Poor Interpretation And Misuse Of Rules Leads To Abuse And Misunderstanding

But He was wounded

for our transgressions,

He was bruised 

for our iniquities;

the chastisement 

for our peace

was upon Him,

and by His stripes

we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

     The groundwork and the foundation has been laid and we are now ready to build upon this gift of the Spirit, that is healing, but this groundwork, this foundation, is the basis for our understanding of all the Gifts of the Spirit. First and foremost; the Gifts of the Spirit are for the benefit of the Church and the propagation of the Gospel. This must be admitted as true for the Scriptures are plain that this is so, and that we are to use these gifts properly. Paul when he wrote to the Corinthian Church was addressing several misuse by the Corinthian people. Corinth as I set forth was a city where abuse could foster and grow due to its influx of people of all faiths, creeds, and beliefs, who would gather to do business, transport their ships across the isthmus. Corinth being an influential and prosperous city that honored the pagan goddess Aphrodite, and the god Apollo, would have permeated the belief system of the people of Corinth. First Corinthians is the work of Paul to correct those errors. One such error was the misuse of the Lord's Supper, and the one we are addressing is the misuse of the Gifts of the Spirit. Paul was not commending them for their practices, rather he was condemning them and reestablishing the correct worship, and the correct manner by which they where to live, what their attitudes should be, and this correction for these gifts began at Chapter 12 of First Corinthians: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant" (1Corinthians 12:1). Paul made it very clear that he did not approve of their practices and that our command by the Lord was to make disciple, to spread the Gospel: "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain" (1Corinthians 15:1,2). There it is again; the word "if" which in Greek is a word of conditionality, noting that Paul was addressing their misuse and misunderstanding that they needed to return to his preaching, that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

     When there be an attempt to interpret Scripture these rules apply: context, context, context. You must have a good grasp of the grammatical/historical and culture of the people to whom the Bible writer was addressing. You must ask, who, what, where, why, when, and how! Too many bypass those rules and apply their predeterminations, their presuppositions that are derived from wrong interpretation, or by sitting under wrong interpretation. Interpretation is not an easy thing, especially when a word has more than one use, or meaning, how it is applied according to the context then becomes extremely important. When it come to the word for healing this is the case. The opening Scripture is often misinterpreted as to apply the word for healing to mean; physical healing, or even emotional healing; but does it? Isaiah chapter 53 definitely is speaking of Jesus Christ, his oblation, and death, but what is the context? Verse 4; He bears our griefs, our sorrows, and He was wounded (vs.5) for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, chastisement for our peace, and by His stripes we are healed, and the LORD laid our iniquity upon Him (vs.6). The context has nothing to do with physical healing, rather it we are healed or our iniquities, this is the purpose for Jesus Christ to take on human flesh, to suffer and to die. He came to pay a debt we cannot pay and by means of His death we are healed, healed from our sins. Isaiah made this very clear: "...When You make His soul an offering for sin.....By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many" (Isaiah 53:10b, 11b). The context is clear, we are healed from our sin by the death, resurrection, of Jesus Christ and this verse, as quoted by many to be a proof text for healing is not to be attributed to physical healing. Another verse so misused as to be a proof text that healing is to be the norm for the Church. Schools of the supernatural have come into being to teach that this verse is to be understood that "Christians" are to go about healing people. Here is the verse: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1Peter 2:24). The word for healed is Aorist, Passive, and indicative; carrying the meanings: 1) to cure, heal; 2) to make whole;to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one's) salvation. What is the context? Peter is discussing that Christians were to follow the example of Jesus Christ. Did this indicate that we are to go about, and at times indiscriminately, to heal people? No! Jesus Christ died on the tree to bear our sins, our iniquities (1Peter 2:24) and by His death we are healed of our sins, we no longer wander about as lost sheep for we have returned to our Great Shepherd of our souls (1Peter 2:25). Often in Scripture is this Greek word; ἰάθητ, used for other than physical healing. It is used for physical healing but as I stated in the beginning we must understand that words are often used in more than one meaning, or applied differently while still maintaining their core definition. Here are a few:  

Matthew 13:15

       For this people's heart is waxed gross, and [their]           ears are dull of hearing , and  their eyes they have closed ; lest at any time they should see with [their] eyes  and hear with [their] ears  and should understand  with [their] heart  and should be converted , and I should heal them .

       Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon  me  because  he hath anointed  me  to preach the gospel  to the poor ; he hath sent me  to heal the brokenhearted , to preach  deliverance  to the captives,  and  recovering of sight  to the blind , to set  at liberty them that are bruised  ,

John 12:40

He hath blinded  their eyes , and  hardened their  heart ; that they should not see with [their] eyes , nor understand  with [their] heart , and be converted  , and I should heal them 

Acts 28:27

For  the heart  of this  people  is waxed gross  , and their ears  are dull of hearing , and their eyes  have they closed  ; lest  they should see  with [their] eyes , and  hear with [their] ears , and  understand  with [their] heart , and  should be converted  , and  I should heal them 

Hebrews 12:13

And make  straight  paths  for your  feet , lest that  which is lame be turned out of the way ; but  let it rather  be healed. 

There is so much abuse by the misuse of Spiritual Gifts and people are being led as sheep to a slaughter. Now; not all people will fall into this category. I will list a few of those who have misused their power as having special abilities, that God as bestowed upon them a Spiritual Gift, a gift of healing. People flock to those men, and give of their monies, times, etc. as though these men are of God. I wonder? This blog is long, but important if only I am able to jog your thinking and cause you to examine what you believe and is your belief in harmony with Scripture.

But Benny Hinn's followers may not know about how all of their donations are spent. For example there's Hinn's palatial new home, now being built for $3.5 million in an exclusive gated community overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The plans call for more than 6,000 square feet - 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms and a basement garage with enough space for ten cars. Who's paying for that? Not pastor Benny. That mansion on the Pacific is considered the Hinn ministry's church residence or "parsonage," and the ministry is picking up all the expenses for land, construction, even property taxes.

The ministry says the house is a good investment, but Paul Nelson of ECFA says Benny Hinn should be concerned about the perception of that house deal. He says the expenditure of millions of dollars of church money on a house for it's leader, is almost unprecedented.

At Lakewood Church, Joel Osteen proclaims,”It’s God’s will for you to live in prosperity instead of poverty.” The pastor of the Houston megachurch and wife Victoria certainly practice what they preach.

The couple has moved to a $10.5 million mansion in River Oaks, while keeping their former Tanglewood residence, valued at $2.9 million.

Salaries
1998: In 1998, the Crouches showed a combined income of nearly $600,000... He was paid $159,500 a year as president, while she got $165,100 as vice president, IRS records show.

"Crouch's earnings went from $159,500 in 1997 to $262,915 the following year. Jan, the organization's vice president, also received a big raise. Her earnings more than doubled, going from $159,500 to $321,375 during the same time period". [4].

2008: But it gets worse.. According to Charity Navigator's latest CEO salary report which was released in the fall of 2008, and shows how much nonprofit leaders are making.

Paul F. Crouch Sr. as President and Director makes $419,500 a year.

Janice W. Crouch, as Vice President and Director makes $361,000 a year.

Paul F. Crouch Jr., as Vice President and Director makes $214,137 a year.

(Data from the 2010 study is based on the financial data provided on the FYE 2008 Forms 990 and includes salary, cash bonuses, and expense accounts) [5]

The Crouch’s Homes
Televangelists Jan and Paul Crouch of the Costa Mesa-based Trinity Broadcasting Network have purchased a Newport Beach house, in a gated community overlooking the Pacific,for close to $5 million, Orange County Realtors say. The home was described as [Emphasis Added]

"a palatial estate with ocean and city views." The Crouches had been living in a smaller house in the same neighborhood. The house they bought has six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a billiard room, a climate-controlled wine cellar, a sweeping staircase and a crystal chandelier. The three-story, nearly 9,500-square-foot house, which has an elevator, also has a six-car garage, a tennis court and a pool with a fountain. The house is on slightly more than an acre. Jan Crouch had been wanting a bigger yard for her dogs, sources said. [6]. 

Income: Compensation as president of Bill Johnson Ministry was $372,037 in 2007 (most recent figure available); salary as pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California, is not known.

      It seems to be a healer is more than just healing people. There seems to be a way of life that the Apostle Paul never had, in fact, I don't know of any Apostle that lived in such manner as many of these so-called healers who pretend to have been given by God this special gift of the Spirit to heal. It seems all that is getting healed is their wallets. Allow me to end this blog with the words of the Apostle Peter:

"He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good: let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil" (1Peter 3:10-12; cf. Psalm 34:12-16; 37:27). 

      Before you think that I am a cessionist, don't, I believe in the Gifts of the Spirit, that God at His discretion according to His Providence, by means of His Holiness, that He will gives the gifts of the Spirit when needed and as often as needed. Don't be mislead by those who are misusing this gift of healing.

And there shall be 

     not more curse,

but the throne of God

     and the Lamb shall

be in it, and His servants

     shall serve Him.

                       Revelation 22:5

May God Bless You And Keep You

Richard L. Crumb