MY experience:
When I shared the following verse (11/2/2020) on a ‘Christian’ Facebook group about Bibles:
1 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB) to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and said it was really helpful to me to read MacArthur Study Bible on 1 Corinthians 12:9, which I quoted directly and exactly on that particular verse, 4 men jumped verbally on me for it in the group in text. They told me I should (1) “honestly, delete my post, really”, that it was (2) “eisegesis”, that it had (3) something bad to do with “cessationism” which that one claimed “John MacArthur is bad for” – not sure that was very clear, and (4) one was “admiring” the restraint of the first commenter who said I “really honestly, should just delete the post”. Even after I got help, the moderator speaking to me privately stated I wrote a “treatise”. I did no such thing. MacArthur wrote the bulk of what I quoted and I gave it full credit. I told the moderator that. She sidestepped it. This groups’ rules (which, as a member, I agreed to) started out with their #1 rule being we would agree to NOT belittle or debate or fight over theology, denominations, main Bible translations (excepting paraphrased versions of the Bible which they do not consider Bibles at all, and I agree).
As a member I abided by this rule and made no comments whatever to the lady who took her own selfie holding her new Catholic Bible, for instance, or anything else I might normally call out or question.
It was their #1 rule, and I went by their rules. That’s how you respect a Facebook group. If you don’t like their rules, you leave, if you have any sense.
When I asked for help from a moderator because of these nasty comments from 4 members on my post, the moderator instead of dealing with the comments, DELETED MY POST, as she said, “because it was causing debate” in her words. Wow. It’s getting to the point where saying you like, enjoy, or quote John MacArthur’s teaching it’s time to get verbally stoned by so-called Christians. Thank God this is only verbal in text form. I am beginning to think I can almost find out immediately whether a person will stay within the text of the Bible by how they react to “John MacArthur”. I find that astounding. I hope he earns a crown in heaven for it!
Also, I chose to leave the group because they are behaving as if men’s opinions count only.
Not one of them challenged me to search through the scripture in Acts to see if what I had posted was so. Had they done that, I might have some fellowship and help about Acts 19 and 20, but instead, I’m off the group because I just really don’t like the double standard, and there is irrationality on the part of the moderator who worked with me as well as emotionally charged comments by at least 4 members, all of whom, apparently found this threatening.
As Christians, we should be willing to help one another, instruct, rebuke, and study together to see if things are true according to the Word of God.
Here is what I quoted from the NKJV MacArthur Study Bible note on 1 Cor. 12:9:
“NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition
1Corinthians 12:9 faith. Distinct from saving faith or persevering faith, both of which all believers possess, this gift is exercised in persistent prayer and endurance in intercession, along with a strong trust in God in the midst of difficult circumstances (cf. Matthew 17:20). healings. A temporary sign gift used by Christ (Matthew 8:16-17), the apostles (Matthew 10:1), the seventy (Luke 10:1), and a few associates of the apostles, such as Philip (Acts 8:5-7). This ability was identified as a gift belonging to the apostles (cf. 2Corinthians 12:12). Although Christians today do not have the gifts of healings, God certainly still hears and answers the faithful prayers of His children (see James 5:13-16). Some people feel that healing should be common and expected in every era, but this is not the case. Physical healings are very rare throughout the OT record. Only a few are recorded. There was never a time before the coming of Christ when healings were common. Only in His lifetime and that of His apostles was there a veritable explosion of healing. This was due to the unique need to accredit the Messiah and to authenticate the first miracles of the gospel. Jesus and His apostles temporarily banished disease from Israel, but that was the most monumental era of redemptive history and called for such authentication. To normalize healing would be to normalize the arrival of the Savior. This gift belonged to the sign gifts for that era only. The gifts of healings were never used solely for bringing people physical health. Paul was sick but never healed himself or asked another human to heal him. His friend Epaphroditus was near death (Philippians 2:27), and Paul did not heal him. God intervened. When Timothy was sick, Paul did not heal him, but told him to take some wine (1Timothy 5:23). Paul left Trophimus “sick at Miletus” (2Timothy 4:20). Healings were not the everyday norm in Paul’s ministry, but did occur when he entered a new region, e.g., Malta, where the gospel and its preacher needed authentication (see Acts 28:8-9). That healing was the first mention of healing since the lame man was healed in Lystra (Acts 14:9) in connection with the arrival of Paul and the gospel there. Prior to that, the nearest healing was by Peter in Acts 9:34, and the resurrection of Tabitha in Acts 9:41, so that people would believe the gospel Peter preached (Acts 9:42).”
I suppose I could be wrong here, but the MacArthur Study Bible Commentary on this passage, 1 Corinthians 12:9 does mention Tabitha being resurrected, so I’m assuming he’s counting that as “healing” since he mentioned it, and here is what appears to me to be a resurrection. Did I miss something?
My study notes of Acts 9-28 (end of Acts) looking specifically for healings:
Acts 9: HEALING – as the MacArthur Study Bible commentary says: Ananias lays hands on Saul and HEALS his blindness, Peter in Lydda heals Aeneas, and Peter in Joppa raises Tabitha from the dead.
Acts 10: NO HEALINGS only a recounting of what Jesus did, “for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38)
Acts 11: NO HEALINGS only prophecy about the coming famine, and the Holy Spirit falling on people.
Acts 12: NO HEALINGS only Peter freed from jail by an angel, oh, and Herod dies and is eaten by worms.
Acts 13: NO HEALING a man is cursed and struck blind, and there is a recounting about Jesus
Acts 14 HEALING – as the MacArthur Study Bible Commentary says there is healing. Acts 14:8 (NASB) “At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.” (Acts 14:8-10)
Acts 15: NO HEALINGS retelling of things already told and a letter written
Acts 16: NO HEALINGS There is a vision and in verse 18 of chapter 16 there is a demon cast out (See Acts 16:18)
Acts 17: NO HEALINGS There are riots in Thessalonica and preaching in Berea and Athens.
Acts 18: NO HEALINGS but a whole lot of preaching.
Acts 19: UM … HEALINGS! “Acts 19:11 (NASB) God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.” So Acts 19:11-12 is an account of what is definitely multiple healings, and seemingly many. The rest includes tongues & prophecy, neither of which is “healings”.
Acts 20: UM … HEALING! Acts 20:7-12 is about Eutychus falling out of a window, being “picked up dead” then Paul throwing himself on the boy then saying he is alive. Which seems to me to be a resurrection, and I’ve never heard it treated different. Acts 20:7 (NASB) “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” 11 When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. 12 They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.” I suppose I could be wrong here, but the MacArthur Study Bible Commentary on 1 Cor 12:9 does mention Tabitha being resurrected, so I’m assuming he’s counting that as he mentioned it, and here is what appears to me to be a resurrection. Did I miss something?
Acts 21: NO HEALINGS there is prophecy in verses 9-11 of this chapter.
Acts 22: NO HEALINGS Paul’s conversion story is retold.
Acts 23: NO HEALINGS There are riots and a plot to murder Paul.
Acts 24: NO HEALINGS Paul before Felix Acts 24:27 (NASB) “But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.” gives the amount of time that is going by here, just in this little section. Acts did not happen in a blink.
Acts 25: NO HEALINGS Paul before Festus and King Agrippa
Acts 26: NO HEALINGS Paul before King Agrippa (“short or long, I pray that all…”)
Acts 27: NO HEALINGS 276 men on a ship, they sail, horrible long storm, and a shipwreck.
Acts 28: HEALING of course, as the MacArthur Study Bible says there is – in verses 7-9. Acts 28:7 (NASB) “Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. 9 After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.”
—————–end “Berean” notes—————–
Later I heard Luke 16:15 and wished I had thought of that while talking with the woman moderator via text message. Luke 16:15 (NASB) And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”
And seriously? Any one of those 4 men could have cited Acts 19 or Acts 20 as a point to honestly argue about it. But it’s like they read the first part of the comment (or perhaps just “NKJV MacArthur Study Bible, Second Edition” which was written above the quote) and then just closed their ears because they don’t like cessationism.
Nobodyz' Space 