All posts tagged: gifts of healing

Philip the evangelist

The church has Holy Spirit specialists

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There is an interesting passage in Acts, that suggests we have Holy Spirit specialists, or individuals who are good at manifesting one particular aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry on earth. We are told, in the Gospel of John, that Jesus had the full measure of the Holy Spirit (John 3:34). This suggests that while believers today can be filled with the Holy Spirit, we do not have the full measure as Jesus did. And we may even see an example of this in the Book of Acts. Gifts of healing specialists? In Acts 8, we are told that Philip went to Samaria and a lot of amazing miracles started happening. “For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed” Luke writes (Acts 8:7). Not only was Philip casting out evil spirits, but notice that it specifically says he was healing the paralyzed or lame. Does this mean that only lame and paralyzed people were showing up to be …

Jesus healing woman with an issue of blood by Paolo Veronese

What are the gifts (plural) of healing?

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In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul lists the various spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit hands out to Christians, and he specifically states that each believer has received at least one of these gifts. This includes the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, the interpretation of tongues, the working of miracles, the gift of faith, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the discerning of spirits. However, Paul does something odd in 1 Corinthians 12:9, when he says this also includes ‘gifts of healing’. Notice how ‘gifts of healing’ is in the plural. Paul says that there are multiple ‘gifts’ of healing. It suggests that people may be given several gifts of healing, but also implies that a believer may have one particular gift of healing and another Christian will have a different kind of gift of healing. So, what exactly is the Apostle referring to when he says there are many ‘gifts’ of healing? Some suggest this refers to the varying methods of healing we see in the Bible. For …