Did Paul loose his gift to heal?

[Dovegiven]

thats a new one, the young guy getting advice on technology from the old guy, it usually dont work that way, sounds like you got your hands full LOL :smile:

Kids nowadays!

When behind the pulpit I see a majority of faces lit not by the glory of God, but by phone screens. Are they on the current Bible reference, or on a social app? To test that I will ask them to switch to another passage. Some respond, but most screens are steady, no flicker. I've put on classes for all ages of phone users to get those phones stuffed with Bible apps, and using my phone projected to a big plasma screen taught how the apps work. They all caught on to the mechanics of that, and most could work it faster than me. But the really big problem is complicated. Not knowing the order of Bible books to select the desired book button slows them down, having to read the entire list. The next problem is not knowing enough of the context of a book to predict where a passage might be. Then comes problems doing a word search, not knowing which word or word combination to put in. "Heal" will net 20 hits, and "healed" 45 hits, "love" 156 hits, :love god" 49. It helps to remember how a verse was written. To remember one must read enough of it.

 

[lecoope]

Did Paul loose his gift to heal? at some time during his mission?

Of course not! Why would you ask?

 

[lecoope]

Of course brother as I know it seems like a odd question.

Paul seems to be talking to Timothy here about his constant illness and upset stomach, so the question is, why does he not just heal him as like he was doing in the early days healing people at will

1 Timothy 5:23
(No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)

Healing usually takes SOME faith from the one receiving the healing. Without a doubt Paul laid hands on him and prayed. Remember, even Jesus could not do any miracles in His own country where everyone knew Him.

 

[Dave M]

Of course not! Why would you ask?

I agree with you, but the reason I asked was I was listening to DR Barnett and he said that, I found it odd, so I posted it on here to see what other had to say and then I gave it some thought.

 

[Dovegiven]

Healing usually takes SOME faith from the one receiving the healing. Without a doubt Paul laid hands on him and prayed. Remember, even Jesus could not do any miracles in His own country where everyone knew Him.

Mark 6:4-6 (KJV)
4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

It was rare for Jesus that not much was accomplished in a place, but some miracles did happen in Nazareth, nothing big like great multitudes listening and fed by miracle. Jesus ' previous trip home got the men in the synagogue mad enough to try casting Him off a cliff. So Jesus had gone back like poking a finger in a hornet nest, knowing what to expect.
Luke 4:28-29 (KJV)
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

I think healing always takes some faith, even very slight faith in the one wanting to be healed. Just seeing someone you know get blessed can spark enough faith to get in line.

 

[Dovegiven]

My conclusion for the OP#1 is that Paul's ministry actually increased in spite of all his sufferings.

He finished up the mission to Asia Minor in Acts 19 very well.
Acts 19:11-12 (KJV)
11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

His two years living in a rent house in Rome, preaching to anyone visiting, with confidence, indicates no diminished means of reaching out to Jews and gentiles alike.
Acts 28:30-31 (KJV)
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

He was well received in Caesar's house, too.
Philippians 1:12-14 (KJV)
12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;
14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.