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ON THIS PAGE
Emphasis Mine In Bible Verses
Greater Works
What Did Christ Mean?
Do Miracles Take Place In The World Today? They Do BUT
 Not All Miracles Are From God
The Down Side of Miracles and Healing
Physical Healing Then and Now
A Devastating Decline - Occult Manifestations Touted As Gifts Of The Spirit.
Prophecy, Tongues, Slain in the Spirit, Direct Revelation, Word of Knowledge
Contemplative Prayer
Labyrinths
Greater Works
In support of their belief many Charismatics will quote John 14:12 in which Jesus said that we would do greater works than He did. Thus everyone we pray for to be healed should be healed.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works (Gk. ergon) that I do shall he do also; and greater (Gk. KJV - meizon. NASB - megas) works (Gk. ergon) than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. (John 14:12)
However, there are several inescapable problems with this reasoning. In spite of all the hype there has been no increase in the number or quality of miracles. Clearly not every sick person prayed for (even by the leaders of the Health-Wealth gospel) is healed. In fact, it would be accurate to say that regardless of the many claims to the contrary, most people prayed for today are not miraculously healed.
But since we can safely rule out the possibility that Jesus was guilty of false prophesy it stands to reason that our understanding of this promise is flawed.
1.) The Word "Greater" Is Not Being Correctly Understood.
Just as the word 'lesser' means of less size or importance, 'greater' means greater in size, importance, or degree not 'more sensational'. Examples...
'Better' than: "Surely You are not greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too; whom do You make Yourself out to be?" (John 8:53 NASB)
Bigger: Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin." (John 19:11 NASB)
More or Most Important:
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NASB)
Superior to: You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4 NASB)
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Who then is greatest (Gk. meizon) in the kingdom of heaven?" (Matthew 18:1 NASB)
Greater Magnitude: "For then there will be a great (Gk. meizon) tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. (Matthew 24:21 NASB)
Thus, when Jesus said the disciples would do greater works He could very well have been referring to the sheer number of people who came to salvation by hearing the message preached by the disciples. Although Jesus' did a great many almost spectacular things in His short time on earth, the number of souls who came to God as a direct result of ministry was quite small.
However, when Jesus ascended into heaven His followers were few in number. Just forty days later on Pentecost that number jumped to three thousand (Acts 2:41). In fact, there were more people converted after Peter's first sermon than are recorded during Jesus' entire time on earth.
Christ's ministry was confined to a relatively small geographical area, whereas the works of the apostles extended to several nations well beyond the boundaries of Judea. And in a few short years after Pentecost, there was a church in Rome itself.
Jesus set it all in motion but it was up to His followers to take His message to the ends of the earth. In other words, the works of the apostles were not greater in kind than those of Jesus, but greater in the sphere of their influence.
What Was Jesus' Primary Message? (Not Love As Many Think)
2.) The Promise Only Applied To The Disciples
There is good reason to believe that when the Savior said that those who believed in Him would do greater works than He did He was not making a general statement that applies to all Christians everywhere and at all times but what addressing His chosen disciples. Note the context
The verses beginning with John 13:12 through chapter 16 are all part of Jesus' final discourse made to the disciples right after they celebrated the Passover and just before He was arrested. Virtually everything the Savior said in this section was aimed at encouraging and comforting the distraught disciples who were troubled by the fact that He was soon to leave them. They needed to be prepared for His death and what they would face later.
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. (John 15:16 NASB)
and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning. (John 15:27 NASB)
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. (John 16:7 NASB)
A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me." (John 16:16 NASB)
Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. (John 16:22 NASB)
Although we are not given specifics quite a few miracles including healings and freedom from demon possession are attributed to both Peter and Paul. Acts 5 says (Emphasis Added)
At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico... to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed. (Acts 5:12, 15-16 NASB)
God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. (Acts 19:11-12 NASB)
There are only two recorded instances of an apostle raising a dead person (Peter raised a disciple called Tabitha in Acts 9, and Paul a young man named Eutychus in Acts 20).
However, considering that the book of Acts covers about the first 30 -40 years of the founding and establishing of the church it does not make any sense to believe that no other miracles took place other than the few that were actually recorded. Just as the miracles were the physical signs that Christ was the Messiah, the miracles done by the apostles were also signs that they were sent by God and I very much doubt they stopped at the odd one here and there.
Although it cannot be stated with certainty, it is entirely possible that the miracles worked by the disciples and apostles were 'greater' or more abundant than Jesus'.
Also Note that the promise that the disciples would do "greater things" was not the only promise Jesus made to them in this section. He also told them,
If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:14 NASB)
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (John 15:7 NASB)
You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. (John 15:16 NASB)
In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. (John 16:23 NASB)
None of these promises give us carte blanche to ask whatever we want of Him.
Miracles in The World Today?
Jesus' statement that he who believes in Him would not only do the works that He did but would do greater works (NEXT SECTION) simply cannot be taken to mean that every believer is going to be able to heal the sick or raise the dead. Confirmation for this comes from Paul who clearly taught that the various spiritual gifts are distributed among believers. In a rhetorical question Paul asks (Emphasis Added)
All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? (1 Corinthians 12:29-30 NASB)
In fact, in the previous verse the gifts are listed according to their importance. Miracles and healing are in fourth and fifth place after apostles, prophets, and teachers
And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues. (1 Corinthians 12:28 NASB)
In other words, not all Christians are given the gift of miracles which are are distributed according to God's will
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 NASB)
However, miracles do happen in today's world (See target="_blank" onClick='alert("ON-site link will open in a new window. To return here, simply close the new browser window.")' My Personal Experience) and a lot more of them may be occurring than we think or believe. Few today live in small villages where everyone knows almost everyone else and an unusual event - especially a supernatural one - will create a stir among the immediate population. In spite of modern communication the very size of our world could very well mean that many miracles go unheard of.
However, the reader would do well to remember that not all miracles are from God. Satan can and does pull off many signs and wonders of his own
For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24 NASB) (Also See Deuteronomy 13:1-3).
Why would he do so?
Simply because it would serve his purpose very well to dole out the occasional healing just to keep the ball rolling. After all it does 'prove' that the faith healer is 'genuine' and a real 'man of God', therefore any heresy that comes out of his mouth is accepted as gospel truth. An excellent strategy from Satan's point of view.
(See Section Is Physical Healing Included In The Atonement?
The Down Side of Miracles and Healing
While it is true that many if not most of Jesus' miracles were performed to authenticate His person and mission, not all of them were. Because Jesus was a "reflection" of the Father (when people look at Jesus they see the Father), He also healed to acquaint people with the nature of God... not just His power but His compassion.
This need still exists. There are still sick people.... there are still people who are hurting. And God still has compassion for these people.
However, sadly a miracle does not always have the desired effect. The problem being that there is always the danger of the physical, worldly gift upstaging the spiritual one.
John 6 tells us that when Jesus went to the other side of the sea of Galilee, a great multitude followed him, because they had seen Him heal the sick. Jesus then fed five thousand people with five loaves, and two fish (5-13), which the people took as evidence of His divine mission, acknowledging Him to be the prophet that had come into the world (6:14) prophesied by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. Jesus and the disciples later went to Capernaum and were followed by the people who crossed the sea in boats to Capernaum seeking Jesus.(6:16-24). When they got to the other side, they asked Jesus why He had come to Capernaum, He replied
Verily, verily, I say unto you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. (John 6:26)
In other words, the miracle took a back seat to the prospect of another free meal.
This seeking of the gifts instead of the Giver can have tragic consequence. Remember Jesus' words when He warned the cities of Chorazin and Bethsaida that in the day of judgment, their fate would be far worse than that of Tyre, Sidon and Sodom - this in spite of the fact that the latter cities were very immoral.
The reason? Unlike the other three, Chorazin and Bethsaida had seen incredible displays of His "mighty works" but had still not believed.
"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. "Nevertheless I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. "Nevertheless I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for you." (Matthew 11:21-24 NASB)
A miracle can actually become testimony against an individual, if the person concerned does not turn to the Lord after experiencing one.
Physical Healing Then and Now
The healings alleged to be brought about by modern 'faith healers' bear no resemblance to the healing miracles in the Bible in which there were no "healing services" and no need for the 'right atmosphere' in the Scriptures.
Christ And The Apostles
restored people to health on the street or in public places. Some of those cured were well known to have a particular and usually incurable illness or deformity. For example...
The healing of the man with the withered hand was done in the synagogue on the Sabbath in full view of the Scribes and Pharisees. (Luke 6: 6-10)
Jesus publicly healed the man who couldn't walk for thirty-eight years, and who lay daily by the pool of Bethesda hoping for a miracle. (John 5:2-15)
Note: Although we can be certain of Jesus’ part in healing the lame man, there seems to be more to the story of the angel stirring the waters of the pool than meets the eye. The events strongly indicates that God is not the only one that can heal. DETAILS
When Jesus restored sight to the man who had been born blind it was obviously done on the street in public... "... as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth" (John 9:1).
When Jesus was arrested on the Mount of Olives one of the people with him drew his sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus healed the man in front of the "multitude" including "chief priests, and captains of the temple, and elders", that had come against him (Luke 22:49-52)
Moreover, they...
were able to heal everyone who believed (ex. Luke 4:40; Acts 5:12-16; 28:9),and at least one that was probably not looking for nor expecting a healing ie. the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5) .
healed instantaneously (Matthew 8:13; Mark 5:29; Acts 9:32-35).
healed totally, not partially (John 9:7; Acts 9:34).
healed many people with a word or touch (e.g., Matthew 8:6-7; Acts 9:32-35).
Modern Healers
do not publicly heal someone that the entire community knows was crippled. They never heal anyone in a mall, a public library, or out on the street. They never walk into a hospital and heal a stranger in full view of the medical staff, nor have they ever openly walked up to a coffin at a funeral and simply spoken words of life to the dead. (There have been stories on Christian television shows of those who supposedly died and then came back to life, but they remain just that - stories!)
They only work to their own schedules in a controlled environment - carefully setting the stage with much rah-rah to get the level of hype up long before any professed healing can actually take place. And that is not all. For the most part not only is much of their theology anti-Biblical but they believe they are entitled to unbelievably wealth and lavish lifestyles. See Lifestyles of The Tele-Evangelists
And since the Spirit of truth does not authenticate heretics, it is impossible that the Lord would grant men such as these authentic gifts of the Spirit.
The Wrath of God, Sin, Repentance, Salvation and Holiness (without which NO ONE will see God)
all take a back seat to living your best life now.
The Lord is not in the business of miraculously filling teeth or gas tanks, fixing household appliances, or raising pets from the dead. And anyone who thinks so either needs to get their head examined and/or start a serious study of their Bibles starting from square one.
A Devastating Decline - Occult Manifestations Touted As Gifts Of The Spirit.
It is very clear that the gifts of tongues, prophecy, healing etc. are, for the most part, different from those that occurred in the New Testament. Not only are we refusing to take seriously the Bible's warning that the period of time close to the end of the age would see
A rise in false prophets who perform miracles, prophesy, and cast out demons in Jesus' name (Matthew 7:22-23; 24:11-13, 24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).
Evil men and impostors going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13 NASB)
False leaders who "fashion themselves as ministers of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
Teachers who would turn the faithful away from the truth to fables. This done with the willing compliance of people who only wish to satisfy their own lusts. (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
But thanks to the lack of any discernment whatsoever occult manifestations are being touted as gifts of the Spirit. The rise of false prophets and false apostles, fake healings, demonic manifestations masquerading as receiving the Holy Spirit, are all signs of the end of days.
In fact, we are so busy congratulating ourselves on how "spiritual" we have become that we little suspect that in indulging in these practices and flirting with the occult we have actually lost all rights to call ourselves "Christians".
We have openly invited evil to cross the threshold so it shouldn't at all surprise us that one of these days the doors will be wide enough for them to make their move. (You can take it to the bank that they are coming back. Read Days of Noah when the evil of men and the abominable union of the supernatural with the natural moved God to judge the world...
Worse, believers have been led astray by the very ones that should have shepherded them to safety.
See Literal Doctrines of Demons in The Modern Church
The church that should have been a bulwark against evil has, with apostate leaders and a Biblically illiterate population, latched on to the coat tails of the world and adopted practices DIRECTLY derived from the Occult. Very many modern believers are being reintroduced to ancient practices such as Centering Prayer and walking Labyrinths as supposed ways to get closer to and communicate with God. However, few have taken the time to find out what is behind these practices and the people that teach them.
Here are some examples of doctrines deeply rooted in the occult that are being passed off as “gifts of the Holy Spirit”
Prophecy
Any and all genuine prophecy is a supernatural revelation from God. No person, regardless of how inspiring their message nor how persuasive the manner in which they deliver it, can be considered a prophet unless their message comes directly from God - A genuine prophet does not repeat what may have been instilled in him by tradition, what he has thought up himself, nor what he imagines to be true.
Thus the prophet has to be held to the highest standards of accountability. When he (or she) says, "Thus saith the Lord," the person or persons to whom the message is directed has to be able to take it to the bank. The test of a prophet is not whether he is sometimes right but whether he is ever wrong. See Prophets or Charlatans (Scroll down to Testing The Prophets)
Although prophecy in the form of 'forth telling' (when someone conveys a message from the Lord as opposed to foretelling the future) most definitely exists today, virtually all the so called prophecy today made in very public forums is nothing but an endless torrent of mind numbing drivel.
In fact, false prophets are cheaper by the dozen in the modern church.
Well-advertised and well-known self-proclaimed 'prophets' constantly make very public specific prophecies (even on national television) that are never assessed. Their highly exaggerated and delusional concept of their own importance has led them to portray themselves as hand-picked men and women of God. They constantly blurt out non-specific prophecies that cannot be tested objectively and could be made up on the spot by any Christian with half an imagination.
Their so called prophecies are not only extravagant but usually couched in pretentious and grandiose language. Few, if any of them actually come to pass.
Spoken today - forgotten tomorrow.
Even worse, most of the bilge they spew out FLATLY CONTRADICTS the Scriptures with messages of hope, great "breakthroughs", "rivers of revival" flowing across the earth, and "major reconciliations between denominations, nations, and peoples". Peacemakers will especially empowered by God "to be a voice for unity between factions and help heal the breaches" - "long standing breaches between siblings and between parents and their children will be healed ... "working of miracles that are creative in nature will be seen in hundreds of churches across the world."
It is a sad reflection on the church when Christians have become so used to hearing these people's 'thus saith the Lord', that by the time the next service rolls around everyone has totally forgotten what was said the week - or even the day before. Both they and their followers have lost sight of the role and importance of Biblical prophets.
See Prophets or Charlatans
(Charlatan - A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge)
The Bible tells us that that false prophets are ferocious wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15) and if a prophet presumes to speak a word in God's name that God has not commanded him to speak, that prophet shall die. Yet false prophets abound and thrive in the Christian world. When someone "senses" something is God's will or has words form in their heads, they may sincerely believe they have a prophetic gift. However, it is entirely possible that what they believe to be from the Father has actually originated in their own imagination. Therefore any prophet that says "Thus saith the Lord", has to be willing to be put to death if it doesn't come to pass.
Also See Apostles or Deluded Imposters
Although not a single soul alive today meets ANY of the Biblical qualifications of a true apostle yet, an astonishing number of men not only claim the title of "apostle", but believe they get their authority directly from God. Many of them they hold that they are equal or even superior to the New Testament Apostles. What is truly reprehensible is that because deep down these faux apostles have to ve aware that no one today makes the grade, they have attempted to alter the criteria. The tragedy is they have succeeded in fooling vast numbers of people who also seem to ignore the Biblical warnings about "false apostles". It will not go well for either group whose end will be according to their deeds (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
These false prophets not only do untold harm to God's people but also make the church look very foolish in the eyes of unbelievers. They are an abomination to the Lord - a blot on His name and, in spite of all the warnings in the Scriptures, apparently haven't given much thought to what their end will be in the hands of an exceedingly angry God. (See The Wrath of God)
To believe that these supposed men or women of God are saved, redeemed, and born-again, is to carry delusion to the farthest limit.
Tongues Then and Now
Although unknown to the speaker the Biblical gift of tongues was a known human language. In the modern world, with few exceptions tongues are gibberish that can neither be translated nor interpreted.
See Tongues and The "Second Blessing"
What few believers seem to realize is that tongues and the related phenomena have been seen throughout history in both pagan and heretical Christian movements without apparently ANY difference. Even worse is that if you watch certain videos in chapter 5 of the article, you will see that the jerking, the screaming, and the collapse, are exactly the same in voodoo rituals, people who have a 'Kundalini awakening' (as taught in Hinduism), and Pentecostals all over the world.
Which brings up the multi million dollar question of where the unintelligible gibberish and crazy movements come from? Can any Christian believe for one moment that God has bestowed the gift of the Holy Spirit on Christians, non-Christians, cults, and pagans without any discrimination whatsoever. It is a tragedy that most Christians have read the verse that tells us that not every spirit is of God (1 John 4:1 but few seem to take it as a warning or even consider it seriously.
Slain in the Spirit,
Falling under the power, overcome by the Spirit, and resting in the Spirit are all terms used by Pentecostal and charismatic Christians to describe an individual falling to the floor in some sort of religious ecstasy which can include uncontrollable laughter, animal noises, and something suspiciously resembling convulsions.
Believers attribute this behavior to the power of the Holy Spirit yet all this phenomena is unheard of in the Bible but very familiar to the occult world.
Besides which the laying on of hands often used to ‘transmit the Holy Spirit’ bears an uncanny resemblance to the transference of spiritual "power" or awakening from a Hindu Guru to a disciple. In fact, the requirements for receiving are the same, the methods of transmissions are the same and the physical manifestations are the same.
See Slain? By What spirit?
Part IV is a comparison between Kundalini And The Slain in The Spirit Phenomena
Direct Revelation (A 'hot line’ to God'?)
Many orthodox Christians reject any form of communication between the Father and ordinary man (I have NO idea why). On the other hand many Evangelicals and Charismatics convey the impression that they have lengthy conversations with the Father on a regular basis - a privilege that wasn't granted to a single person in the Bible except the Son of man.
It is exceedingly common to hear "Jesus told me to" do this or that, and "The Holy Spirit led me to...". Unfortunately many people have been 'led' to do something that is totally unbiblical such as (in a couple of extreme cases) leave their wives for someone else. The leading of the Holy Spirit can never contradict clear Bible principles and any one who believes that their circumstances are 'special' is doing nothing but fooling themselves.
Are we to believe that the Lord walks into a room and says "Hey! Jesse! (according to Jesse Duplantis), yet the prophet Isaiah said "Woe is me for I have seen the Lord" and Daniel a man greatly beloved of the Father fell on his face at the sight of an angel. Or does it make more sense to believe that Jesse Duplantis is a vastly deluded man in more ways than one.
It is well to remember that the Lord only spoke directly to a very few select people and that only for a very specific purpose. However, speak He did, and speak He still does.
Word of Knowledge
Many 'faith-healers' use what they call a word of knowledge. From a stage in front of a often large audience they proclaim that there is someone in the auditorium who has 'breathing problems'. When someone acknowledges the ailment, the 'healer' will then tell the person to come forward and "receive" their miracle. There are two main problems with this 'technique'.
1) This word of knowledge is very non-specific. What are the odds that in an auditorium that holds hundreds of people there will not be at least one who has breathing, back 'problems', or some other all too common physical ailment?
2) There is not a shred of evidence to show that any of the miracles that took place in the Bible were based on a word of knowledge.
Additionally, in their quest for "spirituality" an alarmingly large number of believers in the modern world are indulging in practices like Contemplative Prayer, walking Labyrinths etc. and in doing so have crossed an invisible boundary into the world of the occult.
Contemplative Prayer
Although not meant to replace other kinds of prayer, the basic idea behind Contemplative Prayer is to totally center one's mind on God - not by conscious thought, but by simply feeling God within - an indescribable union with Him. Unfortunately, in this world of 'warm fuzzies' people are obsessed with how they feel. Thus they assume that if they feel the presence of God, He must be there.
The problem is Contemplative Prayer is not only unsupported by Scripture, but the methods used by 'Christian' mystics to achieve a "higher realm of consciousness" is exactly the same as the methods used by Buddhist meditators, Hindus, New Agers, Shamans, etc. However, since it is certain that, regardless of personal belief, something does transpire during mystical experiences, the question that springs to mind is what. Can we please not forget that evil spirits have been practicing the art of deception for thousands of years, and willingly give whatever experiences they know people will fall for. See Contemplative Prayer
Labyrinths
The last couple of decades has seen so called Christian advocates of the labyrinth portraying the practice as a "rediscovery" of a lost form of “Christian” spirituality. Tragically, many believers today have little trouble adopting heathen practices - then sticking Christian labels on them.
In reality, the labyrinth, introduced to the western church by the Canon for Special Ministries at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral is an inter-religious and deeply mystical tool. However, discernment is at such an all time low that this age-old occult practice is being welcomed with open arms by thousands of Christians.
The fact that a previously hidden and long forgotten relic in an old Gothic Cathedral in France has recently led to countless thousands of labyrinths being used in the so called Christian world is one more piece of evidence of how far we have fallen and how near the end times we are. See Walking The Labyrinth And The End of The Age
Footnote I
Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] (John 5:2-4 NASB)
Several ancient manuscripts omit the words "of the Lord" simply stating that an angel would trouble the waters. And, on consideration, it makes more sense that the angel would not have come from the Lord. For two reasons...
1.) Only the person who could get into the pool first would be healed, which means that when the waters were stirred, pandemonium probably broke out, with a free for all scramble to get in the waters. It is very probable, that the person who could push, or shove others out of the way would be the first in.
This comes across as more than barbaric, since the ones who were the most sick or feeble stood no chance of ever being healed. God never ever healed in this fashion, but very specifically.. He would not send an angel there to heal the one who could elbow all others out of the way, leaving all the others bitterly disappointed...
2.) This stirring of the waters took place between the Old Testament and the New.. a period of 400 years of silence from God and the prophets. It was Jesus alone who broke this silence.
The man that Jesus healed had been infirm for 38 years and had been waiting by the pool for a long time. One has to wonder if Jesus healed him simply because he had been there the longest. Besides which Jesus healed the man, not by helping him into the water, but by a word.
For these reasons one has to suspect that it was not one of God's angels "troubling" the waters, but either local superstition or something more sinister, considering that besides God's angels other spirit beings exist. {PLACE IN TEXT}
End Notes
[01] Sam Storms. What Are The "Greater Works" In John 14:12, And Who Performs Them, And When?
https://tinyurl.com/mprpjfxk
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