(χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων, charísmata iamátōn): Among the “spiritual gifts” enumerated in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 12:28 are included “gifts of healings.” See SPIRITUAL GIFTS. The subject has risen into much prominence of recent years, and so calls for separate treatment. The points to be considered are: (1) The New Testament facts, (2) The nature of the gifts, (3) Their permanence in the church.
The Gospels abundantly show that the ministry of Christ Himself was one of healing no less than of teaching (compare Mark 1:14 f with Mark 1:32-34). When He sent forth the Twelve (Mark 6:7, 6:13) and the Seventy (Luke 10:1, 10:9), it was not only to preach the Kingdom of God but to heal the sick. The inauthentic conclusion of Mark’s Gospel, if it does not preserve words actually used by Christ Himself, bears witness at all events to the traditional belief of the early church that after His departure from the world His disciples would still possess the gift of healing. The Book of Acts furnishes plentiful evidence of the exercise of this gift by apostles and other prominent men in the primitive church (Acts 3:7 f; 5:12-16; 8:7; 19:12; 28:8 f), and the Epistle of James refers to a ministry of healing carried on by the elders of a local church acting in their collective capacity (James 5:14 f). But Paul in this passage speaks of “gifts of healings” (the plural “healings” apparently refers to the variety of ailments that were cured) as being distributed along with other spiritual gifts among the ordinary members of the church. There were men, it would seem, who occupied no official position in the community, and who might not otherwise be distinguished among their fellow-members, on whom this special cḥárisma of healing had been bestowed.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Healing Gifts of, healing, gifts of healing, gift of healing, spiritual gifts
Bible reference(s): 1 Corinthians 12:4, Acts 14:9, Acts 19:12, Acts 28:8, Acts 3:7, Acts 5:12, Acts 8:7, Acts 9:17, James 5:14, Luke 10:1, Mark 1:14, Mark 10:52, Mark 6:7, Matthew 17:19
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.