The Miracle of Healing 2 A common view in some Christian circles: If we had more miracles, more people would believe in Jesus

The Miracle of Healing 2 A common view in some Christian circles: If we had more miracles, more people would believe in Jesus.

The Miracle of Healing 3 John 6:1-2: Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. John 6:9; "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" John 6:26: Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.

The Miracle of Healing 4 John 7:1-4: After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3. Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5. For even his own brothers did not believe in him. [Even though they saw miracles.]

The Miracle of Healing 5 John 10:24-25: The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me...

The Miracle of Healing 6 John 10:31-33: Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me? "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

The Miracle of Healing 7 John 10:37-39: Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, [so] that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father. Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

The Miracle of Healing 8 John 12:9-10: Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well [as Jesus]

The Miracle of Healing 9 John 3:16: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Question: What did they have to believe? John 20:31:... these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The Miracle of Healing 10 John 20:30-31: Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written [so] that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. Note: John calls the miracles Jesus did miraculous signs.

The Miracle of Healing 11 Miracles Miraculous signs Evidential miracles Question: What did the miracles signify? Answer: That Jesus is the Christ /Messiah; Son of God. Question: How did they signify that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God?

The Miracle of Healing 12 Isaiah 35:3-6: (Read) Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

The Miracle of Healing 13 Isaiah 35:4-6: "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come... he will come to save you." Then [at that time, when your God comes to save you] will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then [at that time, when your God comes to save you] will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

The Miracle of Healing 14 Matthew 11:2-5: (Read) When John [the Baptist] heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.

The Miracle of Healing 15 Mark 2:1-4: (Read) A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on.

The Miracle of Healing 16 Mark 2:5-7: (Read) When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven. Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone? Question: Were the doctors of the law correct in this last statement?

The Miracle of Healing 17 Mark 2:8-12. Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, `Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, Get up, take your mat and walk'? But [so] that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home. When your God comes to save you... Then... At that time... Healing! Jesus, here, is claiming deity.

The Miracle of Healing 18 Mark 2:12: He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!" Note: this is a significant miracle; a miraculous sign; an evidential miracle. Question: but how did physical healing signify, imply forgiveness of sins and salvation? Answer 1: Isaiah 35 Answer 2: Salvation = spiritual healing (say some)!

The Miracle of Healing 19 Answer 3: For the Jew... physical healing and salvation were interlinked. The Greek word sozo... Over 100 occurrences in the NT In the KJV translated 92 save (primary meaning) 14 made whole ; heal 2 others (preserve; do well) Therapeuo & iaomai: see The Miracles of the Apostles

The Miracle of Healing 20 Healing Miracles and Gentiles God-fearing Gentiles Pagan Gentiles (Dockers at Corinth to philosophers in Athens) First, lets look at the two God- fearing Gentiles that Jesus had dealings with.

The Miracle of Healing 21 Luke 7; 1-5. (Read) When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2. There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.

The Miracle of Healing 22 Genesis 12:2-3: (Read) "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." The Abrahamic Covenant

The Miracle of Healing 23 Luke 7: 6-9. (Read) When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." A God-fearing Gentile who attended the synagogue and knew, understood and believed what he had heard.

The Miracle of Healing 24 Matthew 15:22-28: (Read) 22. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon- possession." 23. Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24. He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

The Miracle of Healing 25 Matthew 15:25-26. The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27. "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28. Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

The Miracle of Healing 26 So what about Pagan Gentiles? i.e. those who knew nothing about the God of Israel and the scriptures (OT). What was the effect of healing miracles upon them?

The Miracle of Healing 27 Pagan Gentiles: those who knew nothing about the God of Israel and the scriptures (OT). Acts 14:8-12 (Read) Acts 14:8. In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 11. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12. Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.

The Miracle of Healing 28 Acts 14:13-17 (Read). 13-14. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15-17. "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

The Miracle of Healing 29 Acts 14:18: Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

The Miracle of Healing 30 Acts 17:22-30. (Read) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you... The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.... We are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone - an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.

The Miracle of Healing 31 Acts 17:31-32: For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject.

The Miracle of Healing 32 Acts 28:1-6 (Read). 1-2. Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3-4. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.

The Miracle of Healing 33 Acts 28:5. But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. Comment: Gentiles & Miracles

The Miracle of Healing 34 Faith to be healed??? Acts 14:8-10: In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. Healed = sozo; saved or healed? Question: Which is it? Healed or saved? Question: What was Paul speaking about?

The Miracle of Healing 35 Luke 17:12-19 (Read). As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us! When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

The Miracle of Healing 36 15-16. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. 17-19. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Made well = sozo; saved or healed?

The Miracle of Healing 37 Question: Which is it? Made well or saved? Answer: saved. Why? What about the other nine? They were healed and they showed no faith, but they were healed.

The Miracle of Healing 38 Mark 5:25-34. (Read) And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed. Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

The Miracle of Healing 39 Mark 5:30-32. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes? "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, `Who touched me?' But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it.

The Miracle of Healing 40 Mark 5: 33-34. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." Healed = sozo; saved or healed? Question: Which is it? Healed or saved? Go in peace (salvation)... and... Be freed from your suffering (healing) You faith has saved you [so] go in peace and be healed.

The Miracle of Healing 41 Luke 7: 37-38: (Read) When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet wit9h her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

The Miracle of Healing 42 Luke 7:47-48. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little. Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 50. Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace." Note: Being healed does not give you peace with God, but knowing God has forgiven your sins does. Woman with an issue of blood: Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace; healed should be saved

The Miracle of Healing 43 Mark 10:46-52 (Read) Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!

The Miracle of Healing 44 Mark 10: 48. Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me! 49. Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50. Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

The Miracle of Healing 45 Mark 10: 51-52. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see. "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. Healed = sozo; saved or healed Question: Which is it? Healed or saved? he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David... he shouted all the more, "Son of David...

The Miracle of Healing 46 Faith = pistis; saved = sozo Luke 7;49-50; The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins? Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith (pistis) has saved (sozo) you; go in peace." Luke 18:41-42: Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith (pistis) hath saved (sozo) thee. (NIV has healed) Ephesians 2:8: For it is by grace you have been saved, (sozo) through faith (pistis).

The Miracle of Healing 47 Romans 3:28: For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law Romans 4:5: However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. Romans 5:1: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Galatians 3:24: So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.

The Miracle of Healing 48 James 5: 14-16 (Read) Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective Note: Nothing to do with the faith or prayers of the ill person Question: What is going on here?

The Miracle of Healing 49 Question: What is going on here?

The Miracle of Healing 50 James 5: 14-16 (Read). Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well [soz0]; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective Note: Nothing to do with the faith or prayers of the ill person Question: What is going on here?

The Miracle of Healing 51 During the Acts period... Miracles of blessing and miracles of judgement Romans 2:9-11. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honour and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favouritism. Acts 5; Christian Jews Ananias & Sapphira struck dead Acts 12:19-23 (Read): Herod Agrippa, king of the Jews, struck dead. Acts 13:4-12 (Read): Elymas, a Jew, struck blind

The Miracle of Healing 52 1 Corinthians 10 & 11 addressed to the Jewish Christians in the church at Corinth 1 Corinthians 11:30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number have fallen asleep. 1 John 5:16: If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. Back to James 5

The Miracle of Healing 53 James 1:1: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. James 5: 14. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. Note: this is probably not a normal illness but a judgmental one as v 15 talks about forgiveness. Question: Why the Jewish Christian elders and not the priests or synagogue rulers etc.?

The Miracle of Healing 54 15. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well [sozo]; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. [NB: not for salvation but for healing] 16. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed (iaomai). The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective Note: If the healing is ineffective, these verses imply that the elders either did not offer the prayer in faith or they were not righteous people.

The Miracle of Healing 55 Luke 4:16. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 22. All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. 23. Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: `Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.' "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 28. All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.

The Miracle of Healing 56 Matthew 13:54-58: Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. "Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?" they asked. "Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren't all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honour. And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

The Miracle of Healing 57 Question: How bad was this lack of faith in Nazareth? John 7:3-5: Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world. For even his own brothers did not believe in him. Matthew 13:58: And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Note: Not because He wasnt able to, but because He chose not to.

The Miracle of Healing 58 Comparatively few Gentiles benefitted from the miracle of healing. It was a miraculous sign to the people of Israel... showing them... that Jesus had come to save them, to forgive their sins; that He was the Son of God, their Christ / Messiah. How did they people of Israel react to Christs teachings and miracles? Matthew 12:22-24: Beelzebub [Satan v 26] 30-34: the unforgiveable sin

The Miracle of Healing 59 Matthew 13:13-15: (Read) "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "`You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

The Miracle of Healing 60 Matthew 13:13-14: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. They saw the miracles, but did not perceive their significance. [Why not?] They heard the teaching, but did not understand it. [Why not?] And they rejected and crucified their Messiah. Question: So what happened?

The Miracle of Healing 61 Luke 23:34: Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Questions: Was that prayer answered? Yes! What happened for the next 30+ years? As far as the Jewish leadership were concerned, more or less the same thing as happened in the previous 3 + years! Question: So what happened at the end of those 30 years?

The Miracle of Healing 62 Acts 28: 16-17. When we got to Rome... he called together the leaders of the Jews. 23. They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. Question: What happened?

The Miracle of Healing 63 Acts 28:23-27: (Read) From morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. 24. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. 25. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: Question: What did Paul say?

The Miracle of Healing 64 Acts 28:25-27: The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: 26. "`Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving." 27. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' Note: the words of Christ in Matthew 13

The Miracle of Healing 65 So in Nazareth, because of their lack of faith, Christ did few miracles not because He wasnt able to, but because He chose not to. Question; What happened now, at the end of Acts? Acts 28:28: "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" Note: The Gentiles had never been the major beneficiaries of the miracles. Healing should have signified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ the Son of God... But the Jewish leadership would not believe.

The Miracle of Healing 66 Acts 28:30: For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Question: What was written during and after this time? Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon Philippians 1 Timothy, Titus 2 Timothy Question: What do these say about healing?

The Miracle of Healing 67 Answer: Nothing! In fact, the very opposite. 1 Timothy 5:23. Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses. Acts 20:11-12. God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. Note: After Acts Paul send advice, not handkerchiefs

The Miracle of Healing 68 2 Timothy 4:20: I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. Acts 28:8-9: His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. Note: During the Acts period Paul left no one sick on Malta; after Acts he left Trophimus sick at Miletus.

The Miracle of Healing 69 Note: Seemingly Paul no longer had the gift of healing Question: Why not? Answer: What was the purpose of the miraculous sign of healing?

The Miracle of Healing 70 Philippians 2:25-27: But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Question: Healing or recovery? Answer to prayer or a miraculous sign?

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The Miracle of Healing 2 A common view in some Christian circles: If we had more miracles, more people would believe in Jesus