Reading further into Christ and Time (now completed, see previous blog), there are a few more points which Cullmann pulls out which are worthy of comment which relates specifically to my own observation in the previous blog; how can the already/not yet principle influence our understanding of miracles and healings.
Miracles: Partially and Provisionally – We still all die
As the already/not yet principle explained in the previous blog, we are presently living in the tension of what has already happened verse what will still happen (we are justified, we will be justified / we are saved, we will be saved / the Kingdom of God was inaugurated with Christ' first coming, the Kingdom of God will not see its' full realization/actualization until Christ' second coming etc). Cullmann says:
"There actually occur eschatological miracles, speaking with tongues and healings of the sick, miracles in which the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit even now, although only partially and provisionally, repels the power of death even in the physical sphere." (Cullmann, p.155)
An example, which relates to the present discussion of the already/not yet principle, is the resurrection. The resurrection already occurred in Christ, but its' realization/actualization will not be seen of the believer until the eschaton (the end of the present evil age), when we too will all experience the resurrection for ourselves. What is important to realize here is that Christ was not just resurrected for Christ's sake, but rather his resurrection is the 'proof in the putting' (if you will) that we too will experience a resurrection. That is why Paul describes Christ's resurrection as 'first fruits' in a chapter that outlines our hope for our resurrection (1 Cor. 15). It has 'already' happened for the true Israelite (Christ) but it has 'not yet' been fully realized by the 'Israel of God' (Gal. 6). How then can we who are caught in the tension of this already/not yet era be sure that we too will experience the resurrection? That answer is that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells in us as a guarantee that we too will be raised (Rom. 8).
The point of the entire previous paragraph is just to say that death itself is a sickness! If people never got sick or had a heart attack or countless other physical ailments, they would never die. Yet the reality that all die until the resurrection testifies to the fact that Christians do not walk in perfect health (they all get sick or something at least once… when they die). And so considering what would be the greatest miracle/healing that one could perform – that of raising the dead – this same person must still die. Thus this great miracle/healing is only 'partially and provisionally'; that is, it only happens sometimes, to some people, for some reason (which may be beyond us) and when all is said and done, the said individual will still died.
And so we should understand that miracles and healings are only partially and provisionally, that they only repel death and sickness as a way of foreshadowing the reality of the Kingdom of God (which is here now, but not yet!), therefore people still die and get sick, yet many (not all) are healed and others (by no means 'much') are even raised from the dead… only to die again. This should prevent some from dogmatically sitting in the judgment seat of God declaring that 'so and so' a Christian must be in sin or must not have faith or any other condemnation, just because some misfortune has overtaken them. In such situations Christians need to support one another, not add to the burden of those who are already hurting.
Remember always that God is the God that heals thee
Derek
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