Love Has a Name

Please, consider what I say and express in the context of scripture, not by your devotion to a particular teacher or leader. 1 Corinthians 1:10-12 shows Paul admonishing people for following a specific leader over the truth of scripture. Generally speaking, disagreement on this matter is not a salvation issue so we are free to disagree lovingly in Christ.

For my cessationist and continuationist brothers and sisters, this is not a post on those doctrines, instead it is focused on the purpose for and legitimacy of these schools.

Before we get started, I also freely acknowledge this article will not cover all scriptures and all angles, but I do hope to cover a broad basis and get you started on a path toward the truth in the Bible.

Let’s start with scripture. These verses are fairly straight forward in their context. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 4:6, “don’t go beyond what is written.” In context Paul is warning the people to not follow the words of a specific leader over the truth of what is WRITTEN in the scriptures. He follows this up in 1 Corinthians 2:2 by saying, “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” We are to simply learn, know, and teach/ preach what is written and not to go BEYOND the word of God. Another way to state this could be to not trust human experience above the written word of God. To trust human experience ABOVE the word is to say that the Bible is not the ultimate authority, especially when it goes beyond what is written.

If Paul was teaching and preaching Christ crucified, surely we should resolve to make that our primary focus as well. Certainly he performed miracles, but I don’t see anywhere an emphasis on this over preaching Christ crucified.

John 20:30-31 gives us a solid direction for the purpose of miracles, including healing. “30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” So we can learn here that miracles are not the MAIN purpose of faith and that the signs recorded were presented to us for the purpose of believing in Jesus to gain eternal life in Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (somewhat restated in 1 Peter 4:10) talks about spiritual gifts. Paul says that not all gifts are given to all people and some gifts are given to some and not to others, however it is the same Spirit that distributes those gifts.

Nowhere in scripture is it stated that we need to learn, be taught, or teach how to “activate” or “obtain” a spiritual gift. Verse 31, same chapter, does say to eagerly desire the greater gifts and that’s it. Pray for it. Desire it. Eagerly.

It does not say to go to a school, watch a DVD, read a book (other than the Bible) and learn or be activated in a spiritual gift. It most certainly says NOTHING about MONEY. You don’t need to pay a single penny for a spiritual gift. The Spirit alone distributes as HE wills, not as any person does. Here is a website for you to see just how many products are available for SALE which are given FREELY by God himself. Note: This site and this store are ALL by known false teachers and false prophets.

https://sidroth.org/?s=healing&post_type=product&orderby=relevance&order=DESC

The purpose of these gifts as seen already was to bring people to an awareness and understanding that there is a God that is powerful and that this power is ultimately used to offer the forgiveness of sins. Jesus himself says he came and proclaimed “the Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” (Mark 1:15, this lines up with Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 2:2)

When we use these gifts and end our service there we fall short of the standard. Biblically, miracles were performed and sins were FORGIVEN. Again, John clearly articulates this in his writing in John 20:30-31.

Signs, miracles, are for believing in Jesus for the purpose of belief in Christ for eternal life. The signs show proof of the gospel that is being proclaimed.

A scan of some supernatural school websites shows phrases such as, “change the course of human history” and “be activated in the spiritual gifts.” From this article I hope you can see or begin to see that miracles are not to be used for shaping history and schools and teachers cannot activate these in you.

Miracles were always used to point people to Jesus. The Gospel of John in fact doesn’t use the world miracle and instead says “sign,” intentionally. We are to view the miracles and demonstrations of God’s power as a sign that points us to Christ.

Beginning the conclusion, a supernatural or healing school’s primary focus is to, generally speaking, teach things that cannot be taught. Additionally, they are intended to bring people closer to God, which in and of itself is a good reason. However, the method by which they choose to do this can be quite damaging and let me share why.

Miracles in the settings of supernatural schools are often described as “walking in faith or power or authority”. If you have enough faith and believe then miracles will surely follow. Sounds great. But what happens then when a miracle doesn’t happen? The only logical thought would be that you don’t have enough faith and it’s your fault. “If only you believed more that poor mom with cancer would be healed.” Now it’s your fault she’s dead and her children have no mother.

Looking at Christ as our example. He spoke and healing happened instantly and completely. There is maybe 1 example where He prayed for someone twice, but this situation is a description not a prescription for healing.

Christ spoke. People were healed COMPLETELY and FULLY. No lessons, no schools. It is the same Spirit that worked powerfully in the Bible that now lives within born again believers. So then, if it is the same Spirit surely the same method will be used.

Speak. Healed.

I write this not with a spirit of condemnation for those who believe in these schools or have perhaps gone to one of these schools. I was in fact part of that stream of believing and entertained the idea of going to a prominent supernatural school of ministry. It is odd however, that they want people to pay nearly $14,000.00 US dollars to learn something that the Bible says to desire and to receive from the Spirit of God FREELY.

My final thought. Many will say we have the same authority and power as the Apostles. I don’t agree, but I won’t go into that here. Here is 1 more scripture to hopefully round off my point of view.

1 Timothy 5:22-23. Paul in speaking to young pastor Timothy directly commands him, to “drink a little wine because of his stomach and frequent illnesses.”

If God desires healing or will heal in every instance, we must only conclude that Timothy and Paul did not have enough faith nor were they aware of God’s true power; of course this is an absurd statement no-one would logically state. Why didn’t Paul just lay his hands on Timothy as he just COMMANDED to “not be hasty in the laying of hands?” Paul wasn’t there, but it would be easy to say, “ask the people to lay their hands on you and pray for your healing.” Except Paul didn’t write that.

Paul prescribed Timothy a physical element to a physical ailment.

If the purpose of these schools is to teach something that Paul and Timothy could not do and did not teach, if we are required to pay any money for a blessing, a miracle, an activation or to receive something from God, and if we must have faith in order to see God move, we are believing in things written outside the Bible and coming from humans and not The LORD Almighty.

I pray this has blessed you, perhaps even upset you, and as always I love to have conversations with you to both study the scriptures and be edified in the process.