What Is the Gift of Healing?

Gift, Chinese vocabulary.

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Gift

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The Viennese understand that a pleasant climate is not just a gift of God.

There are two words in Greek that are used to describe gifts. The first word is pneumatikos, which means "spiritual things", or "spiritual things." This word emphasizes the nature and origin of spiritual gifts. Gifts are not talented but come from the Holy Spirit. Gifts are given to believers in transcendental ways by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11).

The other word is charisma, which means "grace of grace." The word emphasizes that the spiritual gift is the gift of God's grace. Spiritual gifts are not an inherent ability, but a gift from God to believers (1 Cor. 12: 4). This use of the word can be seen in Romans 12 where Paul said that spiritual gifts are given to believers through "the gift given to me" (Rom. 12: 3, 6) .

There is a simple definition of spiritual gift, which is a "gift of grace." A more detailed definition is "a special ministry given to the members of the body of Christ."

With regard to spiritual gifts, two concepts must be explained. First, the spiritual gift given to an individual is the power God gives to perform spiritual service (1 Cor. 12:11). Second, the spiritual gift to the church is a person who is specially equipped to build the church and grow it (Eph. 4: 11-13).

Another point that needs special explanation is what is not a spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are not a ministry. There is a way of saying: "Someone has a gift to work in a slum." This is a misunderstanding of spiritual gifts. In addition, spiritual gifts are not limited to certain age groups. For example, some people say, "Someone has the gift of working among high-ranking elements." Spiritual gifts are not gifted talents. It may be related, but the two must be distinguished. The talent of Tian Bin is an innate or acquired training ability. The spiritual gift is given by God in a transcendent way when repenting.

The Apostles (Eph. 4:11): The gifts and duties of the apostles must be distinguished. The apostleship was limited to the Twelve Apostles and Paul. In Luke 6:13, Jesus called his disciples to return to him, and he chose twelve people "to call them apostles." Jesus gave these twelve people special authority, which was limited to those who held the office of apostle (cf. Luke 9 l; Matthew 10 l). Paul later defended his apostolic authority, emphasizing that he had evidence as a true apostle (2 Cor. 12:12). Acts chapters 21 to 22 set forth the qualifications for the apostleship. Those who assumed this position must start with John the Baptist and walk with Jesus until Christ ascended to heaven. Paul is a unique example. He refers to himself as an apostle, as "a man born before his birth" (1 Cor. 15: 8-9).

The gifts of the apostles are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11. The English apostle of the word "apostle" comes from the Greek apo (meaning "from") and stello (meaning "sent"). Therefore, the apostle is a person who "sent from." The word seems to be used in a specialized or general way. According to special usage, this word is limited to the twelve apostles, who have the office of apostles and receive the gifts of the apostles. In this sense, the gift of the apostles is a gift of foundation and is limited to church planting (Eph. 2:20). When the foundation of the church is established, the gift ends. Just as the apostle's office has ceased (because someone has been qualified to fulfill Acts 21:22), so the gift of the apostle has ceased in a strict sense. The word "apostle" can, in a general sense, also refer to the one "sent" by Christ. This "apostle" has no office or gift, because the term refers to the sentee in a non-specialized way (Comp. 14:14; 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25).

Prophets (Rom. 12: 6): Romans 12: 6, 1 Corinthians 12:10, and Ephesians 3: 4: 11 all refer to the gifts of the prophets. The prophets received his message directly from God's revelation, just as Agabus had declared that the world was facing famine (Acts 11:28) and Paul's imprisonment in Jerusalem (Acts 21: 10-11). The prophet received from the direct revelation the knowledge of the divine "mystery" (1 Cor. 13: 2), which is unknown to others. Prior to the completion of the canon of the Bible, the gifts of the prophets were very important for the establishment of the church (1 Cor. 14: 3). The prophets really received the revelation from God, and taught the revelation so that people could be created, comforted, and encouraged (1 Cor. 14: 3). Since the revelation comes from God, the revelation is also true; the test of true and false prophets depends on the accuracy of the prophecies (cf. Deut. 18:20, 22). The prophet's responsibility is: on the one hand, to predict future events, on the other hand, to proclaim the truth of God, to exhort, and to teach. The gift of the prophet is also related to the establishment of the church (Ephesians 2:20), because the foundation of the church has been laid and the canon of the Bible has been completed. The gift of the prophet is no longer needed today.

Miracles (1 Corinthians 12:10): The miracles in the Bible are a big topic, and readers should study them separately. Throughout the entire Bible, miracles do not happen occasionally. They occur mainly in three periods: during the time of Moses and Joshua, during the time of Elijah and Elisha, and during the time of Christ and the apostles. Outside these periods, there are intermittent miracles, but the number is not large. The miracle is used to prove a message; in the different times mentioned above, God used his angels to perform marvelous miracles in support of their new message. The miracles of the New Testament era were used to confirm the doctrines of the apostles. When the canon of the Bible has been completed, the miracles are no longer needed, and the effects of the miracles are gradually disappearing; the authority of the Word of God is sufficient to confirm the word preached by the messenger.

The gift of miracles (1 Cor. 12:10, 28) is more extensive than the gift of healing. The word "miracle" literally means "capable" or "a capable work." Here, examples of miracles are Peter's judgment on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5: 9-11), and Paul's judgment on Elymas who performed magic: blind him (Acts 13: 8-11) . The word "miracles" is also used to describe the miracles performed by Christ (Matthew 11:20, 21, 23, 13:54).

The miracle and the gift of miracles also need to be distinguished. Although the gift of miracles--the ability of individuals to exercise miracles and wonders--has ceased after the time of the Apostles, this does not mean that miracles are no longer possible today. God can directly promise believers to pray and exercise miracles in his life. God can also promise to pray for the sick to be healed. But God does not perform miracles through another person as a medium.

Healing (1 Corinthians 12: 9): In the narrow sense, the gift of miracles is the gift of healing (1 Corinthians 12: 9, 28, 30). This word in 1 Corinthians 12: 9, according to the original number (Greek iamaton), means "all kinds of diseases are healed." The gift of miracles means that one person can heal any disease of others. Examining the entire New Testament, the healing of Christ and the apostles in the healing experience are: immediate (Mark 1:42); complete (Da 14:36); eternal (Matt 14:36); limited [Physical illness (such as leprosy, see Mark 1:40), not mental illness]; unconditional [including unbelievers without faith, and those who do not know Jesus (John 9:25)]; purposeful [The purpose is not only to free people from pain and disease. If these were miracles, it would be cruel and improper for Jesus to leave towns and cities, because those who are sick seek healing (Luke 5:15, 16)]; Essential [miracles are second to the preaching of the word of God (Luke 9: 6)]; have special meaning [identify Christ and the apostles as messengers of God and prove that their message is the word of God (John 3: 2; Acts 2:22; (Heb. 2: 3, 4)]; must be successful [except for one example, where the disciples lack faith to exercise miracles (Matt. 17:20)]; disease-free [the highest manifestation of this gift is: call the dead Resurrection (Mark 5: 39-43; Luke 7:14; John 11:44; Acts 9:40)].

The gift of healing must be distinguished from the healing itself. As with other miracle gifts, the gift of healing has ceased after the canon of the Bible was completed; the gift of healing is no longer needed. But God can still answer the prayers of his children and heal people s diseases, but this does nt require any other intermediary. God can directly heal people. These two types of healing appeared at the same time in Acts chapter 9 where Peter healed Ananias with gifts (Acts 9:34), but God also promised Peter's prayer to heal Bida (Acts 9:40).

In addition, we find many examples showing that God does not necessarily heal people (2 Corinthians 12: 8-9; 1 Tim. 5:23).

Dialect (1 Corinthians 12:28): We need to pay attention to the following points in order not to confuse this gift. (I) According to the book of Acts, the dialects in the Bible are some languages (Acts 2: 6, 8, 11). The Jews from the field returned to Jerusalem on Pentecost and they heard Peter have to preach the gospel in their native language (cf. verses 8-11).

(II) The dialect of Acts is the same as the dialect in Corinthians. There is no reason to say that the dialects in Corinthian Epistles are different from the dialects in Acts, or that the dialects in Corinthian Epistles are the language of angels (1 Cor. 13).

(III) The dialect is a small gift (1 Cor. 12:28). Basic gifts are used to build the church. These gifts include apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). The dialect is listed at the end, which shows that dialect is not a basic gift, nor is it a basic gift for church building (1 Cor 12:28).

(Iv) The dialect is a sign gift, short-lived (1 Cor. 13: 8). The phrase "will eventually stop" is in the middle voice. This is to explain that "these gifts will stop automatically." The implication here is that when "that completeness comes," the dialect will not continue to exist--then the gift of knowledge and prophecy will cease--after the end of the gift's function, it will cease. If the dialect continues after "that complete arrival", the verbs there should be in the passive form.

Dialects were given in the age of Christ and the apostles, and they are also necessary. Both the tongue and the miracle gift are evidence of the apostles (2 Cor. 12:12). When the Bible was written, these evidences were no longer needed; the Bible has become the authority that confirms the message of God's servants. Dialects are a gift of evidence in the early age of the church (1 Cor. 13: 10-11, 14:20).

Dialect is used to prove to unbelievers Jews, and in this sense dialect is used to preach the Gospel (1 Cor. 14: 21-22). When the Jews entered the meeting and heard someone speak in another language, this was the evidence given to them that God was in it, just as in the day of Isaiah (Isaiah 28: 11-12), this evidence led them to believe in Jesus It is the Messiah.

Dialects (1 Corinthians 12:10): The gift of dialects refers to the fact that some people have the ability to translate languages of other countries spoken in dialects at meetings, and that language should be translated into the language commonly used by locals.

Evangelists (Eph. 4:11): The English evangelists of the word "evangelist" are from the Greek euanggelistas, which means "proclaimers of the good news." The gift of evangelism can be defined as follows: "The gift of effective preaching of the good news of salvation leads to repentance and conversion to Christ as disciples of the Lord."

The gift of evangelism has the following points: (I) This gift includes the burden on the lost soul. Those with this gift must look forward to seeing others saved. (II) This gift includes preaching good news. Evangelists are those who preach the good news. Famous evangelists such as Ge Peili, of course, have the gift of evangelism, but we should not limit this gift to the work of preaching to the public. Evangelists can also share the gospel with unbelievers in their personal form. (III) This gift can express the gospel clearly. The evangelist can express the gospel in a simple and clear way; he preaches the basic needs of salvation: sin, Christ's alternative death, faith, forgiveness, and reconciliation-so that unbelievers without Bible knowledge can understand the gospel. (IV) This gift includes making the gospel preachable. The person who has the gift of the gospel has a response to the gospel preaching, and this response indicates that he has the gift. (V) The gift of evangelism makes people happy when they see others believe in Christ. This is because evangelism is his burden and love.

Although only some believers have the gift of evangelism, every believer cannot be relieved of the responsibility of evangelism, and all believers should do evangelism (2 Timothy 4: 5).

Pastors and Teachers (Eph. 4:11): Ephesians 4:11 speaks of one gift, not two. The word "priest" (Greek poimenas), which literally means "shepherd," is used here only as a gift. This word can be used to describe Christ as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14, 16; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:25). It is also used to refer to those who are responsible for pastoral teaching and spiritual responsibility. The pastor's work is literally very clear, that is, shepherd care for the flock. "The priest takes care of the flock, he guides, guards, protects, and supplies the flock under his supervision." An example is found in Acts 20:28, where Peter exhorted the elders of Ephesus to "shepherd the church of God." This is a voluntary work, not for material remuneration, not to govern others, but out of true humility and willingness to be an example for others (1 Peter 5: 2-5).

This gift has another function, including the ability to teach. Sometimes we mention the pastor of some churches who said, "He is not good at teaching, but he can shepherd well." That is impossible. If a person has this gift, he is a good shepherd and a good teacher. "What he needs to be a teacher is to use his methods well. He uses the lessons to guide, guard, and protect the students." What is important is that believers in the local church can all grow up. Paul repeatedly encouraged Timothy to Be faithful in the teaching of the Word (1 Tim. 1: 3, 5, 4:11, 6: 2, 17).

In addition, there are several related nouns. The elders (Ti 5: 5) are the honor of such a position; the supervision is the work and functions of the elders (1 Tim 3: 2)-that is the shepherding work; the pastor is a gift that also emphasizes the shepherding And teacher work.

Teacher (Rom. 12: 7; 1 Cor. 12:28): The pastor is also a teacher, but the teacher is not necessarily a pastor. There are several conditions that show that a person has the gift of teaching. He has a great interest in the Word of God and is committed to studying the Word of God. He can express God's Word clearly, and he can apply God's Word to human life. This gift is manifested in the person, so that the person has deep theological and biblical knowledge, but also can use simple methods to preach to ordinary people and let them understand the truth. This is the gift of teaching. This gift was very important in the local church in the New Testament era, because it was a way for believers to grow up and mature (cf. Acts 2:42, 4: 2, 5:42, 11:26, 13: 1, 15:35, 18:11 etc.).

Regarding the gift of teaching, two things are worth noting. First, this gift needs to be developed. A person may have the gift of teaching, but to make good use of this gift, he needs to pay the price of rigorous research and faithfully use this gift. Second, the gift of teaching has different talents. School teachers usually hold teaching positions in the church, but all of their natural talents do not necessarily represent the gift of spiritual teaching. Talent in teaching is different from spiritual gifts.

Deacon (Serving, Romans 12: 7): The word "deacon" (Greek diakonia) in this Scripture? Is a general term for the service or service to others. The term is very broad and can refer to the service or service to others in a general way. The way this word is used can be seen in the following examples: Timothy and Elah serve Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:22); Paul serves believers in Jerusalem and brings the gift of money to them (Rom 15:25) ); Anisepher served Paul in Ephesus (2 Tim. 1:18); when Paul was in prison, Onesimus served Paul (men 13); Hebrew believers gave loving service (Hebrews 6:10). According to examples here and elsewhere, we can see that "serving" refers to the physical need to help other believers; this gift is less obvious because ministerial service is usually done in personal relationships.

Helping people (1 Cor. 12:28): The word "help" (Greek antilempsis) means "an act of help or assistance. The basic meaning of this word is to do things on behalf of others." Helping and serving Similarly, some people think that these two gifts are the same. Of course, even if the two gifts are different, they are very similar. The word was used only once in the New Testament, but another Greek word related to the word antilambanesthai was found in Luke 1:54, Acts 20:35, and before Timothy Used in Book 6: 2. The gift of helping people means "persistently supporting someone to help him. These help presumably means assistance to those in need, whether they are poor, sick, orphaned, or off-site guests."

Faith (1 Cor. 12: 9): Of course all Christians have a saved faith (Ephesians 2: 8), and they are able to exercise faith in their spiritual lives (Hebrews 11), but some believers have the gift of faith . "The gift of faith is the ability to show faith in extraordinary things. The man knows what to do and believes that God will do it through him, although it seems impossible." Stephen had this gift, and he was called a "great faith" (Acts 6: 5). Some, such as George Mueller and Hudson Taylor, are good examples of the gift of faith.

Persuasive (Rom. 12: 8): The word "persuasive" comes from the Greek word parakalon, meaning "come to the side to give assistance." The term is used to explain the Holy Spirit, the help of believers (John 14:16, 26 ). "The comforter (persuasion) refers to a person who can help others and use their will to act." The gift of comfort, "commonly coexists with the gift of teaching (cf. 4:13, 6: 2). The gift of comfort is for people. Heart and conscience are giving comfort. "

The gift of consolation sometimes focuses on persuasion to help others perform certain acts (cf. Jude 3). The gift of consolation sometimes focuses on comfort, especially when others suffer misfortune or trial (Acts 4:36, 9:27, 15:39).

Identifying the Spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10): In the early church, the Bible Canon was not yet completed. God directly gave the revelation to some people and let them pass the revelation to the church. But how can early believers know whether the revelation is true? How can they know whether the revelation comes from God, or from the spirit of lies, or from the spirit of man alone? In order for revelation to work, God gave the gift of "distinguishing the spirits." Those who possess this gift have the transcendent ability to determine whether the revelation comes from God or lies. John's "to test those spirits" means that (John 1: 4). Similarly, when there are two to three people preaching the revelation of God in the meeting, and those who have discernment of the gifts of spirit, they must decide whether these revelations come from God (1 Cor. 14:29; compare 1 Thessalonians 5:20 To 21). But when the Bible is completed, the direct revelation also ceases, and the gift of discerning the spirits ends, because this gift is given to discern the revelation.

Merciful (Rom. 12: 8): The Greek word for mercy is eleon, meaning "sympathy and compassion." Throughout Christ's life, he had shown mercy, healing the blind (Matthew 9:27), helping the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15:22), healing the epilepsy (Matthew 17:15), and healing leprosy (Lu Xvii 13). The gift of mercy includes compassion and pity, helping the poor, the sick, the needy, and the suffering. In addition, such gifts are given with joy. Those with this gift must do it by joy, not as a burdensome task.

Alms (Romans 12: 8): The Greek word for alms is metadous, meaning "to share with others." The gift of charity usually refers to the ability and willingness to share material with others. Those with this gift are willing and natural to share his benefits with others. Paul advised that alms should be "willing." "It means to show compassion to others with a simple purpose and generosity." This gift is not designed for the rich, but it is also available to ordinary Christians. The gift of the Philippians to Paul is the exercise of this gift (Philippians 4: 10-16).

Governing (Rom. 12: 8; 1 Cor. 12:28): Paul refers to the leader in Romans 12: 8. That sentence comes from the Greek prohistimi, which means "stand in front"; that is to lead, govern, and govern. This word has been used on the elders in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 and 1 Timothy 5:17, and the governance mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28, Greek It's kubernesis, which literally means "take the helm on board." The above verses all refer to the elders leading the congregation, but this term can also be used more widely, such as the management of Sunday school, and the management of ministry outside the church, such as the courtyard of a Christian school Chief or director.

Wisdom (1 Corinthians 12: 8): The gift of wisdom is important because it is the number one gift in this list. In 1 Corinthians 2: 6-12, Paul explains the gift of wisdom in more detail. The gift of wisdom can be regarded as a divine revelation, which Paul can pass on to believers. Because this gift involves receiving direct revelation, it can be said that it is a kind of gift of the apostle's mark, because the apostle receives the revelation directly from God. The gift of wisdom "is a complete system of revealed truth. Those who have the gift of wisdom can directly receive the revealed truth from God and show it to God's people." Because this gift is about the receiving and the direct revelation of God. Transmission, when the Bible canon is completed, this revelation has come to an end.

Knowledge (1 Cor. 12: 8): The gift of knowledge seems to be closely related to the gift of wisdom. The gift of knowledge refers to the power to correctly understand and reveal the truth to the apostles and prophets. The gift of knowledge is related to the basic gift of prophecy and teaching, which is related to the direct revelation of God to the apostles and prophets (cf. 1 Cor. 12:28). In this way, this gift has ceased after the completion of the canon of the Bible. I Corinthians 13: 8 mentions the cessation of this gift.