Does the Bible Say Anything About Healing Services?

Does the Bible say anything about healing services? Well, yes and no. The main mention of healing services in the Bible is found in James 5:14-15 . "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord." There are many other specific passages that mention various aspects of healing throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. The scriptures contain celebration phrases, lists of blessings, instances of healing by Jesus and the Apostles, and much mention of the importance of spiritual healing over physical healing. The scriptural references to healing in the Bible center around faith, compassion and healing the spirit.

History

An early reference to healing comes in the first book of the Bible, Genesis 33:4. In this account of Esau welcoming home his brother, Jacob, Esau, who once plotted to kill his brother, runs to Jacob and hugs and kisses him. Both brothers rejoice at seeing one another again. This is an account of spiritual healing and drives home the point that time can heal even the worst of wounds. In Exodus 15:26, God reminds His people that it is only through obeying him that they will be healed. The scripture says, "He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." Also in Exodus, verse 23, God reminds them again, "Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you."

Time Frame

While there are some specific mention of healing in the Old Testament, most of the scriptural references are found in the New Testament and centered on Jesus and the Apostles. In the Old Testament, King David lists all of the blessings that God gives us to us. He says, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your disease" (Psalm 103:2-3). In Psalm 107: 20, the anonymous author celebrates the return from exile of the Jews, writing "He sent forth His word and healed them, and rescued them from the grave."

Types

In the Bible, two types of healing take place, physical healing and spiritual healing. In all cases of physical healing, however, a spiritual healing takes place. Healing was one of three main characteristics of Jesus' ministry---teaching, preaching and healing. Jesus was more concerned with a person's spiritual healing than healing their sickness. "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 (Matthew 4:23). By coming to Him and having faith that He would heal them of their sickness, they experienced a spiritual healing.

Function

You can see from the above that the functions of healing in the Bible are closely tied to the act of faith, compassion for those suffering and healing of the soul. Jesus and the Apostles sought to fulfill these functions according to the scripture. Jesus told the Apostles in Mark 16:15-18, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation...they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." One of the functions of such a healing service was to attract new believers and show the power of the resurrected Christ. By healing the sick, the Apostles were able to achieve this function of God's word.

Misconceptions

Biblical scripture says over and over again that it is faith and compassion for those who suffer that should be at the root of healing. Luke 6:6 recounts the story of how religious leaders watched Jesus to see if he would heal the sick on the Sabbath, which was forbidden by Jewish law. Jesus was not concerned with man's laws though, He was concerned with easing the suffering around him.

Resources

• Bible Gateway