FAITH HEALERS

The Bible says “Brothers and sisters, many false prophets have gone out into the world. So do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God” (1 John 4:1)

The best way to “test the spirit” of the modern-day “faith healer” is to compare their “miraculous” work to that recorded in the pages of the Bible. Consider several points:

1) Miracles done by Christ and the apostles were instantaneous (Matt. 8:3,15; 9:27-30; 12:13,22; Acts 3:7-9).

2) Miracles were performed on people that the multitudes who witnessed the miracle KNEW was really paralyzed (Acts 3:7-10; 4:16).

3) True healers restored people afflicted with organic diseases, not merely functional disorders (Matt. 15:30; Lk. 17:11-19; Acts 3:7-9).

4) Jesus and the apostles performed miracles that were evident to everyone. Jesus could restore a man's ear after it had been cut off with a sword (Matt. 26:51), raise the dead (Jn. 11:1-44), restore a withered hand in front of witnesses (Matt. 12:9-13)). Who today can perform miracles such as these?

5) Faith was not always required on the part of those on whom the miracles were performed (Jn. 11:39-44; Acts 13:11-12; 16:18).

6) Jesus and the apostles had destructive powers as well as powers to heal (Matt. 8:30-32; Acts 5:1-11; 13:9-12). Which one of the “faith healers” has the power to strike people blind or cause them instantaneously to fall dead?

7) Biblical miracles were acknowledged by everyone. Even the enemies of Christ and the apostles had to admit that the miracles were real (Matt. 12:13-14,24; Acts 4:16; 16:18-19).

8) The miracles were never used as a means of making money (Matt. 10:8-10; Acts 3:6).

9) The miracles glorified God, not man (Acts 3:2-13).

10) The one who was healed did not always have to be present (Matt. 8:5-13).

11) Some miracles were performed on one who protested (Matt. 8:28-29; Mk. 5:1-17; Lk. 4:33-35).

12) Some who claim miraculous power try to perform miracles, fail to do so, and then insult the ones requesting healing by claiming that they did not have enough faith. No one in the the Bible ever did this. In fact, the only case of failure was blamed by Jesus on the ones who failed, not on the lack of faith of the prospective recipient (Matt. 17:19-21).

13) Jesus and the apostles never said they couldn’t heal because unbelievers were present (Mk. 2:1-12).

14) Those in the Bible who could perform miracles never announced a “healing service.”

Compare the claims of the modern-day faith healer with the miracles of Jesus and the apostles.