What are we to make of the events of last night at St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital? The hospital is being tight lipped, but the story is emerging. News outlets are reporting over 100 people have been discharged today, most of whom were not expected to live for much longer. Serious trauma victims, AIDS sufferers, cancer sufferers, at least two people who were being prepped for emergency surgery, all walking out today under their own power with no evidence there was ever anything wrong with them. The story is almost too fantastic to be real. An unidentified African-American male moved through the hospital wearing scrubs. He briefly placed his hands on the patients and quietly spoke, then walked quickly away. Vitals became normal, bleeding stopped, people who were under heavy sedation were clear headed and demanding attention – primarily food, clothing, and release from the hospital. By the time security knew what to look for and where to look, the man was gone.
At least one patient is grumbling that he heard the name, “Jesus Christ,” spoken by the man. The patient, an atheist, is rumored to be planning a lawsuit against the hospital for violation of his rights. The other patients appear to be just happy to be well and going home. Hospital staff are exhausted, elated, and confused. Exhausted because so much was demanded of them in a very short time, elated because they live to see patients healthy, and confused because none of them has ever experienced anything like this before.
The rest of us just have questions. Who was the intruder? Why did he come? Why is he hiding? How did he do what he did? Will he do more? And what does it mean for the hundreds still in NYC hospitals in critical or near-critical condition?
We have a lot of questions, but no answers.
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Sommers:
Let’s go live, now, to Mark Jacobs who has been following the unusual story of the healings that have been occurring at area hospitals. Mark?
(Cut to Mark Jacobs - live feed)
Jacobs:
Leslie, the mysterious intruder was spotted again at Long Island College Hospital in Brooklyn last night. Like before, he arrived quietly and moved quickly from patient to patient, creating a situation that quickly overwhelmed hospital staff. Like before he slipped away before he could be caught. But Long Island College Hospital was quicker to respond than St. Luke’s - Roosevelt. As a result, only about 40 people are checking out this morning after having been touched by the man who has become known as “The Healer.” Today, at a press conference, New York City Mayor Albert Fineman made this statement.
(Cut to taped footage from press conference)
Fineman:
We are all happy when severely ill people are able to leave one of our hospitals healthy. But the approach being used by this man is inappropriate. It creates a difficult situation for the staff, who is unprepared for so many patient calls in one night. It violates the rights of patients who are offended by the intruder’s Christian statements. Everyone in my administration would love to see every hospital in the five boroughs emptied of sick people, but we must ask that this intruder contact someone in authority to schedule his visits so hospitals can make the necessary preparations. We would also ask that this man respect those whose religious beliefs are different from his own.
We are not going to treat this man as a criminal in any way. Neither hospital wants to press charges for unauthorized entry. We just want him to do what he does in an orderly way. My office and the administrative offices of all New York City hospitals will be glad to make arrangements with him.
(Cut to Mark Jacobs - live feed)
Jacobs:
Leslie, the city appears to be sincere that it doesn’t want to make things difficult for The Healer. It just wants to ensure healings are done in a good way.
(Cut to split screen - live feed and studio)
Sommers:
Mark, is the Mayor’s office setting up any kind of a tip line or even encouraging people to call 3-1-1 with information?
Jacobs:
Not at this time. The Mayor’s office is resisting any resemblance between this situation and a criminal investigation or a manhunt. Instead of calling to report information on the intruder, anyone who may know who he is should encourage him to initiate a contact. Every hospital administrator, as well as the Mayor’s Office, says they are willing to work out procedures that will be acceptable both to area hospitals and The Healer.
Sommers:
Thanks, Mark. Keep us informed.
Jacobs:
We’ll be keeping an eye on things here, Leslie. Mark Jacobs, WNYC Live.
(Cut to studio)
Sommers:
When we return from the break, we’ll have Dr. Samuel Estive, Pastor of NYC Seeker Non-denominational Church with us to discuss the situation.
(Cut to commercial break. Return to studio interview lounge)
Sommers:
In our ongoing coverage of the man being called The Healer, we welcome Dr. Samuel Estive, Pastor of NYC Seeker Non-denominational Church to our studios. Pastor Estive is a regular contributor to WNYC News. Sam, thank you for making time to join us.
(Pan out to include Pastor Estive in guest chair)
Estive:
Always a pleasure, Leslie.
Sommers:
What can you tell us about these events, Sam? What is this man doing? How is he doing it?
Estive:
Leslie, I can’t tell you anything about the man. I don’t have any personal knowledge other than what you’ve been reporting and what I’ve been seeing and reading from other news outlets here in The City. There doesn’t seem to be anything underhanded about these events. Barring any new revelations, these appear to be supernatural healings going on.
Sommers:
Miraculous healings?
Estive:
Miracles are generally attributed to God. These could be from God, but we really don’t know yet. Jesus Himself warns us of people who will perform signs and wonders that won’t be from God. Of course, I don’t want to accuse this Healer of anything before I know him. I think the best posture for Christians right now is to wait, and be hopeful.
Sommers:
Is there any reason for you to believe these healings aren’t from God?
Estive:
Right now, Leslie, I’m just confused. The Bible shows us a God who is happy to broadcast what He is doing. Despite the popular phrase that “The Lord works in mysterious ways,” He generally accepts the credit for His outright miracles. On the other hand, if these healings were counterfeit, the intent (according to Jesus) would be to deceive. I would think a non-Godly healer would still claim the healings for God. This anonymity doesn’t fit any pattern I can think of.
In my experience as a Pastor, we’ve prayed for a small number of people who seemed to be miraculously healed. But we’ve prayed for a larger number of people who remain sick. This Healer seems to heal everyone, not just some, but without claiming any source for his power. It’s confusing, and I think it would be best to wait and see.
Sommers:
How will we know whether this is the real deal?
Estive:
Jesus said it would not be possible to deceive the elect. He didn’t say how we should decide. Obviously, we will start with whether this man claims to be healing on behalf of God. After that, we’ll have to see if he behaves in a Godly way, and what the results are. I’m sorry I can’t give you anything more definitive right now.
Sommers:
Not at all, Sam. We’re happy for what you can share. I’m sure we’ll be talking with you about this further as the story unfolds.
(Zoom on Sommers)
Now for a look at our 5-day forecast, here’s WNYC Meteorologist, Lance Chambers.
“Greater works,” man. But don’t Google the phrase unless you wish to experience a virtual waterboarding at the hands of a cabal of sad-sack cessationists, which pernicious teaching I — having mentioned — shall now obliterate.
This bit of I Cor. 13 is often given in support of the idea:
“8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.”
— I Cor. 13:8-10 NIV
The cessationist claim is that, “Tongues and prophecy have ceased because ‘the perfect’ has come,” and there is built on to this a whole stream of conjecture meant to lead us all to agree that ‘the perfect’ simply must be the completed canon of scripture. Well, if that is the correct understanding of what “the perfect” is, then it is certain that tongues and prophecy have ceased.
Well, and good, but for this:
Paul compares two contrasting periods of time: a “now,” and a “then,” and in Paul’s “now,” there are tongues, and prophecy; although only in part, because — as he also explains — in that “now” people only know in part. Paul also writes of a “then”; a time period that he claims will begin with the coming of “the perfect,” and he says that in the “then” the things he previously mentioned will pass away. Paul used a Greek word that literally means “useless” to convey that these things are going away because they won’t be of any use, anymore.
Paul goes on to sound the death knell of cessation by giving the world a simple test by which anyone may readily discern whether or not the present hour is part of Paul’s “now” or part of Paul’s “then”:
“12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
— I Cor. 13:12 NIV
In Paul’s “now” we see dimly, we know in part, we prophesy in part, etc. In Paul’s “then” we shall know fully EVEN AS WE ARE FULLY KNOWN. Since there exists only One by whom any man may be fully known the meaning is clearly this: “Then I will know fully, just as God fully knows me.”
If, as any sane man must admit, you do not know fully, just as God fully knows you, then I welcome you to Paul’s “now” wherein tongues, prophesy, and the like have not yet become useless things, and so have not yet passed away.