Neither can we doubt Paul’s personal desire that such a faithful fellow-labourer should be healed, rather than left behind sick. The apostle’s concern for Epaphroditus in a similar case, and his deep relief when “God had mercy on him” revealed Paul’s love for his helpers if by any chance sickness laid one of them low. (Phil. 2:25-30) If it could have been possible for Paul’s prayers to heal Trophimus we may feel sure he never would have left him sick. To attribute it to lack of personal willingness on Paul’s part is monstrous.
An important principle seems to be illustrated here that the gifts of healing and working of miracles (I Cor. 12:9-10) have their true sphere in evangelism rather than among the saints. The Church makes a profound mistake when she tries to use such spiritual gifts for herself rather than for others. Miracles of healing are signs to follow them that believe as they preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:17-18). Their efficacy to attract and convince the indifferent and the unbelieving appear again and again in the Scriptures. Our faith in Divine healing accompanying evangelism on the line of “sign-gifts” as a gracious possibility for our own day, and until the end of the age, has been remarkably vindicated by bold and faithful preachers whose huge meetings have provided the impressive answer to those who wonder how men can still be attracted to hear the Gospel. Healings do not necessarily convert; they do not necessarily produce repentance unto life; they never take the functions pertaining to the Word, and the Word alone; but they DO attract men to at least hear the life-giving Word.
Evangelism is their true sphere, whether in the first century or the twentieth, and not a general healing ministry within the churches. Many of our problems of Divine healing arise because we do not understand this. Disciples crowd into evangelistic campaigns and line up with the sinners and the curious and the needy wordlings to seek a share in the Divine mercy to such. None with any sympathy for these sufferers in body will criticize them seeking relief by any means. Sometimes God does graciously make them a sign to unbelievers by bestowing upon them a miracle of healing that all can see. But we think that all who have had experience with great evangelistic and Divine healing campaigns will have noted that the majority of outstanding miracles of healing occur upon those attracted for the first time: and not upon faithful members of churches and “chronic” cases among Christians.
Moreover, Paul not only left Trophimus sick at Miletum—he did not secure relief from his own physical infirmities by means of his undoubted spiritual gifts. There are poignant references to his own physical weaknesses and infirmities and to those of Timothy his dear son in the faith (Gal. 4:13: I Tim. 5:23). Paul did not relish his weaknesses and infirmities of the flesh; he prayed to be delivered from them, and his ultimate glorying in them was a remarkable spiritual victory that was of a high order of grace (2 Cor. 12:9-10). In the case of Timothy he advised special dieting as an alleviation. The significant thing is that neither for himself, nor for those who were members of his missionary band, did he practice Divine healing through supernatural gifts of the Spirit though he was richly endued with the same in his evangelistic ministry.
pages 9&10
Be the first to react on this!
