Miracle Healing in Christianity

Christianity is the world’s largest religion with over two billion followers worldwide. It is a monotheistic, Abrahamic faith based on the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God. He has power over all creation. When he was in the first century, he healed people who were sick or had demons. Christians also believed that their sins were forgiven through the “new birth” experience.

The anointing of the sick with oil became a sacrament. After Constantine converted in 312 and Christianity spread across Europe, healings began to drift to the margins. Church leaders were skeptical of the legitimacy of seeking healings.

In the fourth and fifth centuries, the church grew rapidly. Every generation, half a million new converts joined the Christian movement. Many of them were nominal Christians, attracted by gifts and higher status jobs. However, others stepped away from their former lives and left everything to follow Jesus.

As the church grew, it was a challenge to keep up with the demand for prayer. Healings were often performed in private homes. Church leaders would identify saints and pray for those who were sick. Sometimes, the saints had prayers that were likely to bring healing.

One of the major tenets of this doctrine was that prayer was the key to determining the outcome of the end-times cosmological battle between God and Satan. However, some critics accused the doctrine of being theologically heterodox and unhealthy.