Is There a Gift of Healing Today?
The New Apostolic Reformation says supernatural healings are direct evidence that God is behind their movement. But is there a gift of healing today? Is there any evidence this gift was rare, even in New Testament times?
EVIDENCE BIBLICAL HEALINGS WERE RARE
Contrary to popular opinion today, there is a good case for arguing the miracles we read about in the book of Acts became rarer over time.
The ability to heal seemed to wane toward the end of Paul’s life. In the early New Testament period (AD 33-60) we see frequent descriptions of healings, even raising the dead. However, in writings from the later period (AD 60-67) we no longer hear of healings, there is no mention of raising the dead, no exorcisms, and tongues are not even mentioned.[1]
“There is a marked contrast in the use of sign gifts between earlier and later periods in the New Testament.”[2] What was done freely and frequently in Acts had slowed or ceased completely (at least it is not mentioned). Paul, who previously could heal a whole island (Acts 28:9) could not even heal Timothy from a simple stomach problem (1 Tim. 5:23).[3] Earlier Paul raised the dead, but later he could not even raise Trophimus from a sick bed (2 Tim. 4:20). Neither could he heal Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:26).
Hebrews, written AD 68-69, implies that the sign gifts were past events which confirmed the Gospel (Heb. 2:4). All of these arguments convince some that the supernatural gifts ceased altogether. Even if one believes they are still in operation today, a good dose of skepticism should be in order.
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