The spiritual gift of healing – What is it?

Quick answer

The gift of healing was a miraculous ability given primarily to the apostles to confirm the gospel message in the early church. While some debate if this gift continues today, God still has the power to heal both physically and spiritually.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The spiritual gift of healing, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12, was a miraculous ability given mainly to the apostles to confirm the gospel message and authenticate the messenger in the early church. The New Testament records several miraculous healings by Peter and Paul, showing God's power to heal after His ascension. Some believe this gift was temporary and ceased after the apostles, while others think it might still be active today. Regardless, God continues to heal both physically and, ultimately, spiritually through Jesus, the Great Physician.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

The spiritual gift of healing is not mentioned in the Old Testament. However, God at times empowered His prophets to heal. For instance, the prophet of God Elisha told Naaman to dip himself in the Jordan seven times to be healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14). God also empowered him to raise a widow’s son from the dead (2 Kings 4:18-37).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

In Acts 3, Peter healed a man disabled from birth (vv. 1-10).
God also gave Paul the power to heal. Acts 19:11-12 says, "And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them." God used Paul and other apostles to affirm the truth about Christ.
When we are sick, God tells us to pray to Him for healing. James 5:14-15 teaches, "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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up." God is our Healer. This doesn’t mean that God will always cure our illnesses; God’s sovereign will for our lives is often beyond our understanding. But believers should, nonetheless, pray to Him for physical healing and know that He has already healed us spiritually.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Some people believe that a person can still have the gift of healing today. However, this has been difficult to prove and has been problematic due to charlatans who perform “healings” that are later discovered to be fake.

Still others see the gift of healing as involving more than only miraculous healings. This view might include those gifted in the medical profession. The idea that Christian medical workers can use their abilities for helping those in need and strengthening the church is certainly biblical. However, since this definition of healing is not used in Scripture related to the gift of healing, connecting this view with the spiritual gift of healing is uncertain. For instance, Scripture doesn’t indicate that the disciple Luke, a physician who traveled with Paul and wrote both Luke and Acts, performed any medical healings.

But of course, God can and does still perform miracles today, including healing. Whether a gift of healing still operates today, there is no doubt that God continues to intervene in today's world to change lives through His power to heal. More importantly, God provides spiritual healing—the salvation of our soul to offer eternal life (John 3:16: Romans 10:9). In Isaiah 53:5-6 we read how the coming Messiah will bear the “stripes” of affliction to heal our wounds, which is clearly referring to spiritual healing. Jesus is the Great Physician, the One who can heal both body and soul, offering help now and for eternity.

UNDERSTAND

The gift of healing was a miraculous sign given to apostles to confirm the gospel.
God continues to heal physically and spiritually, even if the gift of healing does not still exist today.
Jesus is the ultimate healer—both spiritually and physically.

REFLECT

How do you understand the difference between miraculous healing and God’s ongoing care through medical means?
When have you experienced or witnessed God’s healing power, physically or spiritually, in your life?
How does knowing Jesus is the Great Physician affect the way you pray for healing—for yourself or others?

ENGAGE

How do we balance faith in God’s healing power with the use of medicine and medical professionals?
What challenges arise when discussing the continuation or cessation of the gift of healing today?
How can the church support those seeking healing—whether physical, emotional, or spiritual—in a godly way?