QC and accountability session (15/7/16)

We spent more time on 'contributions' than 'questions' for a change today!
Grace and Noel shared on their YMEFLC experience. Even Winnie shared on her conversation with a friend from CEFC where the latter mentioned how much she appreciated our communion ritual - something many of us have become numbed to.

We discussed divine healing. The Bible unequivocally states that God heals (Is 53, cf. Mt 8). The issue is whether we can always expect Him to heal in response to believing prayer. If we have the idea that Jesus' death "paid it all", including physical healing, then we have to explain failure of divine healing as due to "lack of faith" on the part of the one praying or the one being prayed for. This certainly can be a factor, but the chief reason why physical healing does not always take place (in contrast to spiritual healing), is that physical healing is not God's ultimate aim for us, whereas spiritual healing is. Our physical wellness is only finally achieved in our resurrection bodies, not in our present body of weak and dying flesh (1 Co 15). All of us will die of illness or old age.

God's main concern is for His glory and our good. This does not necessarily imply physical healing. He will have good purposes for us, whether in sickness or in health.

Another line of evidence that God does not always heal supernaturally rests on passages in the New Testament that suggest that active Christians can be physically disabled by illness in a way that impacts their ministry (Epaphroditus in Phil 2:27 and Trophimus in 2 Ti 4:20). Paul suggests a natural remedy for Timothy's weak stomach (1 Ti 5:23) - more wine, rather than more prayer.

We can always pray for another, Christian or non-Christian that God show mercy by supernatural healing. God is a god who is well able to heal. The difficulty arises because we cannot usually be certain that He intends to heal in particular cases, so we should take care not to use stock phrases in superstitious ways (e.g. "I declare...", "I claim... ", "Thus says the Lord..."). God is not a petty God who will not heal when we humbly ask in Jesus' name. It is fine to say, "If this is Your will, Lord..." There will be times when we have greater or lesser confidence that He may heal in response to our prayers, But even those with a special gift of healing will not have a perfect gift of healing that is invariably effective.

I end with an excerpt from a talk I gave to the NUS Medical and Nursing VCF:

2. The purpose of illness and death

Earns glory (Man born blind Jn 9:3)

·        Makes us dependent on God and turn to Him for grace (Paul’s thorn 2 Cor 12:7)

Punishment for personal sin (King Asa 2 Chro 16:12, Jehoram in 2 Chr 21:15, Man at Bethesda Jn 5:14. Elymas Ac 13:9-12, 1 Cor 11:30, Corinthians at Lord’s supper ) or the sin or others (David’s son 2 Sa 12:14-15). Or corporate sin (Dt 28:58-61)

Testing of faith (Job, Js 1:3-4)

Death is merciful. 1 Ki 14 (Abijah, son of Jeroboam “he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord”)

3. The purpose of physical healing in the Bible and the present time

The Bible speaks of both miraculous and non-miraculous healings.

Miraculous healings tend to group in Scripture at particular epochs:

1.      Exodus. “None of these diseases” (Ex 15:26, 23:25, Dt 7:15, serpent on stick (Nu 21:9)

2.      Prophets Eiljah (1Ki 17:7) Elisha (2 Ki 4)

3.      Jesus (Mt 8:17, cf. Is 53:4, Jn 11 Lazarus(

4.      Acts: Peter and John (3:1-10 Lame man, 5:15-16, Aeneas 9:34)  and Paul - Dorcas (9:36-42) the crippled man in Lystra (Acts 14:10), many people in Ephesus (Acts 19:12) ,the demonized girl in Philippi (Acts 16:18) Eutychus (Acts 20:9–10) and Publius’ father (Ac 29:8). Philip in Samaria (8:7)

Non-miraculous healings, even then ascribed to God’s direction

Hezekiah (Is 38)

Epaphroditus (Phil 2:27)

Wine for the stomach, binding up of wounds

In the church God gives gifts of healing (1 Cor 12:9) as well as the mandate for elders to pray for healing (Js 5:14-16)

• Healings show God’s compassion and common grace to all, even His enemies (Mt 5:43-45)
• Healings authenticate ministry - Jesus’ (Jn 10:38) and apostles’.
• Healings show God’s favour and authority on the one praying for healing (Abraham-Abimelech Gen 20:17, Moses=Miriam Nu 12:13, Ananias-Saul Ac 9:10-19)
• Healings point the way to ultimate healing (Jn 5:14, Mt 9:2-8)
• Healings become part of God’s power and grace working in the life of the church.

Not all faithful are healed

Paul could not heal himself from the thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:8–9) or from the ailment that he had in Galatians (Galatians 4:13–14). He could not heal Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23) or Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:26–27) or Trophimus whom he "left ill at Miletus" (2 Timothy 4:20).

Miraculous healing exists. But it is not normative.

Healing then is the same as healing now.