JESUS THE HEALER:
Paradigm or Unique Phenomenon
By Dr. Keith Warrington. Paternoster Press. 192 pages
ISBN 0 85364 822 0
Paradigmatic, pedagogical, prototypical, praxis: like the words? Then you will like this book. Footnote references; other people's opinion about a subject: like them? Then you will like this book. Repetition: like it? Again, you'll like this book.
It's a book about those amazing healing and exorcism miracles of Jesus; how they were understood then, and how they are to be applied today. Three major questions are asked: 'Why did Jesus do miracles?' 'What was the motivation of the Gospel writers in recording them?' 'What about healing and exorcism miracles today?'
Dr. Warrington argues that these miracles of Jesus do not provide us with a model for believers to copy in healing people today, rather they were a unique phenomenon tied to the ministry of Jesus then. Not that Warrington denies the possibility and the reality of divine healing today, but that today's healers cannot claim to emulate the healing ministry of Jesus, and Jesus never provided a framework for them to do so.
There are three parts to the book. Part One deals with the motivation behind Jesus's miracles. It is argued that His primary motive in healing was neither compassion nor health, but teaching.
In Part Two every single instance of healing and exorcism conducted by Jesus is examined. This is really useful and will provide the preacher with fresh insights when he comes to preach through the gospels and hits on miracle after miracle; in this regard it is a book to be kept by your commentaries. It's also a good example of using narrative criticism to bring out main themes in the gospels.
In Part Three, and indeed, throughout the book, the activities of contemporary healers are compared with the healing work of Jesus; and today's healers are left with a lot to respond to.
If you are a serious student of Scripture, or if you are thinking through the contemporary healing scene, then, with an open Bible before you, you'll benefit from studying this book.
