Overview1. Spiritual Gifts in the Bible 2. The Supernatural Spiritual Gifts 3. The Purpose of Spiritual Gifts 4. The Exercise of Spiritual Gifts 5. I Corinthians 12: Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ 6. I Corinthians 13: Love in the Exercise of Spiritual Gifts 7. Wisdom, Knowledge, and Discerning of Spirits 8. Faith and Miracles9. Healing 10. Faith for Healing 11. The Laying on of Hands12. Tongues and Interpretation 13. Prophecy 14. I Corinthians 14: The Vocal Gifts in Public Worship

CHAPTER 8FAITH AND MIRACLES

ACTS IISPIRITUAL GIFTS

Faith

• Confidence• Trust• Acceptance without tangible proof• Reliance• Commitment

Gift of Faith

• Every Christian should manifest faith, or faithfulness, as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

• I Corinthians 12 describes a supernatural gift of faith that transcends the faith required for salvation and Christian living.

• The gift of faith is the supernatural ability to trust God, or to inspire trust in God, for a particular need or circumstance.

• Time of need, no other options

Faith and Consequences

• The gift of faith may operate even when no miraculous deliverance is forthcoming. – Stephen was “full of faith and the Holy Spirit”

(Acts 6:5), and he exhibited an incredible faith when he was stoned to death

• As with all the spiritual gifts, we should expect the working of miracles, but we must not think we can operate our entire lives by this gift.

Applied

• The miracles in the early church not only met genuine needs, but they were particularly effective in spreading the gospel. (See Acts 9:42.)

• God still grants miracles today as an effective means of furthering the truth and strengthening the church.

CHAPTER 10FAITH FOR HEALING

Scope: who is intended?

• All believers—not just apostles, prophets, or preachers—can overcome Satan’s power, speak in tongues, enjoy divine protection, and pray successfully for divine healing of the sick.

• General will of God to heal: Mk 16:17-18, Jam 5:14-15

Role of Faith

• A persons needing healing should have faith; if he cannot, then others can have faith on his behalf– “Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith

let it be to you’” (Matthew 9:29).– “And He did not do many mighty works there because of

their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).– “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son,

your sins are forgiven you’” (Mark 2:5).– “And He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well.

Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction’” (Mark 5:34).• We pray for those who respond in faith.

Faith: the Name

• The power of faith is not in our mental belief or verbal confession, but in the object of our faith: Jesus is the One who has all power.

• In My name they will cast out demons… they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover” (Mark 16:17-18).

• ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk’” (Acts 3:6).

Focusing Actions

• Faith must act in the present to say, “I am receiving my healing now!”

• Jesus and the apostles often used symbolic acts to help people focus their faith– (Mark 7:32-35) – put His fingers in his ears, spat– (John 9:6-7) – spat and anointed his eyes– (Acts 19:11-12) – Handkerchiefs and aprons

Anointing with Oil

• James 5:14 - Is anyone among you sick? Let … them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

• Anointing with oil reminds everyone that healing comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.

• Anointing with oil is not strictly necessary • When the elders gather to pray over a sick

believer, however, anointing with oil is recommended.

No Limits: It is for Everyone

• “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). [A deacon]

• “And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed” (Acts 8:6-7). [A deacon]

• “And Ananias went … and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, … has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:17-18).

CHAPTER 9HEALING

Healing

• Healing defined: “gifts of healings” (NKJV) (I Corinthians 12:9). “To heal” means “to restore to health or soundness; cure; . . . to set right; repair; . . . to restore (a person) to . . . wholeness.”

• Physical, mental, and spiritual restoration• Only one listed in the plural form; actually there are

many gifts of healing • Various forms of supernatural cure or restoration

from illnesses, diseases, injuries, and other impairments.

Healing

• Healing is more prominent in Scripture than many of the other gifts– More visible, – Ministers directly to urgent human needs,– Effective in evangelism. – Closely associated with God’s plan of salvation,

(reversing the consequences of sin)

Healing: Jesus purchased it

• His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).• And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed

all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: ‘He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.’”

• What Jesus did for the early church He will do for the church today.– …He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do

also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14).

Healing

• While some healing is available in this life, complete healing will come in the resurrection. Whatever we do not receive now, we will receive then.

• When we understand that healing does not come just by a whim but Christ has purchased it for us, we can pray for healing with great confidence.

Gradual Healing

• God may remove whatever is preventing the body from healing itself … the healing will be gradual but still of God.– Ten lepers (Luke 17:12-14).– Blind man (Mk 8:22-25)– Epaphroditus, Timothy and Trophimus – sick

preachers – we are susceptible to being sick!

Why Not Healed?

• Lack of faith. Even Jesus could not heal amidst a lack of faith

• Our own actions. Examine our own lifestyle, environment.

• General vs. specific will of God. Always will of God to pray, not always to heal right away.

CHAPTER 11LAYING ON OF HANDS

Significance

• Hebrews 6:1-2 a foundational doctrine of the church: – “Therefore, leaving the discussion of the

elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”

Old Testament Examples

• Jacob blessed Ephraim and Manasseh, he laid his hands on their heads (Genesis 48:14).

• Moses ordained Joshua to be his successor, he laid his hands on him (Numbers 27:18-20; Deuteronomy 34:9).

• Jacob transferred blessings to his grandchildren• Moses transferred authority and anointing to his

successor• High priest transferred sins from the people to the

scapegoat• Individual penitent transferred his sins to the sacrificial

animal.

New Testament Purposes

• Blessing• Healing• Receiving the Holy Spirit• Consecration or Ordination to Service• Significance– Transfer of blessings from God– Signifies the joint work of the church and the Spirit– Represents submission to God and His church– Consecration to God– Focuses faith to receive God’s promise at a given time