Last week I covered the greek word for healing iaomai in the gospels which are rather clear. This week I wanted to speak about Luke’s use of the word and how he mixed the word use with therapeeúō and also how it is used in the epistles of Paul.

— Luke mixes the use of both therapeúō and ioamai healing at times

Case 1:
Luke 4:18 says He has sent Me to (heal the brokenhearted)

The NU Text omits the brokenhearted. I already discussed this two weeks ago so keep that in mind that this healing word may not have dealt with broken hearted people and is probably incongruous with other instances of the use of this healing word.

For sure Yeshua can heal the brokenhearted — it is the text translation I am questioning in this quote from Isaiah 61. It actually says in Isaiah (masoretic texts) to tightly bind up the brokenhearted. I don’t think Yeshua instantly heals anyone of a brokenheartedness. Grief is a natural reaction when bad things happen. Yet the binding can be good and mightily speed up the process.

Case 2:
Luke 6:17-19:: And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed (iaomai) of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed (therapeuō). The whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power (dynamis) went out from Him and healed (iaomai) them all.

Case 3:
Luk 9:2:: He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal (ioamai) the sick (astheneō)

It is interesting that in Luke 10:9 Yeshua told the 70 to heal (therapeuō) the sick (asthenēs) which is not the same healing word used in chapter 9.

Case 4:
Act 3:11:: Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.

This is fascinating to me since in the next chapter the word therepeo is used of the same event:
Acts 4:14;  seeing the man who had been healed (therapeuō) standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

Can this swizzle between two greek words help us understand some of the confusion regarding Luke 4:18?

I said two weeks ago I believe there is a difference between sickness developed because of spiritual oppression and disease which is a merely a physical or heredity condition. The lame man in Acts 3 & 4 was lame from birth so I would say ioamai is a more proper word here.

Peter quoting from Psalm 18 tells the Sanhedrin that there is no salvation in any other (name),

The actual quotes was “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone (Ps. 118:22).

sōtēria can mean salvation but also deliverance, preservation, or safety

Furthermore, Peter declares this healing in the name of Jesus Christ (vs. 10).

— Signs promised to believers do not explicitly say we are given power to heal people:

Mark 16:17:: these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick (arrōstos), and they will recover.

kalōs (kal-oce’) is the word used in Mark for recover. It does not even really mean to be healed, at least in the normal sense of how iaomai is used. I means beautifully, finely, excellently, well. Removing demons can include therapeúō which we talked about last week.

There is a wealth of information here and elsewhere.

— Healings in Acts: That which testified about Yeshua

In most of the following verses healing seems to have occurred quickly and miraculously

Act 9:34:: Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately.

Again Peter invokes the name of Jesus the Christ to bring healing to the lame.

Act 10:38:: God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

This is a clue, perhaps, that it is Yeshua who heals people (not us). It suggest to me that we do not command this type of healing, only we point people to Yeshua who is the great physician.

Act 28:8:: it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.

This is one of the few times the word iáomai is used of healing besides that done by Yeshua or in his name. Peter always invoked the name of Yeshua to the Jewish people. It is interesting that Luke says that Paul healed Publius’ father.

— Healing in epistle writings

Here we read just a few verses which speak of healing within churches. We read about healing in Hebrews 12. Verse 12 starts with a therefore but the whole passage has to do with discipline and correction.

Heb 12:12-13:: Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

So one idea here is that the joints of the lame might become dislocated if discipline is not heeded. The writer prefers the lame be healed instead so accept discipline so that healing occurs instead. This idea of confession and repentance is again spoken about in the book of James.

Jas 5:16:: Confess your trespasses[faults, sins] to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Here mutual prayer results in healing but only after confession and by implication forgiveness, especially against one who may have wronged you. Reconciliation is a good word here which promotes healing.