Is our Emphasis on the Gospel or Healing? (9)

By Hazel Holland

I am wondering if perhaps this following passage of Scripture has been misunderstood by many of us in the body of Christ today? Therefore, I am including the verse that comes before the well known “Go ye into all the world.”

“Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Mark 16:14-18 (NIV)

After reading the verse and looking at the context we see that in verse fourteen Jesus first rebuked the eleven disciples for their lack of faith, and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him alive after He was raised from the dead. Then He told the eleven disciples to go into all the world and preach the Good News! He told them that specific signs would accompany those who believed. When we read the book of Acts we see that what Jesus prophesied to these eleven disciples was fulfilled in the establishment of the early church.

However, we need to keep in mind that Jesus was not saying that every sign mentioned here would follow every person who believed the gospel , but rather that these signs would be seen by those who believed the gospel. The Scriptures plainly teach us that not everyone has the power to work miracles or to heal diseases or to speak in tongues, etc. (See 1Corinthians 12:29-30), because God is the one who chooses to whom He will give the various gifts (See 1Corinthians 12:10-11).

Paul and Stephen are examples of men in the book of Acts who received power to perform miracles and wonders.

“And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.” Acts 6:8

“And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.” Acts 19:11-12

"Paul also raised the dead." Acts 20:9-12

On the day of Pentecost the prophecy of the gift of tongues was fulfilled. Then when Peter first preached to the Gentiles they also began to speak in other tongues.

“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:3-4

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” Acts 10:44-46 (NIV)

Is it possible that the disciples were informed by this prophecy of Jesus so that they would not be surprised by what they saw when Paul was bitten by a snake?

“Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to 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." But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 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.” Acts 28:3-6 (NIV)

Thus, all these signs that were promised in the Great Commission were literally fulfilled in the lives of the apostles and early Christians as they proclaimed the gospel message. I believe these miracles were necessary so that the Kingdom of God could be established through the early church. However, since God’s Kingdom has now been established, are these miraculous signs and wonders just as necessary today to confirm the Good News of the gospel message as they were two thousand years ago?

I believe that they are just as necessary in parts of the world today where the Kingdom of God still needs to be established by the preaching of the gospel. In areas of the world where the preaching of the gospel message is breaking down the walls of fear and superstition we sometimes hear of miraculous signs and wonders happening in order to confirm the authenticity of the Good News. But where the Kingdom is already established, especially here in the West, it is very obvious that God doesn’t seem to perform miraculous signs and wonders anywhere near the degree He did in the days of the early church.

Is the reason for this lack of “signs” in the western church because, in general, the church has already been established here in the western world, so we don’t need miraculous signs to affirm the Good News of salvation anymore? Or is the reason for this lack of “signs” in the western church because in general our gospel message has become so contaminated by false teaching that we have lost the true meaning of the gospel that was once for all delivered to the saints? (Jude3)

I believe both are possibly true, but especially the latter. If what is being preached in general here in the western church is not the true gospel, but a confusing mixture of men’s ideas, then surely God must be patiently waiting for us to respond to the call of His Spirit in godly repentance. Surely He wants to break our hearts with the things that break His heart, because godly repentance and sorrow for sin are far more precious and important to Him than physical healing?

I know that God has already begun to move upon the body of Christ with Spirit-led intercession and travail so that the lost will hear the call of His Spirit and respond to the gospel invitation. I have experienced intercession that has been quiet, and travail that has been rather loud, and I know that the weeping and groaning that can accompany travail is generally not understood in the church.

I believe the reason for this is because of a lack of biblical teaching on the subject. People fail to realize that when someone is truly overcome by the Spirit with intercession their crying and groaning is not coming from their soul, but rather from their spirit. God’s Spirit wants to communicate with our spirits in order to speak forth His purposes as He wills. Without a doubt, the spiritual healing of our souls is far more important to God than the temporary physical healing of our mortal bodies.

(To continue this study go to "Conclusion: Putting the Pieces Together" at:http://sound-the-trumpet.blogspot.com/2008/09/conclusion-putting-pieces-together-10.html)