Personal Healing as a Means to an End
A.B. Simpson’s theology of divine healing has often been understood in terms of personal restoration—God’s power at work in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of individuals. However, Simpson himself made it clear that healing was not an end in itself but a means to a greater purpose: the advancement of God’s kingdom and the ultimate healing of the nations. This vision aligns with the biblical promise of global restoration and finds a surprising parallel in the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam—the repair of the world.
A.B. Simpson’s theology of divine healing has often been understood in terms of personal restoration—God’s power at work in the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of individuals. However, Simpson himself made it clear that healing was not an end in itself but a means to a greater purpose: the advancement of God’s kingdom and the ultimate healing of the nations. This vision aligns with the biblical promise of global restoration and finds a surprising parallel in the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam—the repair of the world.
Paul King, a contemporary scholar of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), has reinforced and expanded upon this framework in his writings on healing and spiritual warfare. His work highlights that personal healing serves as a tool to equip believers for their mission in advancing God’s redemptive plan, bringing Simpson’s vision into the present day.
Healing as a Sign of the Kingdom
Simpson believed that healing was more than a supernatural act of compassion; it was a tangible sign of the coming Messianic reign. He pointed to Jesus’ miracles as evidence that the kingdom of God was breaking into the present, offering a foretaste of a future reality where suffering and sin would be fully eradicated.
In A Larger Christian Life, Simpson underscores the accessibility of divine healing for believers:
“Divine Healing is possible to him that believeth. ‘The prayer of faith shall save the sick,’ is still the Master’s unaltered word for His suffering church.”
However, Simpson never saw healing as the ultimate goal. Rather, it was a means of preparing believers for their greater calling—to be agents of God’s mission to the nations. Just as salvation was not merely about individual redemption but about restoring humanity to its divine purpose, healing was not simply about bodily relief but about revealing God’s ultimate plan for world renewal.
This vision aligns with Isaiah’s prophecy:
“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing…” (Isaiah 35:5-6)
While this prophecy found a partial fulfillment in Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 11:5), it ultimately points to the final restoration of the world under Christ’s reign. Simpson saw healing as a foretaste of this eschatological fulfillment.
The Church as an Instrument of Global Healing
Simpson’s Christian and Missionary Alliance was built on the belief that the church was not only called to preach the gospel but to actively participate in the world’s restoration. He saw healing as part of the church’s mission—not just for individuals but for the nations.
This aligns with Tikkun Olam, which in Jewish thought calls God’s people to participate in the repair of the world. Just as Tikkun Olamexpects Israel to guide the world into righteousness, Simpson saw the church as an agent of healing—both spiritually and physically—preparing the nations for the return of Christ.
Paul King builds on this idea in Setting People Free: Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance Handbook—A Higher Life/Fourfold Gospel Perspective. He highlights how healing and deliverance are not isolated blessings but part of God’s larger redemptive plan. By teaching on “The Authority of the Believer and Spiritual Warfare,” King reinforces the idea that individual restoration equips believers for their mission in God’s kingdom. His work echoes Simpson’s perspective that personal healing is part of a much greater movement—the restoration of creation itself.
Healing as a Means to an End
Simpson made it clear: healing is not the end goal—it is the means by which God prepares the world for the return of the King. Miracles of healing testify to the reality of Christ’s kingdom and equip believers for their mission, but they are not an end in themselves.
“God has not saved us to make us happy but to make us holy; not to make us comfortable but to make us strong for His service and useful for His great battles. It is not a question of what you prefer, but what you are required to do and be.” (A Larger Christian Life)
For Simpson, divine healing was never about personal comfort but about divine purpose. Those who experience healing are called to participate in the greater work of preparing the nations for Christ’s reign.
Paul King reinforces this idea in his teachings on faith and healing, emphasizing that God’s power to heal is meant to empower believers to engage in spiritual warfare, advance the gospel, and bring healing to others. This aligns directly with Simpson’s original vision—that healing is a tool for the mission of the church, not simply a gift for the individual.
Conclusion
A.B. Simpson’s theology of healing must be understood within the context of his eschatological vision. Healing is not merely about individual restoration—it is a prophetic sign of the kingdom, a call to mission, and a preparation for the ultimate healing of the nations.
Paul King’s work within the C&MA tradition expands on this framework, reinforcing that personal healing serves a higher purpose: the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. His teachings encourage believers to view individual restoration as preparation for active participation in God’s mission to bring healing and wholeness to the world.
When we grasp this broader vision, we see that personal healing is not the end goal—it is the invitation to join God’s larger redemptive mission. Healing is the beginning of something much greater: the final restoration of all things under Christ’s reign.
