I want an instant miracle healing. If God utilizes a process for healing me, do I still celebrate this as a healing?

Did you know that there are two different Greek words for healing? Plus there is another word (dunamis), which is normally translated as “power,” yet is occasionally translated as either "mighty work" or "miracle." All three of these words are found in the two examples below:

Jesus

  • Could do no mighty work (dunamis) there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed (therapeuō) them. And He wondered at their unbelief (Mk. 6:1-6).
  • Since faith works by love (Gal 5:6), and Jesus experienced scorn and disbelief in His hometown, the flow of power (dunamis) was thwarted.
  • Jesus was still able to provide therapeutic cures. 

Paul

  • Laid his hands on him and healed (iaomia) him (Acts 28:8 NKJV). This appears to be an instantaneous healing.
  • The rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed (therapeua - Acts 28:9 NKJV).  
  • Wow, two different words for healing are being used in this story.

Shades of meanings between these two words (the words are not mutually exclusive)

  1. Iaomai – healing appears to more often be an instantaneous healing, powered by dunamis.
  2. Therapeuo – healing appears to more often be a process of healing. We get the word therapeutic from this word, so it involves various remedies which could be classified under the category of “gifts of healings” (1 Cor. 12:28). Verses with therapeuo in them mention several modalities. These are: laying on hands (Lk. 4:40 NASB), anointing with oil (Mk. 6:13 NASB), and leaves which bring healing (Rev. 22:2 NASB).

In other places in the Bible, we find many cures or remedies which might be classified under gifts of healings. For example:

  1. Fasting - health springs forth speedily (Isa. 58:6-8)
  2. A merry heart - good like a medicine (Prov. 17:22)
  3. Casting out demons - man was healed (Matt. 12:22)
  4. Confessing sins - become healed  (Jas. 5:16)
  5. Little wine for stomach's sake (1 Tim. 5:23)
  6. Many more…

Dig deeper with these two free health training opportunities this month