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Christians And Miraculous Healings

Published since 16. Nov. 2025
Bible passages:
1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 29; James 5:14-18; Hebrews 2:4; Mark 16:17, 18; 2 Tim. 4:3-5

1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 29
...to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues... And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

James 5:14-18
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Hebrews 2:4
God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will.

Mark 16:17-18
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

2 Timothy 4:3-5
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

We certainly cannot judge everything that is called “miraculous healing” on this globe. It is also the case that to this day, some people are miraculously healed. But one question remains: What are we to make of the miracle healers today who attract people like magnets and advertise that they free many from their illnesses? There are “healing services” – is God's spirit at work there? Or is this gushing or even seduction?

We want to use the Bible to consider some of the arguments used to prove that the gift of healing should still be practiced and used today.

 

Has God Changed?

It is claimed: “If God performed miracles in biblical times, then He also performs them today. For it is written: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever'” (Hebrews 13:8).

This verse does not say that the Lord always does the same thing, but that He is always the same. God is the same, but He works in different ways. Thus He caused the “former world” to perish in water, while He will destroy the “present earth” by fire (2 Pet. 3:6, 7). And in eternity, which is spoken of in Hebrews 13, there will of course be no miraculous healings either, because there will no longer be any illnesses.

When we look for miracles in the Bible, it becomes clear that God has not worked miracles (to the same extent) at all times. The first person to work miracles through God's power was Moses, who was perhaps the first person to write inspired writings. A few hundred years later, the prophets Elijah and Elisha performed many miracles. Numerous miracles are reported of our Master Himself, as well as of His apostles. Miracles are frequently found in the second and fourth books of Moses, in Joshua and Judges, in the first and second books of Kings, in the Gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles. Otherwise, reports of miracles according to the wisdom of God are few and far between.

It is a fact that God does not always intervene in the same way in events on earth. Miracles are and remain something extraordinary. If they happened all the time, they would miss their purpose and would no longer be recognized as miracles.

 

What was it Like for the First Christians?

It is said that miracles and signs occurred at the beginning of Christianity. It was a time of power. If Christians today open themselves to the work of the Spirit of God, they will experience the same miracles. The early days of Christianity are a benchmark and example for us!

We can learn a lot from the first Christians. It is good to read the Acts of the Apostles in order to compare the practice of our life of faith with them. But we cannot develop a doctrine from the accounts in Acts. It is not sober to expect our sweaty T-shirts to have the same effect as Paul's sweatcloths, or to assume that all imprisoned believers will be delivered by angels (Acts 19:11, 12; 12:7). The behavior of the first Christians points the way for us, but we cannot simply transfer the power instructions of their time to “the last days” (2 Tim. 3:1). Should God use signs and wonders today to put the seal of His approval on a Christianity that is full of immorality and false teachings?

God often works differently at the beginning of an age of salvation than at its end. We see this with the people of Israel. God worked great signs through Moses in Egypt (Deut. 34:10-12) and led His people out of slavery with an uplifted arm. Numerous miracles took place during the wilderness journey and God also intervened supernaturally during the conquest of the land of Canaan. At one point, the sun and moon even stood still so that Israel could complete its battle. This was not repeated, as the Scriptures expressly state (Josh. 10:13, 14). Miracles only happened rarely later on (apart from the time of the judges, Elijah and Elisha). Even in the revival under Josiah, in which the precepts of the Word of God were reconsidered, no miracles took place. When some Jews returned to the Promised Land after the Babylonian captivity, they were outwardly characterized by weakness. We would search in vain for demonstrations of God's power in the Bible books that describe this time (Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi). Nevertheless, the Spirit worked in their midst and the Word of God persisted among them (Zech. 4:6; Hag. 2:5). Finally, Scripture testifies of John the Baptist, the last and greatest prophet of the “old dispensation”, that he performed no signs (Mt. 11:11; Jn. 10:41). He cleared the way for the Lord Jesus Himself, who performed many miracles and thus proved that He was the Son of God.

When God brings about something new or gives a new beginning, He often confirms this through miracles. When Israel crossed the Jordan and entered Canaan for the first time, they came across the stronghold of Jericho. God tore down the walls of this city and gave His people a triumphant victory (Josh. 6). In later conquests, the Israelites destroyed the fortifications themselves. In the beginning, God had shown His power especially to encourage His people and demoralize their enemies.

When the first Christians proclaimed the gospel, this was something new. God bore witness by performing the miraculous works of the age to come (Heb. 2:4; Heb. 6:5 [1]). Everyone could recognize it: The new things are really from God! The confirmation by divine miracles was also important because the Christian doctrine could only gradually be laid down in the New Testament and used as a basis for evangelization [2]. We find no promise in the New Testament that the miraculous gifts will remain until the return of Christ. But we still have the gifts that are necessary for our spiritual perfection today (Eph. 4:12, 13).

 

What about Mark 16:17,18?

Mark 16:17, 18 says that signs will follow those who believe: They will cast out demons in the name of the Lord, speak in new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things without harm and make the weak feel good by laying hands on them. Does this mean that every believer today can experience these signs? We should consider a few points carefully:

  • The passage contains no promise that the signs will remain until the end of the age (Mt. 28:20).
  • Immediately after verses 17.18 it merely says that the Lord confirmed the preaching of the apostles by signs (Mk. 16:20; 2 Cor. 12:12).
  • This passage cannot mean that all believers have miraculous powers. For the apostle Paul taught something different (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 29).
  • If the signs could still be experienced today, then the taking up of serpents and the drinking of deadly things should not simply be excluded!

The Lord made it clear to His disciples in Mark 16 that signs were not dependent on His presence on earth. He would work from heaven and give signs among those who believed the apostles' proclamation [3]. We have no promise here that assures all believers at all times that they will experience these signs.

 

What about James 5:14-18?

In these verses, a sick believer is advised to bring the elders to him, who will then pray with him and anoint him with oil. It then says: “The prayer of faith will heal the sick person” (v. 15). These verses are also repeatedly cited to justify the fact that miraculous healings should be taken for granted today. Here, too, a few points should be noted:

  • James 5 is not about the gift of healing, but about the prayer of faith.
  • The sick person does not go to a miracle healer, but calls the elders to him.
  • Elders are men, not women. However, women play a major role in the charismatic movement with their miraculous healings.
  • A more serious illness is assumed, because the elders come to the sick man, who is apparently bedridden.
  • It is probably an illness that can be traced back to a special intervention by God. The focus is on chastisement for sins (Job 33:15 ff.), although the “if” in verse 15 also leaves other possibilities open.
  • Both the sick person and the elders recognize why the illness was sent by God. The sick man is ready to confess his guilt. When the elders pray in faith, healing takes place (the sick person must also have faith, but this is not emphasized).
  • The sick person is anointed with oil, the universal remedy of the day. This also makes it clear that the passage does not forbid medical help.
  • It does not speak of an immediate miraculous healing, but of the Lord lifting up – perhaps even by means of medicine.

I think it becomes clear that this passage has little in common with miraculous healings today. Does this mean that James 5 can no longer be practiced? No, it does not mean that. But you can only expect healing if everyone involved recognizes why God sent the illness and knows that He now wants to take it away. In response to the prayer of faith, the Lord will then heal.

In this context, James refers to Elijah, who prayed “successfully” for years of drought and sudden rain (James 5:17). It is obvious that this was something extraordinary. And being lifted from sickness, as described in James 5, is certainly not an everyday thing either – especially not in the days of decline in which we live today.

 

Aren't there Many Healing Experiences?

It is repeatedly pointed out that there are many people who have been healed by miracle healers. It must be said that there are many who have not been healed, even though they have attended healing services. [4] This cannot simply be justified by a weak faith, as is often the case. Malchus, who was one of the Lord's enemies, obviously had no faith at all, and yet the Lord healed his ear, which Peter had cut off (Lk. 22:50-51; Jn. 18:10). It is also thought-provoking that the healers themselves also fall ill and die of their illnesses. [5] As far as the healing reports are concerned, I would like to point out the following:

  • It is often about healings that are difficult to prove (relief from headaches, back pain, etc.). It is not observed that missing body parts are reattached (as with Malchus).
  • It is not uncommon for illnesses in which the psyche plays a decisive role to be healed. A Christian woman told me that she had been miraculously freed from anorexia. However, it is obvious that this does not have to be associated with a “gift of healing”.
  • The placebo effect should not be underestimated: People think that things must get better if they go to see healer XY – and then they seem to be better ...
  • The healer's power of suggestion works in the heated atmosphere of a healing event. The emotionally agitated participants can no longer stand on their feet, are flooded with warmth, fall into a trance – and forget their pain. It is then all too easy to talk about healing.
  • Our organism has self-healing powers. Some supposed miracle cures are just a physical recovery process.
  • In medicine, we know of spontaneous healings that are inexplicable (for example in the case of cancer). They also occur in people who are opposed to faith.
  • It has also been proven that fraud has occurred during healing events. People who were perfectly healthy sat in wheelchairs and of course had no trouble jumping up at the right time.

In my opinion, most of the supposed miracles can be explained in this way. Many – like the well-known surgeon Dr. William Nolen – have searched hard for genuine healing miracles, but have found none. We are faced with a mountain of imagination and deception. Some are quick to say when they hear of miraculous healings that they are wrought by the devil. Apart from the fact that often no real healings can be proven, it should be remembered that Scripture provides no example of the devil and his demons having healed. We read that Satan's servants imitated plagues and practiced sorcery (Ex. 7:22; 8:3; Acts 8:4 ff.) and that the Antichrist will perform “signs and wonders of lies” and let “fire come down from heaven” (2 Th. 2:9; Rev. 13:13). But we read nothing about healings. When the Lord Jesus healed a man born blind and many blasphemously said that He had a demon, some Jews asked: “These sayings are not those of one possessed; can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” (Jn. 10:21). Was the question not justified? In passages such as Deuteronomy 32:39 and Job 5:18, the power of healing is attributed to God. Although this does not rule out the possibility that the devil can heal (if it ultimately serves his destructive purposes), it does show that we need to be very careful with this attempt as an explanation.

 

Further Considerations

The following considerations are intended to put further question marks behind the miraculous healings in the charismatic movement:

  • Miraculous healings reported in the New Testament happened to those who did not believe in the Lord Jesus. Nowhere is it explicitly stated that a believer was healed. So why do many believers today expect to be healed?
  • The sick who trusted in the Lord Jesus were healed completely and immediately (Mt. 4:23-24; 8:16; 9:35; 12:15; 14:14-35; Mk. 1:32-34, 39; 6:55-56; Lk. 4:40-41; 9:11; Jn. 6:2). What happened was not what we find today: Illnesses are ruled out in advance as incurable, healings fail or happen in stages over a longer period of time. Although the Lord did not heal directly in three cases, these were not slow processes of recovery (Mk. 8:22-26; Lk. 17:11-19; Jn. 9:1-7).
  • Miracles of healing are very much to the fore today; but why do we not also speak of the miracles of judgment (cf. Acts 5:5, 10; 13:11)? If miraculous powers work, could we not also expect the sudden stilling of a storm or other “natural miracles” that would be easily verifiable?
  • The Lord and the apostles did not focus on healing the sick. The Word of God was always at the center; the signs confirmed the Word (Heb. 2:4). Sometimes the Lord even forbade speaking about miracles (Mt. 9:30; Mk. 7:36 etc.). Which faith healer today would remain silent if a genuine miracle were to happen? And how important is the proclamation of the whole biblical message? Is there not sometimes a great ignorance of God's thoughts?
  • Miracles of healing are often considered necessary in order for unbelievers to become aware of the gospel. But how many may have been put off by gushing and false claims? Moreover, we must not overestimate the effect of miracles. Pharaoh in Egypt had seen many miracles and yet hardened his heart. And the rich man in Hades, who wanted Lazarus who had risen from the dead to warn his brothers, was told: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Lk. 16:31). Yes, wouldn't miracles in our time lead to the paramount importance of the Word of God being suppressed even more?
  • Healings are also claimed by various religions, esoterics and sects. The healing reports often resemble the reports of Christian healing ministers. How can this be explained?
  • In recent years we have seen a wave of the irrational, mystical and occult. Don't teachings and practices that appeal strongly to the emotions fit in with this unpleasant trend?

We live in a time in which people cannot stand sound doctrine and are turning to fables (myths). It is therefore more important than ever to hold fast to the Word of God and to be sober in everything (2 Tim. 4:3-5). If this is the case with us, then we will judge current trends correctly and not allow ourselves to be carried away by strange teachings. At the same time, if we refrain from wrong things, we will do so in the right spirit and not place ourselves above our fellow believers without love.

What should we do when we fall ill? We don't need to go to miracle healers who promise us the blue sky. We prefer the comfort from heaven, which “transforms” the sickbed (Ps. 41:4). We also want to bring this comfort to those who are ill. We do not heal them, but we visit them (cf. Mt. 25:36).

 

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Footnotes:

[1] Note that in Hebrews 2:4 the past tense is used (“co-witnessed”) and that the miraculous works in Hebrews 6:5 are described as characteristic of an age yet to come.

[2] The testimony of the so-called Church Fathers is interesting here. John Chrysostom (347-407) wrote: “In the beginning the Holy Spirit gave the extraordinary gifts ... for at that time they were necessary for the confirmation of Christian doctrine. Why then do many believers today expect to be healed?

[3] A detailed study of miracles in church history states: “There is little or no evidence of miracles in the first fifty years of the post-apostolic church” (B. B. Warfield, Counterfeit Miracles).

[4] A well-known miracle healer laid hands on about 70,000 people a year for healing. Not even 0.5% of these claimed to have been healed at all.

[5] For example, the healing minister Ruth Carter Stapleton died of cancer after refusing all treatment.

 

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