Miracle Healing and Christian Deliverance

In the fourth century, Christianity began to grow and spread. The persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire ended, and the Edict of Milan decreed the toleration of Christianity. This marked the change from a persecuted religion to one that was state-sponsored. The church membership increased from five million to thirty million people. However, many of the new converts were nominal Christians, who came to faith because they were offered gifts or higher status positions. Moreover, they were often prone to paganism and other forms of magic.

Christians believe that they have the power to heal and cast out evil spirits. Some people even left everything to follow Jesus. In the Bible, Jesus gave his apostles authority to cast out unclean spirits. They also have the power to raise the dead. For example, Matthew 10:8 describes that Christians have the power to raise the dead.

In the first century, Jesus performed miracles in Galilee. In fact, the Jewish Scriptures had already proclaimed that God is the healer, so it was not surprising that Jesus healed people in Galilee. He also restored a leper, a child born dead, and a man who had a paralysis. These miracles are also mentioned in the Gospels. One blind man runs to Jesus, another shouts praises, and a deaf-mute man walks home (Luke 5:17-26). In Matthew 17:14-18, a sick boy is healed of a demon.

Jesus taught his followers to share his priority. The apostles were sent out to heal the sick and preach the gospel. In the New Testament, the word sozo appears 110 times, meaning “save,” “heal,” and “deliver.” Healing people was a primary part of Jesus’ ministry, and many of his disciples kept this practice.