Physical Healing
Men’s Bible Study: Physical Healing
Is Supernatural Healing Still a Thing?
Christians generally fall into one of two camps on the subject of whether God still heals people today or whether the spiritual gift of healing ended after the last of the apostles died.
Cessationists
Cessationists believe that miraculous signs like supernatural healing, ceased after the death of the apostles and the completion of the New Testament canon. They hold that miracles were for the specific purpose of authenticating the apostles and for the specific time needed to establish the early Church. They hold that once Scripture was completed and the Church was founded, these gifts were no longer needed. They may admit that God may still heal, but not by the Holy Spirit moving through individuals.
Continuationists
Continuationists believe that all spiritual gifts, including healing, are still active and available to the church today as part of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. Asserting there is no clear Scripture stating that miraculous gifts have ceased, they hold to the idea that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the continuing building up of the Church and the advancement of the gospel. They profess that healing occurs through individuals as the Holy Spirit wills.
Within the continuationist camp, there are some who teach that physical healing is a promised right or privilege of all believers purchased through Christ’s atonement. Among these, there is the debate of whether healing depends on the faith of the one to be healed, the righteousness of the one to be healed, the will or sovereignty of God or a combination of the above.
So Who’s Right and Who’s Wrong?
To come to a reliable answer, we must first look to the Scriptures and not the opinions of others about the Scriptures. After having done so, we must then look through the lens of Scripture to understand what we are seeing today when it comes to the question of divine healing.
Overview of Healing in the New Testament:
| Scripture Reference | Healing Description |
|---|---|
| Matthew 8:1-4 | Jesus heals a man with leprosy |
| Matthew 8:5-13 | Jesus heals the centurion’s servant |
| Matthew 8:14-15 | Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law |
| Matthew 8:16 | Jesus heals many who were sick and demon-possessed |
| Matthew 9:18-26 | Jesus heals a woman with bleeding and raises Jairus’ daughter |
| Matthew 9:27-31 | Jesus heals two blind men |
| Matthew 12:9-14 | Jesus heals a man with a withered hand |
| Matthew 15:21-28 | Jesus heals the Canaanite woman’s daughter |
| Matthew 15:29-31 | Jesus heals many on a mountain |
| Matthew 17:14-20 | Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy |
| Matthew 20:29-34 | Jesus heals two blind men near Jericho |
| Mark 7:31-37 | Jesus heals a deaf and mute man |
| Mark 8:22-26 | Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida |
| Luke 5:17–26 | Jesus heals the paralytic |
| Luke 7:11-17 | Jesus raises a widow’s son in Nain |
| Luke 13:10-17 | Jesus heals a crippled woman on the Sabbath |
| Luke 14:1-6 | Jesus heals a man with dropsy |
| Luke 17:11-19 | Jesus heals ten lepers |
| Luke 22:50-51 | Jesus heals the servant’s ear in Gethsemane |
| John 4:46-54 | Jesus heals the official’s son in Capernaum |
| John 5:1-15 | Jesus heals a man at the Pool of Bethesda |
| John 9:1-12 | Jesus heals a man born blind |
| Acts 3:1-10 | Peter heals a lame man at the temple gate |
| Acts 5:15-16 | People healed by Peter’s shadow |
| Acts 8:6-7 | Philip heals the sick in Samaria |
| Acts 9:32-35 | Peter heals Aeneas, a paralyzed man |
| Acts 9:36-42 | Peter raises Tabitha (Dorcas) from the dead |
| Acts 14:8-10 | Paul heals a crippled man in Lystra |
| Acts 19:11-12 | Extraordinary miracles through Paul, including healing |
| Acts 20:9-12 | Paul raises Eutychus from the dead |
| Acts 28:7-9 | Paul heals many on the island of Malta |
For Discussion:
After studying these passages,
- What was the purpose of the healing? What outcome did it produce?
- What do they all have in common? In what ways are they different?
- What can we conclude about the people being healed? What can we conclude about the people through whom the healing comes?
- Are there any special words or phrases that must be used?
- Was there anyone who was only partially healed? Can we find any Scripture to support “partial healing?”
- Was there anyone who was healed but then lost their healing? Can we find any Scripture to support “losing your healing?”
- Was there anyone who received “the ultimate healing” (aka died)?