Wigglesworth - 5 of 6 - Healing and Deliverance

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(Part 5 - The following is part of our response to a series of emails from a man who disputed our Smith Wigglesworth_article, and who presented common arguments in support of Pentecostal experiences. He claims to have personal experience with baptism of fire, healing, deliverance and the practice of charismatic tongues, as promoted by Wigglesworth.)

PART 1 - Wigglesworth_1_of_6_Pentecostal_Baptism_of_Fire
PART 2 - Wigglesworth_2_of_6_Pentecostal_Gift_of_Tongues
PART 3 - Wigglesworth_3_of_6_Biblical_Tongues
PART 4 - Wigglesworth_4_of_6_Joel_Prophecy_Defending_Tongues
PART 5 - Wigglesworth_5_of_6_Healing_and_Deliverance
PART 6 - Wigglesworth_6_of_6_Prophecy_Gifts_and_Pentecostal_Practice

1. You asked what my beliefs are concerning deliverance and healing. As discussed earlier, I am confident in saying that the slain-in-the-spirit and tongues-speaking phenomena that occur today are not of God. I am only slightly less confident in saying the same about deliverance and healing.

2. Having followed the ministries of many who 'practice' these things today, and having studied former proponents of such things - like Smith Wigglesworth and William Branham, I would conclude that most – if not all – of such ministries are false. That is not to say that all engaged in such things are charlatans. Many are charlatans, but many more are simply deceived and are re-producing what they have been taught to believe and practice. Does that excuse them? No. They - and we - are all commanded:

a. to search the scriptures (John 5:39; Acts 10:17),

b. to study to shew ourselves approved unto God (II Tim 2:15),

c. to take heed that no man deceive us (Matt 24:4), and

d. to continue in his word (to be his disciples indeed, to know the truth and to be made free. – John 8:31,32)

3. Therefore, I believe that all 'true Pentecostals' – those falsely exercising such 'gifts' are:

a. the "many" about whom Jesus spoke in Matt 7:22-23 who cast out devils in his name, and

b. the "many" to whom Jesus will say, "depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Deliverance:

4. As you probably know, Jesus fulfilled the first verse of Isaiah 61 in Luke 4:18, while reading in the synagogue, wherein he mentioned his commission to preach deliverance to the captives.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, (Luke 4:18)

5. So, deliverance is certainly a biblical doctrine, and we can find it implicitly in various forms throughout the bible:

a. Noah was delivered/spared/freed/redeemed from a wicked world and from the judgment of God upon it

b. Lot was likewise delivered from the wickedness of Sodom and from God's judgment upon it

c. repentant believers are redeemed/freed/delivered from the curse of the law and from the law of sin and death

d. a man was freed/delivered from a legion of devils

e. and the ultimate deliverance for all saints will occur at Jesus' Second Coming.

6. But most of the good things in this passage (Isaiah 61) - most of the benefits of that deliverance - will not be obtained until after "the day of vengeance of our God" (at his Second Coming), which is why Jesus closed the book without reading further in Luke 4:18 at his First Coming. So, we must add a measure of patience as we wait for "that day", so that we will be neither unfruitful nor barren in our knowledge of our Lord. (II Peter 1:6)

Healing:

7. Jesus and his disciples 'delivered' many people from devils. They were instantly delivered, and by all appearances they were permanently delivered. He/they also healed many people. Again, they were instantly healed, and they were permanently healed. But, are these the characteristics of today's "healings"? They are not the characteristics of Smith_Wigglesworth's_ministry; nor of William_Branham's.

8. Many ill persons in the bible were instantly healed of visible organic diseases – those crippled from birth, blind from birth, and even those who were dead (simple things to heal, right?), etc. whereas today, examples of true and substantial healings like these are noticeably absent.

9. Instead today, fantastic claims are made about inner healings, healing of back pains, headaches, arthritis, and myriad other psychosomatic, endorphin-affected and/or otherwise difficult to prove 'healings' that are flamboyantly proclaimed during 60 seconds of performance, hype and hysteria.

10. Many ill persons have been dramatically proclaimed to be HEALED! by William_Branham, Benny Hinn, Smith Wigglesworth, and other like-minded 'healers' in the past 100 years, only to deteriorate into a worse state and/or to die within days of the proclamation. In contrast, however, whenever Jesus pronounced someone to be 'made whole' or "healed", he/she was truly healed – instantly, fully, and permanently (there is no record that anyone's death was consequential to a disease from which Jesus had previously healed them.)

11. I am always amazed by the pompous claims of those who invoke the true promise of Jesus for themselves that "GREATER works than these shall he do" (John 14:12) when those same fakes haven't even done anything "simple" yet – like walk on water.

12. But does the growing army of fake faith healers provide conclusive proof that God doesn't really heal people today? No; not necessarily, and yet I have not personally witnessed a verifiable instantaneous organic healing myself either (despite having attended many services that were suitable for witnessing one). It appears that God allows people to recover from various illnesses today by way of medical treatment and/or by healthy eating (as Paul recommended to Timothy), but many of these are only for a period of time; not permanently.

13. So, can God heal? Absolutely. That is not in question at all. The only question is: does he?

14. Can God deliver? Absolutely. That too is not in question. Does he? Perhaps, yes, I believe he may deliver some people instantly from addictions and perhaps from devils, but the pattern predominantly seems to be one achieved through growth instead - just like the metaphors of investment and seed-planting growth. (i.e. by continuing in his word….. we know the truth…. and the truth makes us free.)

Deliverance and Healing as Signs:

15. Let's look at perhaps the strongest passage in favour of these as signs

Mark 16:15-18

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

16. All of these signs were fulfilled in the lives and ministries of the Apostles and early church. A healing ministry – or the healing itself – was given as a sign that God was at work, to validate the word that was spoken. The work of God and the word of God were validated and verified by these signs. (Mark 16:20)

And they went forth, and preached even where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. (Mark 16:20)

17. What do we know for sure?

a. The bible says that God validated his word with signs following,

b. The bible says that false christs, false prophets, and false teachers would use counterfeit signs, and lying signs and wonders, etc to deceive (Jannes and Jambres against Moses, false prophets and teachers today, and the Antichrist and the False Prophet),

c. The bible does not say that God will continue to validate his word with signs following. Signs are for a period of time, they are for a specific purpose and they are not always provided. (For example, the rich man's request for a sign/warning to his brothers was not granted because if his brothers wouldn't listen to the law and the prophets then they wouldn't believe even if someone rose from the dead – the ultimate sign. Luke 16:31), and

d. The bible does not say that legitimate signs (such as true healings) would follow the work of Charlatans, or people who were teaching contrary to his word.

18. Who are the people claiming to have a healing ministry today? Examine what doctrines they teach. Are they scriptural? (I do not know of anyone who has a scriptural healing ministry today). That is why I believe that the 'signs' reportedly following these charlatans are all counterfeits.

19. Note that this passage (Mark 16:15-18) does not say that some of these signs shall follow them that believe. It says that "these signs shall follow them…." But even the Apostle Paul did not have all of these signs manifesting by the end of his ministry; so, it appears that these signs were only given for a certain period of time:

a. Paul was not healed/delivered of his thorn in the flesh (II Cor 12:7),

b. Paul was unable to heal Trophimus, whom he left sick at Miletum (II Tim 4:20), and

c. Paul was unable to heal Timothy, who had often infirmities and needed wine for his stomach's sake (I Tim 5:23)

20. So, if these are the signs that are to follow "them that believe" all the way up to the Second Coming, (even though they didn't all work towards the end of Paul's ministry), then why should we expect that these signs were valid during Smith Wigglesworth's ministry, or Branham's ministry, let alone that they would still be valid today? If signs are for a purpose and that purpose has been fulfilled, then why should the signs continue?

21. And if the purpose has already been fulfilled, isn't it exactly what we would expect of Satan - to re-produce/imitate what God has made and to deceive people into 'serving' God (many wonderful works in his name – Matt 7:22) with the counterfeit sacrifice, the old covenant/law, and the false gift?

22. Finally, let's consider these things with plain reasoning, as follows:

a. Why is it that millions of professing Pentecostal/charismatic Christians today claim to 'speak in tongues', practice it often, and preach it upon others, but only a handful of them claim to lay hands on the sick and actually heal them?

b. Why is it that millions 'speak in tongues' but almost none practice picking up serpents nor preach that others should do likewise?

c. Isn't the gift of picking up serpents exactly equal (in the list of signs) with casting out devils and 'speaking in tongues'?

d. Why is it that so many pastors and evangelists (who DO pick up snakes) die from snake-bites during sermons that are intended to prove that Mark 16 still applies to them today?, and

e. Why do almost all similarly-minded believers promote the sign of 'tongues' but don't promote the equally valid sign of snake-handling? (Mark 16:18)

23. We should not fall into the trap of "proving" our spirituality to others by engaging in unscriptural practices – slain-in-the-spirit, gibberish/tongues, and spectacular "healing" services, etc. We are commanded, instead, to study to shew ourselves approved unto God… rightly dividing the word of truth (II Tim 2:15). We need to come out from among those who do such things and be separate; then God will receive us. (II Cor 6:17)

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (I Thess 5:21)

Mike.