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Cecil Andrews, 29 Edengrove Park, Ballynahinch, BT24 8AZ, Northern Ireland Telephone/Fax 028 9756 5511. E-MAIL - takeheed@aol.com WEBSITE - http://www.takeheed.net Quick Links - Home - Assorted Articles - Audio/Video - Ministry Newsletters - Words of Wisdom |
Florida/Belfast ‘Healing Revival’ debate
on Sunday Sequence:
In the article already posted to
our website titled Todd Bentley and his ‘Healing Revival’ in
‘Sadly from a local perspective the events in Lakeland are being given both
coverage and credence in the Elim Christian Centre in Alexandra Park Avenue and
there are links on their website to enable people to watch what is
happening…the Belfast Pastor, Brian Madden…the Pastor tells of visiting a young
man in hospital who he claims was clinically dead for 15 minutes [during which
time he apparently ‘saw the devil’] but of how he felt led to ‘anoint the sides,
head and foot of THE BED with oil’ and to ‘rebuke the spirit of death’.
A local morning newspaper, the News Letter picked up on this incident and gave
extensive coverage to it in their Thursday 19th June 2008 issue. As
well as front page photographic coverage they also had a fullpage of coverage
on page 4 and this is part of that coverage –
On Friday evening [20th
June] I was contacted by a reporter from the New Letter and asked for my views on this subject
and the following report was published in the Saturday 23rd June
issue of the News
Letter –
As you will have read in the last
2 paragraphs of this report both Pastor Madden and myself had been invited by
the local BBC Radio
There would also be contributions
by Radio
[Sunday
Sequence:
Comments on report by Malachi O’Doherty
Before commenting specifically on
Malachi’s report I want to ‘set the scene’ a little. In another article on
our website I have stated that what is happening with Todd Bentley in
The ‘Toronto’ connection has been
further emphasised in recent days by a ‘commissioning service’ [Friday 20th
June 2008] in Florida for Todd Bentley that was carried out by
amongst others, John Arnott and a man called Bill
Johnson [more about him shortly]. According to Todd Bentley’s
speaking schedule he is due to be ‘ministering’ at John Arnott’s
church in
Referring back to the other
‘commissioner’, Bill Johnson he is mentioned by Todd Bentley during the
following video clip located on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMEKB2UUmac&feature=related
It is important to note that when
Todd Bentley spoke here he was not covered in tattoos so obviously these have
been subsequently added during a time when he professes to be a ‘Christian’.
In his 2nd
Epistle John wrote ‘Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God” [verse
9]. One example of Todd Bentley not abiding in the doctrine of Christ is
this - on stage in Lakeland he has apparently worn a T-shirt saying ‘Jesus
loves me and my tattoos’ – God’s Word clearly states in Leviticus
19:28 that God’s people are not to make markings on their body ‘for the
dead’ or to have tattoo marks on them. SO, SINCE CLAIMING TO HAVE BECOME A CHRISTIAN Todd Bentley has had his body [repulsively
in my opinion] tattooed including one that is a ‘death mask’ of
the Lord Jesus – these are the actions of one who ‘abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ’.
In this video clip
Todd Bentley claims that at the meeting in
This is another claim of one who “abideth not in the doctrine of Christ” for the Lord
Himself promised that the gift to believers of the indwelling Holy Spirit would
amongst a range of purposes be to “teach you all things” [John 14:26]. Knowledge
of God and His ways does not come through visiting someone like Todd Bentley
who then proceeds to ‘impart’ such knowledge that has been ‘implanted’ into his
‘inward parts’ during some celestial operation.
Bobby Sullivan, one of Todd Bentley’s ‘Fresh Fire’ ministry team,
also encouraged this open ‘portal’ experience
[referred
to earlier by Todd Bentley]
when he ‘ministered’ at the Elim Christian Centre,
Belfast on Friday 27th June. I was contacted by a newspaper reported
who had attended the meeting that night and he told of how Mr Sullivan
encouraged those at the meeting to move searchingly around the building until
they discovered their own personal ‘hot spot’ and he told them this would be
their open ‘portal’ and that by stepping into it they would be taken to a
higher spiritual dimension. Apparently he actually likened this promised experience
to scenes from a science fiction movie called ‘Stargate’
where this type of experience was portrayed. This teaching by Mr Sullivan has
no biblical basis or sanction but would certainly be common practice in occult/spiritist related type meetings. Just in closing this
section, the newspaper reporter who contacted me attends another
I have taken the time to set these facts out as a
precursor to commenting on Malachi O’Doherty’s report
because, as Malachi explained, these meetings in
Because of the link and similarities to events at
‘Where can we find even one scriptural
precedent for, or a scriptural injunction to engage in such practices as
“calling down the Holy Spirit” or “inviting the Holy Spirit to our meeting”?
Many times I have heard leaders of meetings, after praying, “Come Holy Spirit”
declare, “We welcome you.” And sometimes He is not so much invited as commanded
to turn up…Being a simple soul, I have always understood that the Holy Spirit
came to the church nearly 2000 years ago…surely the only occasion in the Bible
on which anyone held a meeting to await the arrival of the Holy Spirit was at
Pentecost? On no other occasion do we read that Christians prayed for Him to
come upon those who had already received Him. At meetings involving the
impartation of the “Toronto Blessing” [Cecil – and also at Todd Bentley meetings in Florida
that I have watched],
it is frequently implied that being spiritually dry and having “a thirst for
more of God” is a virtue…Jesus said “whoever drinks of this water that I shall
give him will never thirst” (John 4:14). In John
I think the similarities between the
meeting in Belfast Toronto
‘Prayer’ in Belfast Belfast Florida
Then the phrase ‘Let the fire fall’ was
clearly heard in Belfast
A few other observations would be these –
- As I myself watched [via
an Internet link] the Canadian Bobby Sullivan from Todd Bentley’s
‘Fresh Fire’ Ministries ‘minister’ at the
- Malachi reported how many of those being
‘ministered’ to were convulsing, shrieking, laughing or weeping and
regularly those on the platform declared they didn’t know what was
happening. At the time of ‘
- Overall there was a great deal of ‘confusion’.
In his book ‘Reckless Faith’ Pastor John MacArthur
wrote on page 172, ‘The apostle Paul was very
clear in pointing out that “God is not a God of confusion” (1st
Corinthians
- As I listened in the studio to Malachi O’Doherty’s report and heard Pastor Madden and Bobby
Sullivan ‘performing’ at times like a comedy double act I was like Paul in
Acts 16:18 “grieved” - even though the damsel of verse 16
was saying things that to the undiscerning appeared helpful to the
cause of Christ, Paul discerned that another “spirit” was abroad
and he confronted it in verse 18. I am fully persuaded that in this
Belfast meeting and also at the Todd Bentley meetings there is/are another
“spirit” or “spirits” abroad as prophesied by Paul [“seducing
spirits”] in 1st Timothy 4:1. The Lord Jesus
Christ did not endure hell and the just wrath of His Father against sin on
the Cross of Calvary to provide a backdrop to such Christ-dishonouring
frenzied activity and His truly redeemed people can readily discern that
‘grievous’ reality.
Comments on contribution by Roddy Cowie
My comments on this portion of the presentation will be brief.
Bearing in mind that both Mr Cowie [not only a Professor of Psychology at Queens University Belfast
but also a Church of Ireland lay-reader] and the interviewer, William Crawley [trained as a Presbyterian minister although he
has since turned from that path to pursue a career in broadcasting] would profess to be Christians I thought it was
significant that no direct reference was made by either to the wonderful
indwelling ‘resource’ that Christians have been graciously gifted with and that
of course is God the Holy Spirit. Towards the end of the discussion there was
much talk about motivation for good through religion giving ‘purpose’ and
through religious people adopting a ‘positive’ mental attitude. In their book ‘Psychoheresy’ on pages 117-118, Martin and Deidre Bobgan wrote –
‘Twentieth-century idols are more sophisticated
than the false gods of the Canaanites and Babylonians. Rather than idols made
of wood and stone, modern man makes idols of the mind and heart. By elevating
his own conceptions of personhood, purpose, and power for change above what God
has already said, man directly or indirectly raises
himself to the status of godhood. In his own limited wisdom man has attempted
to form a psychological model of mankind in place of the biblical model and a
psychological methodology of change and growth in place of sanctification.
In other words psychologists have contrived
ways of explaining man other than the fall, [we were informed by Mr Cowie that according to
a World War II survey by Frankel people would die quickly because they had
“lost their sense of purpose” – we die because “by one man sin entered into the
world and death by sin” Romans 5:12], ways of saving man other than the cross, and various ways of
transforming man [according
to Mr Crawley – “if I have hope, if I have optimism, if I have a high purpose
in life”] other
than through Christ [Cecil
– lip service to ‘benefits’ is often credited
generically to ‘religion’ rather than specifically to Christ].
The temptation to seek help from sources other
than God comes in the same way as Satan enticed Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.
The twentieth-century tree of the knowledge of good and evil contains much
psychological fruit [According
to Mr Crawley “The power of mind over matter” and according to Mr Cowie “The
power of mind in lots and lots of
ways…of course it has power over matter”. God says in His Word “ which one of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto
his stature”? Matthew
Comments on contribution by Peter Jennings
William Crawley described this Roman Catholic journalist
in his introduction as the Press Secretary for Archbishop Vincent Nicholls of
In the first videoed public talk that I gave on the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’ I spoke about the ‘ministry’ of Mr Wimber and what I had to say can be viewed by going to this article http://www.takeheed.net/Assorted_Articles/Charismatic/Vineyard_Toronto.htm and you can link there to view what I had to say about Mr Wimber and his Vineyard movement from which the so-called ‘Toronto Blessing’ emerged.
It will come as no surprise to understand the high regard Mr Jennings has for Mr Wimber when you hear from my talk that Mr Wimber described Pope John Paul II as a ‘born-again evangelical’ and that he [Wimber] had been invited by the Vatican to help train Roman Catholic priests for their 1990’s Decade of Evangelisation.
In a recent email inquiry the following statement was made by the inquirer – ‘There is no benefit to Satan's kingdom to not only heal or fake a healing but also to attribute such positive wonders to Jesus Christ’ – in response I would say that there is every benefit to Satan’s kingdom through such tactics if it serves to keep non-Christians like Roman Catholic Peter Jennings still wedded to the false non-Christian system of Roman Catholicism. At the same time it enhances the ‘spiritual standing’ of the channel of supposed healing, in this case, John Wimber, who then sets his seal of approval on the false Roman Catholic system by declaring its head [The Pope] to be a ‘born-again evangelical’.
As a result of actual or faked healing [in relation to the activities of Satan God’s Word refers to “power and signs and lying wonders” 2nd Thessalonians 2:9 and Mr Wimber’s 2 best-selling books were called ‘Power Evangelism’ and ‘Power Healing’] and the endorsement of a revered ‘healer’ [John Wimber] upon the Pope and by default, Roman Catholicism, Satan’s kingdom has received manifold benefits through all of this deception as related by Peter Jennings.
In his last contribution to the debate Peter Jennings challenged a medical opinion that had been advanced earlier by Professor Norman Nevin and William Crawley tried to gently remind Peter Jennings of the medical standing of Professor Nevin but it obviously didn’t ‘register’ with him. So to help you make up your mind on the ability of Peter Jennings to mount this medical challenge to Professor Nevin let me refer you [as promised earlier] to his ‘credentials’.
On the website for the Roman Catholic Archbishop Vincent
Nicholls of
Archbishop’s Press Secretary and Press Secretary to the
Archdiocese
Press
Secretary: Mr Peter Jennings, FRPSL, MCIPR
The FRPSL after Mr Jennings’ name stands
for Fellow of the
Royal Philatelic Society - he apparently knows a thing or two about postage
stamps. Then the MCIPR stands for a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations – whether that that qualification was obvious or not during his
contribution to the debate I will leave to you the reader to judge.
Turning to Professor Nevin we find the following on the Truth in Science [a Biblical Creationist website] website on http://www.truthinscience.org.uk/site/content/view/217/63/
‘Professor Norman Nevin has authored over 300 peer-reviewed
publications on various aspects of genetics, especially single gene disorders
and congenital abnormalities. In his distinguished career he has held the
posts: Head of the Northern Regional Genetics Service, President of the UK
Clinical Genetics Society, member of the Human Genetics Advisory Commission and
of the subsequent Human Genetics Commission, member of the European Concerted
Action for Congenital Abnormalities, Chairman of the UK Gene Therapy Advisory
Committee (GTAC). In 2003 he received an OBE for his services to gene therapy’.
On another website located on http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/985.html
we read -
Biography:
Norman C. Nevin is (July 2004) Professor Emeritus of
Medical Genetics, Queen’s
The contributions to this debate
by Peter Jennings have served only to reinforce the validity of the Scriptural
concerns that people like myself and others [including Pentecostal ‘watchmen’
and women] have voiced in times past about Toronto and Pensacola and
are again voicing about events in Lakeland, Florida and in other centres closer
to home.
Comments on contribution by Professor Nevin
I believe that the contributions from Professor Nevin brought much needed medical expertise and input to
the debate. Over the years I have watched as supposed ‘healers’ like Benny Hinn, Morris Cerullo and
countless others have made extravagant claims for healing from illnesses that
have never been properly medically validated. He advanced a wide range of
possibilities/explanations that should also be seriously considered when claims
for healing are made. His calm and gentle approach to this matter was somewhat
of a contrast to the fevered approach that the
Just today [26th June 2008] I was reading an assessment by Pentecostal ‘watchman’, Jacob Prasch of a document written by a man called Gary Greig in which he seeks to defend the actions and ‘ministry’ of Todd Bentley and we must bear in mind that Brian Madden attributes the motivation to hold these healing meetings in Belfast to his experience of visiting the Todd Bentley ‘revival’ in Florida. When the debate was finished Brian Madden actually gave me a copy of this Gary Greig document. In his assessment Jacob Prasch wrote this –
‘Greig attempts to
circumvent examining the “fruit” of Todd Bentley’s personal life by elongated,
semi-academic arguments avoiding the fundamental issue that the fruit of the
Holy Spirit is ekreitei,
or “self-control” (Galatians 5:23; Titus 1:8), and not the lack of it as
observed in the Lakeland clone of Toronto and Pensacola. The fruit of the Holy
Spirit is also prautas,
or “gentleness” (Galatians
Having watched via Internet connection, DVDs and YouTube segments many of the ‘healing’ meetings both in Florida and Belfast I have been struck by the total absence of ‘peace’ – whilst ‘ministry’ or ‘praise’ is taking place people are constantly walking to and fro, in and out whilst those involved in ‘things technical’ are totally oblivious to the supposed mighty presence of God. If the God of Heaven were truly manifesting Himself in these locations would such distracting behaviour be able to occur – I very much doubt it.
I know I have digressed somewhat from commenting on what
Professor Nevin said but I want to make one further
point. Constantly in
I was actually reflecting just a couple of days
ago about the likes of Todd Bentley who are always ‘hungering’ – the reason
they’re hungering is I believe because they’re bored with their spiritual lot
because they have never ‘tasted and seen that the Lord is good’ [Psalm 34] –
the true Lord says to His people ‘I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me
shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst’ [John 6:35]
and how does the Lord feed and give drink to His people – ‘The WORDS that I
speak unto you they are spirit and they are life’ [John 6:63] – the Lord feeds
and waters His sheep through His Word.
Returning to Professor Nevin I
would say inclosing that as a young believer I obtained a copy of a very
helpful little booklet called ‘Answers to Questions 1’ and amongst the
articles in it is one called ‘Was man designed or did he evolve by pure
chance’? The contributors to the article are Professor Nevin
and another local scientist but now Evangelical Presbyterian minister, Dr
Robert Beckett. This booklet is still available from its producers/publishers,
the Tabernacle Bookshop in
Comments on contribution by Pastor Madden
In the early part of this article
I reproduced the newspaper headline of ‘Teenager back from the dead after
crash’ and as I stated this was the incident that led to the BBC organising
the Sunday Sequence debate. Before addressing a couple of points made by Pastor
Brian Madden during the debate I want to first address the claimed return from
the dead by young Andrew Duffin. Let me reiterate
what I said during the debate – we do truly give thanks to God that this young
man is so physically well now and we pray that in the Lord’s time he will be
brought to a true saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ for in the article
Andrew is quoted as saying ‘I am not a Christian nor a church-goer but I do
believe this is a miracle’.
One of my dilemmas over this incident relates to what
actually happened when Pastor Madden went to visit Andrew in the Intensive
Care Unit at the hospital. I watched a video clip on Pastor Madden’s
church website where he gave a report to the church of his visit and I reported
what he said to his church members in my article on http://www.takeheed.net/Assorted_Articles/Charismatic/Todd_Bentley_ua.htm
Here is the relevant part of what I wrote as quoted earlier in this article –
‘…the
Pastor tells of visiting a young man in hospital who he claims was clinically
dead for 15 minutes [during
which time he apparently ‘saw the devil’] but of how he felt led to ‘anoint
the sides, head and foot of THE BED with oil’ and to ‘rebuke the spirit of
death’.
My dilemma is
that when Pastor Madden was interviewed via the phone by Stephen Nolan during
his Radio Ulster morning show on Friday 20th June, Pastor Madden
told Stephen that during the visit he anointed Andrew – no mention was made
of his anointing THE BED as he had reported to his church members.
A further
problem is that, irrespective of whether it was the bed or Andrew that was
anointed by Pastor Madden, there is no Biblical basis for either type of
anointing. In James 5:14 there are guidelines for elders to visit a church
member [please remember Andrew has admitted he is not a
Christian or a church-goer] and
to anoint him/her with oil. The greek for ‘oil’ [aleipho] indicates that
this was oil used for medication purposes and not ‘oil’ [Greek – chrio] for
religious-ritual purposes so there would be no point in anointing a bed with
medicinal oil and there is no Biblical basis to anoint a non-Christian with oil
as Pastor Madden would not in this case
be his ‘elder’.
As I
wrote in my article I don’t dispute that Pastor Madden has great ‘zeal’ but “he
has a zeal for God but not according to knowledge” [Romans 10:2].
Moving then to 2 points that Pastor Madden made during
the debate he basically attributed power to ‘positive thinking’ and in support
he quoted Proverbs 23:7 “As he thinketh in his
heart, so is he” and he then stated ‘Think positive, believe in faith
and there’s a good possibility things will get better’.
The interpretation/application of this verse given here by Pastor Madden is a false interpretation/application and mirrors the sort of false teaching that would be put forward by ‘Word of Faith’ healers/preachers like Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer etc – in fact just today [now 27th June] I received an email from a believer informing me that when Benny Hinn was in Belfast a couple of years ago Pastor Madden actively promoted the meetings and encouraged people to attend. Obviously I haven’t been able to verify this information and if it is not true then I will readily withdraw it but in the light of current events it would appear to be a claim very much in keeping with Pastor Madden’s outlook on such meetings.
This proverb actually warns that people can be two-faced by playing the role of an actor or a hypocrite. The words that sometimes come out of their mouth may be very different from what their heart really means. The heart, however, cannot forever be hidden; it will eventually reveal its true intentions and feelings in time [See Matthew 15: 8 & 18-20]. This Proverb helps us to understand this and thus protect ourselves.
Matthew Henry wrote about this Proverb – ‘There are
those that pretend to bid their friends welcome that are not hearty and sincere
in it. They have a fair tongue, and know what they should say: Eat and drink, saith he, because it is expected that the master of the
feast should so compliment his guests; but they have an evil eye, and grudge
their guests every bit they eat, especially if the eat freely.’
No faithful
interpretation/application of this Proverb can mean that if we ‘think’
something then that will help it to come to pass. Let me repeat what I quoted
earlier from God’s Word – “ which one of you by
taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature”? Matthew 6:27
The second point of Pastor Madden’s contribution that I want to comment on was his rejection of my understanding of the “greater works” mentioned by the Lord in John 14:12. In that verse the Lord tells His believing disciples that they will be enabled to do works similar to the miraculous works that He has demonstrated – this is similar to what He again tells His believing disciples in Mark 16:17-18.
Some people mistakenly think that these verses in Mark, in particular, apply to believers ‘in general’ but they were specifically for the believing disciples actually in the Lord’s presence at that time. Looking at this passage in its entirety from verses 9-20 of Mark 16 we discover that TWO groups of believers and TWO groups of unbelievers are mentioned and it is vital that we establish which particular group is being referred to in a particular verse otherwise great confusion and misunderstanding can arise.
Going back to the start of the passage in verses 9-11 we read of Mary Magdalene going to the followers of Jesus, including His disciples (“them that had been with him” v 10) and telling them of her encounter with the risen Lord. How did they receive the news? In verse 11 we read “And they…believed not”. So here we have people from a FIRST group who are unbelievers. Next we find the Lord Himself appearing to these unbelieving disciples and what does He do? “He…upbraideth them with their unbelief” (v14).
The Lord then goes on to commission them (verse 15) to
preach the gospel and in verse 16 we read of people from a SECOND group
who will be either believers or unbelievers “He that believeth and is
baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”. It is
important to note that a “believer” in this group is qualified by the
words “and is baptised”. In the next verse (v 17) we read at the
beginning “And these signs shall follow them that believe”.
If these believers were the same SECOND group as those referred to in verse 16, why is no reference made to the requirement of baptism? I believe it is because verse 17 is not referring to those in the SECOND group who will believe (and are baptised), through hearing the gospel preached but rather it is referring to those amongst the unbelieving disciples, the FIRST group, who had earlier been ‘ticked off’ by the Lord for their unbelief but who would now believe as a result of being personally themselves in the presence of the risen Lord.
I believe that verse 20 supports this interpretation that the miraculous signs would follow the ministry of the believing disciples, the FIRST group, and not the ministry of believers in general, the SECOND group. Verse 20 reads “And they [believing disciples] went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them [believing disciples] and confirming the word with signs following”.
The testimony of scripture, particularly in the book of
Acts, confirms that many of the disciples who believed did many of the things
promised by the Lord that were listed in verses 17 and 18. This testimony of
scripture also confirms the Lord’s promise to His believing disciples in John
However in John 14:12, the Lord, having told His
disciples that they would be empowered to do works similar to the miraculous
works that He had demonstrated, also told them that “greater works than
these shall he do; because I go unto my father”.
In the broadcast debate I explained that these “greater works” referred to the ‘spiritual resurrection’ of sinners who by nature were “dead in trespasses and sins” but who would be brought to spiritual life through the preaching of the gospel of the finished redemptive work of Christ on the Cross. This would be a ‘greater work’ because the benefit would last, not just for time, but also for eternity and would eclipse any physical miracle that would only be temporal and would not prevent the eventual physical death of the person involved. If you like I was explaining that the word “greater” was referring to the ‘superior quality’ of the “work”.
Pastor Madden however on air rejected this explanation and stated that the word “greater” was not referring to the ‘superior quality’ of the “work” but was referring to the ‘numerical quantity’ of the ”work”. He stated that time wise the Lord was only ministering here for three and a half years so the number of miraculous works that He had done was limited and would be far exceeded by the miraculous works that would be performed by His followers over the ensuing, many more years.
So, the question is, does the word “greater” refer to ‘numerical quantity’ as advanced by Pastor Madden or to ‘superior quality’ as advanced by myself. To assist me arrive at confirmation of the correct meaning I consulted a Greek-Interlinear New Testament, Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, a website listing all the New Testament verses where “greater” appears and I also spoke with a well-respected, former Presbyterian Moderator who is well-known for his expertise in the Greek New Testament language.
In John
John
John
Hebrews
In 1st Corinthians
I think the answer to the question that I have posed after each verse is obvious – the writer in each case is using the Greek meizona to refer to the ‘superior quality’ of the subject matter of the verse and not to its ‘numerical quantity’.
In the New Testament another Greek word meizwn is also translated on many occasions as “greater”. As you will see this is just another ‘declension’ of the Greek word found in John 14:12. Here are some instances of its usage.
John
Luke
Luke
1st John 4:4 “Greater (meizwn) is he that is in you than he that is in the world” – Is John here writing of a ‘superior quality’ of indweller or of a ‘numerical quantity’ of indweller?
1st John 5:9 “If we receive the witness of men the witness of God is greater (meizwn) – Is John here writing of a ‘superior quality’ of witness or of a ‘numerical quantity’ of witness?
Once more I think the answer to the question that I have posed after each verse is obvious – the writer in each case is using the Greek meizwn to refer to the ‘superior quality’ of the subject matter of the verse and not to its ‘numerical quantity’.
From Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words we learn that there is a Greek word for ‘great’ when ‘used of number’ and it is polus polus.
One example of its ‘numerical quantity’ usage would be in
Acts
It has also been profitable for me to read some comments by influential Christian leaders from bygone ages and to see what they said in relation to these matters.
John Wesley in his
notes on John
Bishop J C Ryle wrote ‘Our Lord says “greater works
than these shall he do because I go unto my Father”. The full meaning of this
promise is not to be sought in the miracles which the apostles wrought after
Christ left the world. Such a notion seems hardly borne out by the facts…What
our Lord has in view seems to be the far greater number of conversions, the far
wider spread of the gospel which would take place under the ministry of the
apostles than under His own teaching…There is no greater work possible than the
conversion of a soul’.
Commenting on Matthew
4:18-25 Bishop J C Ryle also wrote ‘The
miracles by which the Lord confirmed His mission were miracles of mercy and
kindness…These miracles are meant to teach us our Lord’s power. He could heal
sick people with a touch and cast out devils with a word. He is able to save to
the uttermost all those who come unto God by Him [Hebrews
Turning to
present-day Christian leaders, Dr Peter Masters, Minister of the Metropolitan
Tabernacle in
Pastor John MacArthur in his book “Charismatic Chaos” wrote on
page 152 ‘Greater works does not mean more spectacular miracles…What is a “greater
work” than raising the dead? John 5:20-21 indicates it is the giving of
spiritual life to sinners’.
CONCLUSION
With hindsight there is one point that I would and
perhaps should have made during the debate and it is as follows. God’s word
reveals that sickness, does serve a sovereign purpose under God’s ‘permissive
will’. On page 27 of his book ‘A
Look at the Modern Healing Movement’ Dr Charles W Mayes wrote the following
under the heading ‘DOES SICKNESS HAVE A PURPOSE?’
‘One of the purposes which God has in the sickness of
His saints is revealed in Hebrews 12:5-11. Now if healing were in the atonement
on the same basis as the forgiveness of sins, our healing would be a finished
work of Christ on the cross. Perpetual healing could be appropriated and thus
we would prohibit God from chastening His people with sickness, *which he apparently does at times. He chastened Paul
with a bodily ailment and it is unlikely that modern believers will always
escape. The scriptural teaching on the subject of chastening and a healing
which is a finished work in the atonement, would
certainly bring confusion to the plan of God in dealing with individuals’.
*Paul, when
confronting the Corinthians about their slack and sinful approach to observing
the Lord ‘s Supper, told them in 1 Corinthians 11:30 “For this cause many
are weak and sickly among you and many sleep” - Paul was telling them how God’s chastening
hand had been and was upon them.
The reality is that our bodies are
day and daily ‘perishing’ and ‘wearing out’. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians
Paul certainly did look forward to
the time when all believers would have perfect bodies [“incorruptible” and
“immortal,” – see I Corinthians 15:53] but he knew that would not happen
until eternity would be ushered in by the return of the Lord for he wrote in Philippians
3:20-21 “For our conversation [‘citizenship’] is in
heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body’.
It is right that Christians should
pray for healing for their friends and for themselves. Paul instructs believers
in Philippians 4:6 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God”. There
is no matter or concern that is too small or too trivial for a believer not to
bring it to God in prayer. Paul continues in verse 7 “And the peace of God
which passeth all understanding shall keep your
hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”. This guaranteed “peace”, in
the case of a praying, sick believer, comes from knowing that he
has laid the matter that concerns him before the “throne of grace” [Hebrews
4:16]
‘Healing’ in this
life is not guaranteed to God’s saints, but God’s grace to cope with each and
every situation of life is assuredly promised. To Paul, who wanted the removal
of his “thorn in the flesh”, but didn’t receive it, God said, “My
grace is sufficient for thee” [2 Corinthians 12:7-8]. And as regards the “throne
of grace” referred to above, the full verse reads “Let us therefore [in the
light of having a great High Priest in heaven (Christ) who is touched with the
feelings of our infirmities] come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may
obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” [Hebrews 4:15-16].
It is to Christ, and to Christ
alone that we come to “find grace to help in time of need” and not to
the latest raucous and ungodly ‘healing revival’ stirred up and
engineered by those who have “become vain in their imaginations” [Romans
1:21].
Cecil Andrews – ‘Take Heed’
Ministries