What is a Faith Healer?
What is a faith healer? A figment of imagination, that’s what it is! Like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, a faith healer is a hoax.
You might say, “Well wait a moment, doesn’t the Bible say that some will be given gifts of healing?” Yes, but it doesn’t say anyone will be a faith healer.
“But what about Peter or Paul? They healed people!” Sure, they did. And sometimes they didn’t.
Paul couldn’t heal himself when he got sick and had to stop in Galatia –
You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first… (Galatians 4:13).
Nor did he heal Timothy of his frequent stomach ailments –
No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (1 Timothy 5:23).
So what was the purpose of these miracles, like speaking other languages, revealing prophecy, or healing the sick and even raising the dead?
And god has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28)
Hebrews 2:3-4 says that the message of salvation, the gospel, “was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will.”
So miracles were to affirm that the message of the gospel came from God.
Men of Irael, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know… (Acts 2:22).
Some people had these gifts, like the apostles, and some didn’t, like almost everyone else. But even the apostles could only perform miracles according to the will of the Spirit. As God’s message spread, eventually the regularity of miracles diminished, as was the case after Moses and Elijah’s ministries.
Today’s “faith healers” claim to heal by faith. Then why aren’t they clearing out hospitals, or on the scene after a natural disaster? Because they know they’re liars. It’s as clear as the eyeglasses on their faces. There are two places faith healers won’t go: children’s hospitals and heaven! …if they don’t repent.
…when we understand the text.
(This video is by WWUTT. Discovered by Christian Podcast Central and our community — copyright is owned by the publisher, not Christian Podcast Central.)