Where in the Bible does it say that the gifts of healing will stop?

Answer 1

BIBLE ANSWERThe genuine miraculous healings recorded in the Christian Greek Scriptures clearly identified Jesus and the apostles as being from God. (John 3:2) Jesus' miraculous cures also supported the message he preached: "He went around throughout the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the good news of the kingdom and curing every sort of disease." (Matthew 4:23) Jesus' powerful works-which included not only healing the sick but also feeding the multitudes, controlling the elements, and even raising the dead-demonstrated what he will accomplish for obedient mankind under his Kingdom rule.

Jesus' miracles helped observers to identify him as that one. (De 18:18; Joh 6:14) When Christianity was young, miracles worked in conjunction with the message to help individuals to see that God was behind Christianity and had turned from the earlier Jewish system of things. (Heb 2:3, 4) In time miraculous gifts present in the first century would pass away.

Such powerful works, or gifts of the spirit, passed away with the death of Jesus and the apostles and any to whom they passed on the gifts. The Apostle Paul wrote: "Whether there are gifts of prophesying, they will be done away with; whether there are [miraculously spoken] tongues, they will cease; whether there is [divinely revealed] knowledge, it will be done away with." (1 Corinthians 13:8) Having accomplished their purpose-identifying Jesus as the promised Messiah and the Christian congregation as favored by God-such powerful works, including healing, are no longer needed; they are "done away with."

Performing apparently miraculous works would not in itself prove divine authorization, nor would the inability of God's servants to perform miracles with the help of God's spirit cast doubt on the fact that they were being used by him. (Mt 7:21-23) Not every first-century Christian could perform powerful works, heal, speak in tongues, and translate. Paul, and doubtless some others, had by God's undeserved kindness been granted a number of these gifts of the spirit. Jesus indicated that his followers would be identified, not by their performance of powerful works, but by their love for one another.

However, not all Christians agree with the conclusion that healing is no longer available. If Jesus is "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Heb 13:8), he is still both compassionate and able to heal. So healing must still be available, not necessarily to authenticate Jesus as the Messiah, but simply because God is love and compassion. 1 Cor 13:8 has not yet been fulfilled, since it refers to the perfection of heaven, not anything currently available on earth!