Healing, Miracles, and Gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Glorious Church

David W Palmer

(Romans 15:19 KJV) “Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”

Jesus is excited about the glorious church, the pure spotless bride for whom he is returning—which he is currently washing with his word, and for which he is preparing mansions and a wedding celebration. The bride also has a responsibility; she gets herself ready for the wedding (Rev. 19:7). Part of this preparation involves preaching the gospel to every nation on earth (Mat. 24:14). To confirm that this really is God’s work, that Jesus is his Son, and that what is spoken in the name of Jesus is authentic; God's plan is to produce signs and wonders, miracles, healings, and gifts of the Holy Spirit in confirmation:

(Acts 10:38 CSB) “... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, … he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.”

(Hebrews 2:3–4 CSB) … This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, ... God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will.

We note that these signs and wonders have always, and only ever will, confirm that Jesus is the son of God, and that his gospel is true. That is why the glorious church will move in mighty signs and wonders; but it is also why they will be demonstrated in the name of Jesus—and he will receive the glory for them all. We can see this confirmed in the book of Acts:

(Acts 2:22 NLT) “People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.”

(Acts 2:22 BSB) “Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know.”

These translations say that God endorsed and certified Jesus through signs and wonders. In the ensuing chapter, Peter models the correct attitude of those through whom God performs these miracles in Jesus’s name; and he clarifies the explanations they should give to those who witness this happening through the church:

(Acts 3:12–13, 16 NKJV) So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? (13) The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ... (16) And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

All signs and wonders done in Jesus's name only ever confirm him, endorse him, certify him, and attest to him. True signs and wonders done in Jesus’s name do not ever endorse, certify, or confirm the person through whom they operate. We are not to worship the [human] miracle-worker, or to follow them instead of Jesus.

In the Gospels, we see the pattern Jesus set up in how to present the gospel and good news about God, his kingdom, his heart, character, and plan for man. For example, we see that Jesus went everywhere preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing all kinds of sickness and disease:

(Matthew 4:23 KJV) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

(Matthew 9:35 KJV) And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Our Lord Jesus did this ministry personally for a period, with his apprentice disciples following and observing him. Then, he released the holy spirit’s anointing onto them, and he sent them to go two other villages doing the same ministry—in his name. They were successful and saw many healings:

(Luke 9:6 KJV) And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

(Luke 9:10–11 NLT) When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. (11) But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.

When Jesus's disciples returned and reported what had happened through their ministry in his name, we see that more crowds were generated. This echoed what happened through Jesus’s initial ministry:

(Matthew 4:24–25 NLT) News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. (25) Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

From these passages, we see that it was a combination of the miracles and preaching that attracted the crowds; they didn't come for preaching and teaching alone. Miracles, signs and wonders, healings, were instrumental in bringing the crowds.

After another period of training with his apprentice apostles, Jesus sent them out more permanently with a full commission after his resurrection:

(Mark 16:15–18 NKJV) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Today, as we mature into the glorious church, it is fully our responsibility to obey this directive as part of Jesus’s full commission. He wants us to preach his complete gospel—not just in part, but the full gospel of Jesus’s death, burial, resurrection, and commission. This can be done in no other way than in the confirmation of signs and wonders. We see this operating in the early church:

(Mark 16:20 NLT) And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.

(Acts 5:14–16, 42 NKJV) And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, (15) so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. (16) Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed. ... (42) And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.