Review Essay: The Healing Promise: A Charismatic

Response
by Graham Old
As appearing in the PNEUMA REVIEW Winter 2005

The Healing Promise: I s it always God's will to heal? Richard Mayhue. Christian Focus
Publications (2001), 228 pages.

Richard Mayhue states that his purpose in writing this book is to "develop a biblical model of
healing by which we can test anyone who claims to healpast, present, and future."
1
Thus, I had
high hopes for this book. I hoped that we would finally encounter an argument that relied upon a
thorough examination of the biblical data and avoided the focus upon testimonies of bad
experiences within the fringe element of the Charismatic movement. I hoped that we would find
someone genuinely attempting to interact with the finest of Pentecostal and Charismatic scholars,
rather than repeating the arguments of a former generation of anti-supernatural cessationists. I
was disappointed.
Let us not build an argument on experiencegood or bad
The book begins with the usual mockery of the fringe elements in the Charismatic movement.
Mayhue is something of a protg of John MacArthur, so it should not cause too much surprise
to find the same methodology employed here that MacArthur resorts to in Charismatic Chaos.
What is surprising is the way that Mayhue questions the place of experience in Charismatic
theology, while simultaneously using bad experiences as a negative defense of his own position.
Yet, he seems completely unaware of the irony. The book contains a chapter on the bad
experiences people have suffered at the hands of healers, a chapter on how healers can create the
illusion of healings, a chapter on Joni's struggle with physical infirmity and what she has learned
through it, a chapter on the healing of John MacArthur's wife, Patricia, and a number of
references to the paucity of healing in the post-biblical Church. All of this from an author who
would suggest that the problem with Charismatic theology is that it is based on experience!
Mayhue criticises Jack Deere, claiming, "one gets the distinct impression that experience at least
equals scripture" in Surprised by the Power of the Spirit.
2
This is ironic, because Deere actually
makes the point that Charismatics are accused of basing their theology on experience, when what
often happens is that cessationists do exactly the same.
3
Their lack of an experience of the
supernaturaland their consequent perception that such a lack mirrors Church historyis the
actual basis for their theology of cessationism. While Deere is ready to admit the place of
experience in his theologywhich is fully supported by the biblical approach to formulating our
doctrineMayhue seems painfully unaware of the place that experience is playing in his
theology.
Perhaps the lesson here is that we need to carefully assess our theological arguments and be
aware of the place that experience plays in that. Pentecostals have often acknowledged the
invaluable role of experience in confirming or clarifying theology (more so than Charismatics,
who have not always been as honest as Deere in this respect).
4
The thing that is to be avoided on
all sides is using experience as the foundation of our theology. The degree to which Cessationism
has done this is a topic that merits further consideration.
Healing in the Bible
Early on in his book, Mayhue reveals his understanding of the nature of biblical healings. These
then form the basis of his rejection of modern-day charismatic healings. He is openly acting upon
the presupposition that any modern-day healings would mirror the healings of the New
Testament by sharing the same characteristics. If he can then demonstrate that there is a disparity
between miraculous healing today and the healing seen in scripture, the conclusion would appear
to be that healing todayif it occurs at allis not a genuine work of God:
When God miraculously healed through the prophets, Christ or the apostles, these qualities, among others,
characterised the healing:
1) It was immediate
2) It was public
3) I took place on ordinary, unplanned occasions
4) It included illnesses that were untreatable by the medical community
5) It was complete and irreversible
6) It was undeniable, even to detractors.
5