Miracle Healing and Christian Spirituality in the Nineteenth Century

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Miracle Healing and Christian Spirituality in the Nineteenth Century

The nineteenth century was an exciting time for Protestant Christians, as revivals spread across the globe and missionaries spread all over the world. Many Christians experienced the “new birth” – a sense of forgiveness and sanctification that brought them freedom from the power and pollution of sin – and the “second blessing” – the infilling of the Holy Spirit. These phenomena were also seen as a means of spiritual preparation for heaven. Some Christians even claimed to have been free from sickness.

After the conversion of Constantine in 312, the Church started to grow rapidly. The Edict of Milan proclaimed toleration for Christianity, and the faith went from being persecuted to being state-sponsored. During this time, church membership went from five to thirty million people. However, many of these new Christians were not real believers, but were instead attracted by gifts, higher status jobs, or other forms of piety.

Some Christians believe that the Holy Spirit has the power to separate the true from the false. The Bible is full of prophecy. Prophecy can be a means of communication between believers, but it must be approved by church leaders. This is the only way to be sure that a prophecy is from a true prophet.

The apostles were also able to perform many miracles. Philip and Paul, among others, were able to heal the sick and cast out demons. The apostle Paul also performed many miracles in the city of Ephesus, including turning water into wine and casting out demons.