Book Reviews

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Performing Miracles & Healing: A Biblical Guide to Developing a Christ-Like Supernatural Ministry
Roger Sapp
All Nations Publications
P.O. Box 92847
Southlake, Texas 76092
1-817-514-0653
www.allnationsmin.org
ISBN: 0-9662085-5-2
US$16.00
Published 2002
266 pages

Rating: excellent

Many books on divine healing exist in the Christian market. Each author has his own way of approaching the topic. Some books are historical, anecdotal, topical, nutritional. Some are charismatic, ecumenical and Catholic. Some are written by famous preachers, others by relative unknowns. Some are meant for individual Bible time, and others for church or group study. The reader interested in divine healing finds something new and unique in all these books. Roger Sapp’s book is a good addition to this market.

Sapp approaches the Bible healing stories as if they were chapters in a reading comprehension book. Each healing encounter is examined in many ways. By doing this he brings many insights to the stories and to the miracles. For example he discusses whether the healings were done in a group setting, in front of believers or unbelievers, by Jesus with his disciples present, by Jesus with the apostles afar off. He describes the age, social status –nobleman, sinner, religious person, outcast– of the healed person. He discusses the apparent need, whether the healing was initiated by Jesus, the sick person, a friend of the sick person, and what Jesus said before or after performing the healing. One of Sapp’s insights is that when Jesus healed sinners, he never mentioned their sin before he healed them. It was always after the sick person was healed that Jesus said, “Go and sin no more.” The only time He mentioned sin WHILE healing someone was when he wanted to prove to the pharisees looking on that the Son of Man had power on earth to forgive sin. The communal mention of the sick person’s sin was meant to challenge the judgmental. Sapp also discusses the processes involved in the healing (spit over the eyes, a commanding word), what people expected Jesus to do (Usually, he touched them), the reactions to healing (anger, conversion, joy,) and the purposes of the miracles (as a sign of God’s love, as proof that the kingdom of God had arrived on earth.)

The aim of Sapp’s book is that Jesus healed to show God's will: health for all people, and that all healings are signs of God's will, power and love in the world. If Christians study why Jesus performed the miracles, they too will believe that can God is the same yesterday, today and forever, always healing his people. And furthermore, they too will receive faith to perform these healings that mark the presence of God’s kingdom and glorify God through Jesus Christ. The book is a thorough Bible study of the healings performed by Christ and his apostles. A good addition to a Christian’s faith library.

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