September 15th: Faith Healing (2)
Speaker: Duncan Wyncoll
In this second talk, Dr Wyncoll examines the medical data from cases of claimed faith healing.
Understanding Reported Healings. Reading: Psalm 32 or James 5
Healers – Time & Place: Christ/Apostles, Healings – Commonly claimed by other religions
But, how do we answer those who claim to have been ‘miraculously healed’?
What are the possible explanations? Will not always know, but…
1. God did actually heal; it is possible – but remember that with God it would be:
· Undeniably convincing, spectacular, with reason, authoritative & awesome cf. healing programs. Remember His promise to Elisha
James 5.17,18 - Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, & he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: & it rained not on the earth by the space of three years & six months. & he prayed again, & the heaven gave rain, & the earth brought forth her fruit.
· Would not require faith of individual, would not be done for monetary gain
But why would God heal in a Charismatic healing meeting? – His Grace
Romans 15.4 - For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience & comfort of the scriptures might have hope
Illus: Moses at Meribah (Numbers 20), & God using Saul?
2. The medical treatment worked – most people go to the doctor first!
· This is God’s primary appointed means
3. The (inappropriate) language of doctors – ‘it’s a miracle’
· What doctors are taught may be wrong!
· Understanding of, or treatment of certain diseases changes over time
Illus: e.g. Understanding of COVID-19
4. Misunderstanding of a doctors words, & patients perception of illness
· Patients may think they have a illness when they don’t
Illus: Uncle who coughed up blood & rumour went round family re: Cancer
· Studies showing different impressions from ‘taped interviews’
5. Mistakes in diagnosis
· Therefore the wrong treatment, but the healer has success!
· X-rays are just shadows – “you need tissue” N.B. Autopsy diagnosis ~ 20% wrong
6. The healing capacity of the body
Psalm 139.14 – ‘I will praise thee; for I am fearfully & wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; & that my soul knoweth right well’
· Lay public (& young docs) have an overinflated view of what medicine can do…
· Fearfully: literally revere, reverence
· 1st rule of medicine ‘primum, non nocere’ – first, do no harm
· ‘Watch & wait policy’ – there are surprisingly few treatments, most are symptomatic
· Doctors phrases: ‘Tincture of time’, ‘Masterly inactivity’…
· e.g. abdominal pain, back pain, headaches, chest pain…
· The fall in death rate when all doctors went on strike (e.g. France 30 yrs ago)
· Stress, smoking, diet & exercise – profound effects upon health – All evident years ago
7. The power of the Placebo effect, & difficulty in measuring response
· Hence the modern obsession for ‘placebo-controlled double-blinded trials’ rather than just ‘observation’
· In some illnesses – the ‘placebo effect’, may be as high as 30%, even affected by the colour of the placebo, & the manner in which the treatment is prescribed
Illus: The Hawthorne effect – discredited now by some…
8. Spontaneous remission
· The Complex nature of disease e.g. Asthma – interaction of environment (pollutants, allergens), patient factors, genetic factors, emotional factors…
· Also the Natural variability or course of a disease e.g. Multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease
· Even in Breast Cancer! 20% of small tumours on mammography can regress
9. Some Illness may be induced by Sin
· ‘All Illness is caused by suffering?’ No – example of Job
John 9.1-3 - & as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. & his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him
· But Psalm 32 – ‘illness/pain/suffering may be related to sin…’
Psalm 32.3-5 – ‘When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin’
· David seems to get physical relief, when he asks for forgiveness
· Have you not had the experience of pain etc…? over unforgiven sin?
· Some illnesses are caused by, or made worse by sin…
James 5.16 - Confess your faults one to another, & pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
10. Sometimes it’s a ‘functional illness’ – physiological & not organic
· All the tests are ‘normal’, nothing specific can be found - doesn’t mean it’s not real
· Patients like ‘labels’. Irritable bowel disease, costocondritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, chronic pelvic pain.
· Allergies, headaches, neckpain, backpain, abdominal pain
· Some illnesses/symptoms are culturally expressed – ‘total body pain’
· Western society – headache; Children – abdominal pain etc
· Faith healers often effective in these conditions
11. Mass hysteria, hypnosis & suggestion – a very powerful tool
· E.g. Dental extraction & childbirth
· Medicine Man go wild series on TV (2008) – hooks into the body & twirled around, also mentioned by William Carey
· This is fairly typical of large healing meetings & verified by Psychologists
Illus: Experience of hypnosis when student – Eating lemons, body stretched out like a board
2 Tim 1.7 – ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, & of love, & of a sound mind.’ (self-control)
· In previous Revival times, it was known as ‘Enthusiasm’
12. Misleading reports of healings (esp. from overseas)
· When subjected to medical investigation – Not true, or lies, or exaggeration or even deliberate deceit
· But many people just want to believe that healings are true
2 Tim 4.3 – ‘For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears’
Titus 1.10,11 – Vain talkers & deceivers… ‘Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whose houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.’
13. Satanic involvement
Matt 16.4 – ‘A wicked an adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; & there shall be no sign given unto it…’
Sadly Healing Movement is characterised by superficial faith, but actually it is far worse.
Mat 24.24 – ‘For there shall arise false Christs, & false prophets, & shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect’
2 Cor 11.13-15 - ‘For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. & no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.'
· But is it perceived power? Or real power?
· Satan has power to perform signs
Examine the evidence
· Don’t jump to conclusions, get the facts – then think through the possibilities
· We are fearfully & wonderfully made – is that not miraculous enough?
· Trust God’s Word & His ways
Conclusion
· Following redemption, we’re brough into relationship with Christ
· One result is that He has ‘right-of-way’ in our lives (Potter’s clay – Romans 9)
· Christ is Sovereign – not ruthless, but lovingly/tenderly – but always with best interests of His Child
· Sometimes, He chooses health, strength & length of days or the opposite, & sometimes opposite experiences at different times
· When well – it is our duty to serve using mental, physical and spiritual powers to His glory
· When sick – the same obligations, but within limits
Three options: Healing though a physician, through rest/change of scene, exercise etc, or through God alone (miraculous)
· In a sense ALL are ‘divine healing’ – God being the Creator
· If a fractured limb – it would be foolish to set aside what God has provided
· Other conditions might improve with lifestyle change etc
· The miraculous is possible, but God is the Judge as to whether he will display His powers – we remain submissive to His will
· It remains our right to offer prayer to the faithful Creator where human help has failed
· But it remains God’s choice
