The Gifts of Healing: A Gift for Some or a Sign for All? by David K. Bernard Podcast recording (no venue stated in the delivered transcript) Kind: teaching Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12, Mark 16, James 5 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/david-k-bernard--the-gifts-of-healing-a-gift-for-some-or-a-sign-for-all Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ The short answer is both. Uh I do discuss this in my book spiritual gifts. So as you rightly point out 1 Corinthians 12 lists nine gifts of the spirit. I don't think they're exhaustive but they're illustrative and I believe anyone who is filled with the spirit could potentially exercise any one of the gifts. I do believe the gifts are for the benefit of the body and they're resident in the spirit, not in the individual. So certain people are used in certain gifts such as it could be said they have this gift in in 1 Corinthians 12 mentions that. But I think it we do well to remind ourselves that that actually the gifts belong to the spirit that he uses people as he wills. And so 1 Corinthians 12 also says that. So, if you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you're probably not going to be used in every gift as 1 Corinthians 12 says, but you could be used in any gift as the need arises and as have as you have faith to receive it. So, um but then the contrast as you've already indicated Mark 16, Jesus said, "These signs shall follow those who believe." And it talks about they shall lay hands on the sick, they shall recover. Also James says, "Is there any James 5, is there anyone who's sick? Let him call for the elders of the church. Let them pray. Let them anoint with all. Let them pray in the name of the Lord and they're they'll be healed." So I think healing is resident in the church. I had someone ask me one time in this context. So if you believe that people receive some people receive the gifts of healing, not others. So if there's somebody sick here today, do we have to wait until a recognized healer is present and he or she will pray for the person or can we just pray? And I say we can just pray because James says if any sick call for the elders of the church. So to putting this together, I would say if you're a believer and you're in a situation where maybe you're witnessing to someone, a neighbor, a friend, or you're at home and your child gets sick, you can pray for healing. any believer can pray for healing and and I think that fulfills what Jesus said. Um or in a church setting if someone is sick we usually have leaders the pastor or others he's designated to come and pray for them and they could be healed. So in any church service we believe that someone could be uh healed. So and that and the reason for that is the the gifts are ultimately resident in the spirit and in the church and they can be used by any spiritfilled person as the need arises. However, going back to first Corinthians 12 in practice we recognize some people are used greatly in certain areas. So there are some evangelists who are known that many healings accompany their ministry or some pastors. There even may be some lay leaders who are especially known that when they pray for people, they just seem to have an ability to inspire faith to receive the Holy Spirit. I would call that the gift of faith. Or they seem to have an ability that they inspire people and when they're prayed for, they're healed. And so what I would say is not everyone is going to have that special focus of ministry of healing. In that sense, not everyone has the gift of healing. However, I would then hasten to add as there is a need and you are on the front lines as a believer, you could pray for someone to be healed. orin if you're in church, the leaders or or the ministry of the church can pray for anyone in that church and we can expect healing because the key is the spirit moves as the spirit wills and the key to receiving the number one key is faith actually believing and trusting in God for that. So I believe there's a balance of certain people are you specially in this area. But there's also the general healing that's available to all believers and to all churches at all times. And I think that is the best way of interpreting everything the Bible has to say on the subject. Notice it says in 1 Corinthians 12 gifts of healing. So that's plural indicating there be may be diversities of healings. So, is it talked about for different diseases or different kinds of healings or different means of healing? But that gives you enough um latitude that you can realize it's not just one sizefits-all. The bottom line is if we're sick, we should pray for God to heal us. If we're ministering to someone is sick, we should pray for God to heal them. uh and leave the leave the results in God's hand, but firmly believe for healing, recognizing that God has selected certain individuals that are unusually gifted in the practical aspects of inspiring faith and praying for healing.