work by performing miracles are the ones limiting the power of God. God has the power to work within the Laws of Nature which He created. God can limit Himself. Not every Christian who was sick and prayed received a miraculous healing. Paul prayed three times that the thorn in his flesh be removed. God answered his prayer but did not perform a miraculous healing.
Purpose of Miracles
▸ To Produce Faith
Several purposes for miracles are found throughout the Bible. The most common reason for miracles appears to be for the purpose of producing faith in God or Jesus Christ as the Son of God. The ten plagues upon Egypt were for the faith of the Israelites. “And in that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land” (Exodus 8:22). In Elijah’s contest with the prophets of Baal, God answered with fire and consumed Elijah’s sacrifice. “Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’” (1 Kings 18:39). After Naaman dipped seven times in the river Jordan and God healed him of his leprosy, Naaman proclaimed his faith, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel” (2 Kings 5:15). After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead “many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him” (John 11:45). Peter’s raising of Tabitha from the dead caused “many believed on the Lord” (Acts 9:42). The Bible is full of miracles. It would appear all of them deal with the production of faith.
▸ Confirmation of Jesus as Son of God
Jesus came preaching and proclaiming that He was the Messiah and the Son of God. One of the ways to validate His credentials was the miracles He performed. The Gospel of John only records seven miracles of Jesus. Toward the end of his Gospel John explains the reason for their inclusion. “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31).
Nicodemus understood this point when he said to Jesus “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). Jesus further demonstrated His right or authority to forgive sins by backing it up with a miracle (Matthew 9:1-8, Mark 2:1-12). Jesus came preaching that His kingdom was at hand. This too was supported by the performance of miracles. Jesus said, “but if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Luke 11:20). Miracles were used to demonstrate Jesus authority or power over Satan. Jesus asked, “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house” (Matt. 12:29). Old Testament prophecy pointed out that the Messiah would be identified by His performance of various miracles. When John the Baptist “had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” (Mt. 11:2-5).
▸ Confirm the Apostles’ Preaching
When God commissioned Moses to go demand Pharoah that he let God’s people go, Moses was concerned about proof that God had sent him to the Israelites and Pharoh. So, these would believe that God sent Moses, God gave Moses three miracles as a witness: his hand turning leprous and then turn healthy again, his rod turning into a snake and then back into a rod and water turning into blood. When Jesus commissioned the Apostles, He also gave them miraculous abilities to verify that God had sent them out to preach. Jesus told them, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18). Afterward, the apostles “went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark. 16:20). The miracles would verify or corroborate the message which the preached came from God.
The Holy Spirit was sent to the apostles to confirm and communicate God’s message. The Holy Spirit would speak through the Apostles (Mark 13:11); teach and bring to memory all Jesus had taught them (John 14:26); bear witness of Christ (John 15:26); guide them into all truth (John 16:13); and clothe them with power (Luke 24:48-49). Thus, they would be able to communicate the message of the Gospel to the world without mistake.
On the Day of Pentecost, Christ’s apostles spoke under the direction of the Spirit. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Their miraculous speaking in languages they had not previously studied or known is proof of their God given message. “And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” (Acts 2:6-8).
Miracles were used by God in authenticating their Apostleship. Paul thus performed miracles demonstrating that he too was an apostle like the Twelve. Miracles would also distinguish between false prophets from true prophets.
▸ Confirmation of the Word
During the first few decades of the early Church, Christians had the Old Testament scriptures but none of the New Treatment had yet been written. Holy Spirit revelation that the written words were of God was authenticated by miracles. When Philip preached Christ, miracles confirmed his preaching was from God. “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed, and lame were healed” (Acts 8:5-7). The same is true of the preaching of Paul and his companions. “Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands…” (Acts 14:3). Consistently, miracles were performed as a sign that the preacher’s message came from God.
The words written in our Bibles has been confirmed as the Word of God through the miracles performed throughout Bible history. “This salvation which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will” (Hebrews 2:3-4).
▸ Compassion for Suffering Sinners
There were times when Jesus and others performed miracles out of a heart of compassion. “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed’” (Mark 1:41). However, keep in mind that everyone was not healed via miracles. Even though, God has compassion and mercy upon all men.
▸ Causing Repentance
Some miracles were performed for the purpose of bringing others to repentance. Jonah repented having been swallowed by a great fish. Moses’ miracles were performed to encourage Pharaoh to repent by letting God’s people go. Jesus warned, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Mt. 11:21).
▸ Clarifying Spiritual Truths
Finally, at times miracles were used as object lessons. After Jesus healed ten lepers, He used this to teach a lesson on gratitude. Other wonders were used to demonstrate the need for greater faith.
Miracles like those seen in the Bible are not seen today. Why? First, man and woman were formed by miracle. No such creation today. Creation stands as proof in the Creator. Resurrection of Christ produced faith in the Son of God and our hope. Jesus does not need to be continuously resurrected to prove this. The Word preached has been confirmed by miracles to produce faith. There is no need for more revelation or confirmation by miracles. Today, faith comes from the written Word of God. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). None of these purposes for miracles exist today. So, the next question should be: when did miracles cease?
– Daniel R. Vess