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Elisha performed miracles of divine healing for others, but, in the will of God, he himself was not healed by a miracle; this was the experience of Paul and his fellow workers—2 Kings 13:14:
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Paul left Trophimus at Miletus in sickness without exercising healing prayer for him and did not exercise his healing gift to cure Timothy of his stomach sickness—2 Tim. 4:20; 1 Tim. 5:23; Acts 19:11-12.
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Paul and his co-workers were under the discipline of the inner life in that time of suffering rather than under the power of the outward gift:
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The former is a matter of grace in life; the latter is a matter of gift in power—miraculous power.
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In the decline of the church and in one’s suffering for the church, the gift of power is not needed as much as the grace in life—2 Tim. 4:22.
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Elisha was deceased in his body yet still ministered in the spirit to enliven one of the dead—2 Kings 13:21:
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Even the dead Elisha could enliven people.
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This is a picture of Christ in resurrection—John 11:25; Acts 2:24; Phil. 3:10:
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Whoever touches Him is enlivened.
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Regeneration involves a spiritually dead person touching the dead and resurrected Christ and being enlivened—cf. John 5:25; Eph. 2:1-6a.
Morning Nourishment
2 Kings 13:14 Now when Elisha was ill with his illness by which he eventually died, Joash the king of Israel went down to him and wept over him and said, My father! My father!...21... The people were burying a man... ; and they cast the man into the grave of Elisha. And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he came to life and stood up on his feet.
Elisha performed miracles of divine healing for others, but, in the will of God, he himself was not healed by a miracle (cf. 2 Tim. 4:20, footnote 2). (2 Kings 13:14, footnote 1)
Elisha was deceased in his body yet still ministered in the spirit to enliven one of the dead. Even the dead Elisha could enliven people. This is a picture of Christ in resurrection. Whoever touches Him is enlivened. Regeneration involves a spiritually dead person touching the dead and resurrected Christ and being enlivened (cf. John 5:25; Eph. 2:1-6a). (2 Kings 13:21, footnote 1)
Today’s Reading
After greeting Prisca and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 4:19), Paul says, “Erastus remained in Corinth, and Trophimus I left at Miletus sick” [v. 20]... Why did the apostle leave such an intimate one in sickness without exercising healing prayer for him? Why did he not also execute his healing gift (Acts 19:11-12) to cure Timothy of his stomach illness rather than instruct him to take the natural way for healing (1 Tim. 5:23)? The answer to both questions is that both Paul and his co-workers were under the discipline of the inner life in this time of suffering rather than under the power of the outward gift. The former is of grace in life; the latter of gift in power—miraculous power. In the decline of the church and in suffering for the church, the gift of power is not as much needed as the grace in life.According to the New Testament, miraculous gifts may have a place when the church is first raised up. But for the church to withstand decline or persecution, miraculous gifts or powers are not very helpful. Only the eternal life on which we are to lay hold is prevailing. By this life we can withstand decline and persecution.
It may appear to some that in caring for Timothy’s ailment and Trophimus’s sickness in a human way Paul acted as if he were an unbeliever. There is no record that he prayed for healing, and he certainly did not exercise the gift of healing. Instead, he encouraged Timothy to take a little wine, and he left Trophimus at Miletus. Paul cared for his co-workers in a very human way. He did not do anything spectacular to make a display. In like manner, in the Lord’s recovery we should not seek to make a show. Our emphasis must be on the eternal life by which we can withstand tests, trials, persecution, attack, and opposition. The firm foundation stands. This standing depends not on miracles, but on the eternal life which is the grace within us.
After charging Timothy to be diligent to come before winter and after sending him the greetings of all the brothers with him, Paul concludes, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (2 Tim. 4:22). Here we see that Paul concludes with two of the main elements of his composition of 2 Timothy: a strong spirit and the grace of God. The book of 2 Timothy, which gives instructions concerning how to confront the degradation of the church, strongly stresses our spirit. In the beginning it emphasizes that a strong, loving, and sound spirit has been given to us by which we can fan the gift of God into flame and suffer evil with the gospel according to the power of God and the Lord’s life-imparting grace (1:6-10). In the conclusion this book blesses us with the emphasis on the Lord’s being with our spirit that we may enjoy Him as grace to stand against the down current of the church’s decline and carry out God’s economy through His indwelling Spirit (1:14) and equipping word (3:16-17). (Life-study of 2 Timothy, pp. 71-72)
Further Reading: Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, msg. 13