Otherwise, I have less time on my hands at the moment to sit down and answer some things that I’ve already answered in past entries in that link. You could always ask Brian Parkman one on one down there in person some of these things. That’s what I used to do.

For now, Steve

authority

Do we have all authority to heal the sick? If so, then that is the difference between healing the sick, and leading someone to salvation. Sure Paul didn’t save everyone in Athens (Although as a side note I was on a missions trip in Greece this summer and to this day they have his sermon on a big metal plaque at Mars Hill where he preached it, so people can still be saved from that sermon two thousand years later!) but Paul didn’t have authority to say “Be saved in the name of Jesus Christ!” If he did then his ministry would be so easy. As soon as he started getting persecuted he could just start commanding salvations.

So I guess my question is, how much authority in healing do we as believers have? and where does the bible agree with your answer?

not trying to be accusatory, I just honestly don’t know much about this whole subject.

Now, yes, maybe all sickness is not directly given by him but from the fallen world, the enemy or whatever, but I do believe he uses it to stretch us, grow us in faith and for us too be like him, partakers in His suffering. In that sense it is part oif his plan oftentimes. I know that many times I;ve grown from such infirmities where I bleive God has allowed it for me to slow me down and to listen to him, etc.

To your other point, I know some do indeed use things as excuses to not ponder thing more seriously but that is not the case here. I have over the years been very open to healing and certainly have seen my own wife supernaturally healed of bipolar terrible manic depression when saved, etc–and we knew it was demonic in nature. I alwyas pray for healing when my children are cik but yes,I don;t always bleive he will necessarily heal it adn sure enough he doesn’t, regardless of whether person being prayed for has enough faith for it or not. Now sometimes he heals when there is no faith frorm anyone involved at all. Go figure!

However, I just don’t now think that if we have enough faith we would be free from all sickness, etc. I think that is all part of the wouldn’t be surpirsed if Jesus didn;t get sick too at times, afterall he suffered as we suffer in all otehr ways, except by deliberate sin.

There’s still a part of my open to your interpretation and thus I ask the questions honestly and read a blog such as yours. But I guess too it will take more for me now to fully heartedly embrace something that could imply blame on those who don’t get well due to their lack of faith! Seems blamin, cruel and vitimizing. That just doesn’t ring true to me for all scenarios. So, yes, in that sense I am indeed unbelieving to some extent to that ‘interpretation’ (if you will) of scripture.

BTW, no request to answer now, just offering my closing thoughts.
I’m going to go now and enjoy some of that Chinese tea. LOL!

Some of the questions asked seem to me as though they’re rooted in unbelief and coming up with excuses so as not to ponder this stuff more seriously. It’s like Christians will cocoon themselves with knowledge so as to not have faith for things.

I have limited internet access at home (not “limited”, as much as limited access to the computer) and have to take my laptop to certain corners of my parents house where wireless internet barely comes in. I study and write blogs from my laptop.
I don’t mind looking into things that people ask, especially when it’s a topic I burn with and don’t mind. But seriously Duncan, “if we are to live healed (healed physically by his stripes, etc.) none of us would even age, and so forth?” is really lame.

For one thing, we age the instant we come out of the womb–even in it–unles you don’t think growing is related to aging. So much comes to mind scripturally about Jesus coming into the form of a baby and “growing old” into adulthood. Or us being fashioned in the womb. Etc.. Only one other time in my life have I listened to someone say to me if healing is for today, then none of us would die (or age).

Off the top of my head while I have a moment at this computer: for one thing, that’s a misguided assumption God never intended us to age or die. Scripture says God has numbered our days, and things like in the Psalms when it talks of living out our days—assume we have a lifespan God has ordained. What about the Proverb that says grey hair is a sign of a man’s wisdom or glory or something like that–do children have grey hair?

There is limited or no Scripture supporting the idea God takes us home via cancer, sickness, diseases, etc and leaves behind 3 young kids as orphans and a widow as a result of it! The devil seeks to kill , steal and destroy.

God takes us home when it’s our time, the devil seeks to kill, steal and destroy, and he will try taking people out. We are in a war, remember. But if you’re serious with your aging process question, I hope my blunt honesty doesn’t put you off. I just don’t care to spend much more time writing posts or answering questions about it when I could write about other stuff. I regret saying I’d write about Jerry’s death, because I don’t know when or how soon I will get around to it, but one day I’ll make sure to have done it. But I just intend on going into more detail than just saying “it stirred me up more instead of less.”

Anyway, I hope I didn’t come across as rude, I just never gave some of these a thought as I think they have nothing to do with the price of tea in China sometimes.

Blessings, and thank you Duncan for continually reading these blog posts.

Didn’t know that the thorn being ‘sickness’ was in vogue. you may well be right.

So, what do you think abou the whole aging factor? Surely if we are to live healed (healed physically by his stripes, etc.) none of us would even age, and so forth?

I think you’re right abou the ‘Miletus’ story. There just isn’t enough there to solidly conclude anything theologically from it. For that matter, I would say that same logic applies with interpreting the Prayer of Jabez too into some sort of theology.

One quick question, not that this destroys any theology or anything, but did Paul leave any unsaved people in Athens after preaching the Gospel to them?

For one thing, it’s *one sentence* in the Bible and any attempt to make solid conclusions is foolish.

For one thing, we do not know:
-What Miletus was sick from
-How many times Paul tried to heal him of said illness.
-If someone else prayed for this man later, and saw him get healed.

There is NOTHING ELSE said about this whatsoever. All we are given, is one sentence mentioning something in passing at the end of an epistle. Any attempt to explain the situation beyond that one statement would out of necessity involve adding things to the Scripture that it doesn’t say in order to fill in the blanks we are missing.

So, to sound like a politician, I have no answer in either pro healing or anti-healing directions. I just know when not to come to conclusions when I don’t have enough evidence to. If there are any lurkers tot his blog smarter than I who have a SCRIPTURAL answer about this Trophimus in Mletus, feel free to chime in.