A RECAP
This is the last blog in a series of 3, focussing on healing and the work of the Messiah. I have been looking at Isaiah 61,1-3, Luke 4,18, and finish off today with Acts 10,38. I wrote a blog in December 2019 entitled “The Good Works of Acts 10,38”, which you can access here https://bibleandfaith.com/the-good-works-of-acts-1038/. This will be a continuation of that blog.
The idea I wanted to communicate in my last text “What is the Gospel?”, is that we need to think more broadly of the gospel message than just to say that it is about healing and restoring our broken relationship with God. Whereas I certainly believe this to be the most important part, I wanted to show from reading these 3 texts, and from reading the gospels generally, that God is also concerned about our mental, emotional, physical and social well-being. It is my belief that he will meet with us in healing in each of these areas. I do not want to give the idea that following Christ will always be a bed of roses. It wasn’t that for Paul, or the other apostles. There were certainly hardships and tribulations to endure, as the epistles and Acts bear witness to. That, however, does not do away with the fact that God heals along the way. The end of the story is not that we endure, but that Jesus is Lord. Healing there will be at some point!
In Isaiah 61,1-3 and Luke 4,18, I wanted to highlight a phrase in each to show the work of the Messiah. In Isaiah, it was “to bind up/heal the broken hearted” (with the participle “συντετριμμένους), in Luke 4,18, it was “to set at liberty those who are oppressed/crushed/down trodden” (with the participle τεθραυσμένους). Both phrases are formed using perfect passive participles in Greek; these participles expressing states of mental anguish and trauma and following broken relationships vis-à-vis God and man.
ACTS 10,38
While Peter was at Joppa with Simon, a tanner, he was summoned to the house of a god-fearing Roman centurion, Cornelius, at Caesarea. Peter has had a vision from which he has learned that he is to call no man unclean (Acts 10,9-16). Upon his arrival he preaches the gospel to those there assembled, and when he is finished the Holy Spirit falls on all!
In Luke´s recording of this speech, Peter says concerning the ministry of Jesus:
37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10,37-38
YET ANOTHER IMPORTANT PARTICIPLE
A 3rd participle now in the expression “healing all who were oppressed by the devil”, this one present passive in form, expresses an ongoing situation of physical or mental oppression! The participle (καταδυναστευομένους/katadynastevomenous) is formed from the verb καταδυναστευειν/katadynastevein. This is the preposition κατα + the verb δυναστευειν. We might recognise the word dynasty in English, springing from this verb, giving the idea of rule and dominance. Κατά brings the meaning “against” to the verb – so to rule/dominate against! Hence καταδυναστευειν is to oppress!
“how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
So said Peter, speaking to the crowd assembled in Cornelius’s house to which he had been summoned.
The Messiah´s work in this text was that of delivering from demonic oppression in the body and mind; ie. physical and mental sickness.
This is well illustrated in Matthew 4,23-24:
23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them.
Or from Matthew 8,16:
16 That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
THE PREACHING OF PETER
Now Acts 10,38 is very likely only a summary of what Peter said. What did he really say on that occasion?
The Early Church held one of the main sources of Mark´s Gospel to be Mark´s reminiscences of Peter´s preaching:
Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History iii. 39 (late 3rd, early 4th century) preserves for us a few sentences in which Papias tells us the account of the origin of this gospel which he received from one whom he refers to as ´the Elder´. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor AD ca. 130-140, wrote “An Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord“. It consisted of 5 books, which are now lost! Fragments of this work are preserved for us in other authors ( such as Eusebius).
THE WITNESS OF PAPIAS, TAKEN FROM EUSEBIUS
“Mark, having been the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately all that he (Peter) had mentioned, whether sayings or doings of Christ; not, however, in order. For he was neither a hearer nor a companion of the Lord; but afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who adapted his teachings as necessity required, not as though he were making a compilation of the sayings of the Lord. So then Mark made no mistake, writing down in this way some things as he (Peter) mentioned them; for he paid attention to this one thing, not to omit anything that he had heard, nor to include any false statement among them”
So wrote Papias in a work now lost, in the early second century concerning the preaching of Peter, his relationship to Mark, and relating to the origin of Mark´s gospel – a tradition that he himself had received. The Church down the centuries has accepted this tradition.
So what might Peter have preached to the crowd gathered in Cornelius´s house?
Could the following story from Mark´s gospel chapter 5 be an account from Peter´s own lips – a sample story Peter himself might very well have retold on that occasion – being personally present at the scene by the Sea of Galilee, on that day when the crowds pressed in upon Jesus from every quarter?
ONE DAY BY THE SEA OF GALILEE
21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Mark 5,21-43
THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD AND THE RULER OF THE SYNAGOGUE
The situation of these two individuals, the woman with the issue of blood, and the ruler of the synagogue has gripped my heart! The nightmare that both woke up to that day has gripped my heart!
She has suffered for 12 years from a condition which according to the “Law of Moses”, made her ritually unclean (Lev. 15,25-33 -read this!). She would have been shunned for all those 12 years. This woman “had suffered much” at the hands of/under many physicians”, she had “spent all she owned“, but she was “nothing bettered“, but “rather grew worse“! He had watched his daughter weaken day by day, until now, she was at the point of death!
The woman has spent all her options! There is no longer any hope for her, if not for Jesus. The options for the ruler of the synagogue have likewise narrowed down to Jesus.
On that day, these two, the woman with the issue of blood, and the ruler of the synagogue, had their lives changed as they met the Lord!
THIS IS THE JESUS WHOM PETER PREACHED; the Jesus of the gospels! It is the Jesus whom we need to preach today!
THE MINISTRY OF THE DISCIPLES
Not only did Jesus heal the sick, he sent out his disciples to do the same; he sent the 12 out to “preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick” (Luke 9,2) and 72 others with “Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in it, and say to them, ´The Kingdom of God has come near to you´.”(Luke 10,9). In Matthew 10, they are not only to heal the sick, but to drive out demons and raise the dead.
When the disciples came back, they had seen success:
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.
The disciples continue this ministry in the Acts of the Apostles!
THE EARLY CHURCH
In the history of the Early Church, there are many stories of healings, exorcisms and people being raised from the dead.
The historian Edward Gibbon wrote in his 7 volume work (I have all 7 in my possession) called The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-88) of 5 causes of the rapid expansion of the “Christian Religion”. The 3rd of these causes was: The Miraculous Powers of the Primitive Church!
Let me cite from pages 28-29, Vol. II:
“The expulsion of the demons from the bodies of those unhappy persons whom they had been permitted to torment was considered as a signal, though ordinary, triumph of religion, and is repeatedly alleged by the ancient apologists as the most convincing evidence of the truth of Christianity. The awful ceremony was usually performed in a public manner, in the presence of a great number of spectators; the patient was relieved by the power or skill of the exorcist, and the vanquished demon was heard to confess that he was one of the fabled gods of antiquity, who had impiously usurped the adoration of mankind (Tertullian, Apolog. c. 23). But the miraculous cure of diseases, of the most inveterate or even preternatural kind, can no longer occasion any surprise, when we recollect that in the days of Irenaeus, about the end of the second century, the resurrection of the dead was very far from being esteemed an uncommon event.”(Irenaeus adv. Heresies, 1, ii 56, 57; l. v. c. 6.)
THE CHURCH’S WITNESS TO HEALING DISAPPEARS FROM VIEW -THEN RESURFACES
Edward Gibbon’s sources are in this case Tertullian bishop of Carthage in North Africa in the early 3rd century, and Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon in France in the late 2nd century. Both wrote theological works, both were pastors, both were scholars. Both are reckoned as Church Fathers.
The modern reader will often be quick to dismiss their testimony. In our modern scientific and often sceptical age, any talk of the miraculous is to be discounted as fairy tale. But to discount the miraculous on scientific grounds is unscientific. It has more to do with the presuppositions you bring to your science; presuppositions which preclude the existence of God, and per definition the miraculous, out of hand.
I believe as a Christian we should use our minds critically to evaluate what we are being told. But I think we can tell the difference between stories that amount to fairy tales, and Christian testimony. The witness of Tertullian and Irenaeus, along with that of many others are testimonies of faith recorded to strengthen faith. For them to have that effect they must be rooted in truth, not unreality.
During the Middle Ages the Church’s testimony to miracles dwindled to a little trickle. Then came the Enlightenment; the dawn of modern science; the Age or Reason. In modern times it is the Pentecostal and Charismatic revival of the 20th century which has brought back to the Church the testimony to miracles and healing.
WHAT ABOUT US IN 2020
Where are we as believers in the year 2020, with respect to our belief in the healing/deliverance ministry of the Church? I said something about this in the first blog I wrote on Acts 10,38, in December 2019, see the link above. I said that it is hard to deny that ministering to, and seeing the healing of sick persons is indeed part of the Church’s mandate today! There are Christians who believe that our modern medical science is meant to (from God´s perspective) supplant this healing ministry. Thank God for medicine, which I sincerely believe is God´s help to us when we are sick. Thank God for science, and all the knowledge and technology we have today. We are apt to take these things for granted in our society. We need to be thankful for them. But has all this supplanted the Church´s ministry in caring supernaturally for the sick and tormented? I cannot see any justification for believing that. In my mind that is us “being conformed to this world” (to quote Paul), and its sceptical stance to everything supernatural! We should instead “be transformed by the renewal of our minds” (Romans 12,2). God has not changed, Jesus has not changed – He is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Hebrews 13,8). If he healed then by the power of the Holy Spirit, he will heal today by the power of the Holy Spirit! I want, however, to emphasis that the Church’s ministry should not be conceived of as being in competition with medical science, rather complimentary to it – they are both God´s arm stretched out to us when we are sick!
If we have failed in the Christian West in these matters, we have failed as a Church (or churches). However, I do believe we as individual believers have responsibility to probe the mind of God with respect to healing the sick; read the scriptures, seek his face! According to Mark 16,18 “those who believe will lay their hands on the sick and they will recover”. If we do minister to the sick, we should do this in consultation with our church, and have someone with us – Jesus sent them out two by two!
THE SUM OF IT
In my blogs, I want to talk about a God who is gracious and merciful. A God who is faithful and good. A God who can be called upon! A great Teacher! Almighty God he is, yet One who has come so close to us in Christ Jesus our Lord, by the Holy Spirit! And now I have added that he is a Healer! That should come as no surprise, as one of the names of God in the Old Testament is Yahweh Rapha – The Lord who heals you. See Exodus 15,26, where this expression is used!
I think if you listen to these last three blogs as a whole, you will get the message! He is a Lover our God, who earnestly desires not only our eternal salvation, but who also cares for our well-being in the here and now. I say this knowing that there will be trials and tribulations. But that the Lord will deliver us out of them all! Psalm 34,19
I think I have given enough food for thought and reflection, and will end here. I don’t feel I am finished with the topic of healing, and would like to write yet another blog, practical and pastoral in nature. I have more to say! We will see!😊👍
