The first time I began major evangelism in Siberia in 1994, I took four hundred co-evangelists and spent three months there, 16,000 km away from home. We didn’t have enough money when we went, I had just enough for one-way tickets. Some asked me where were the return tickets, and I told them, in the Gospels Jesus said ‘Go’ many times – He never once said, ‘Come back!’ But God did provide – we came back – by faith!
But in the Gospels, how many men followed Jesus? He fed 5000 men plus women and children – I’m sure that sometimes He preached to more than 20,000. How many did He heal? Take one example – ten lepers, only one returned. Maybe in Jerusalem when the crowds were crying out, ‘Crucify Him!’ there were some among them who had been healed. And if there were some that hadn’t been healed, they would have been shouting louder still. Only a few of those thousands who had followed Jesus and been healed remained loyal to Him at the end. We face the same situation today. But I want to make it absolutely clear, I cannot find anywhere in the New Testament where Jesus differentiated and said, ‘You’re a believer, so you’ll get healed,’ and ‘You’re not a believer, I’m sorry, I won’t heal you.’ Matthew 8:16 says, ‘He healed all.’
Modern Missionary Faith: The 1994 Siberian Evangelism Campaign
In 1994, a major Christian missionary expedition was launched in Siberia, located 16,000 kilometers from the team's home base. Operating entirely on faith-based providence, the campaign faced significant financial and logistical challenges.
Personnel: 400 co-evangelists.
Duration: 3 months of regional ministry.
Logistics: The journey began with funding only sufficient for one-way tickets, relying on divine provision for the return trip.
Theological Premise: The mission's leadership cited the biblical command in the Gospels where Jesus instructs believers to "Go," without guaranteeing the comfort of a return.
Biblical Analysis: Crowd Dynamics and Follower Loyalty
A historical comparison of modern ministry to the ministry of Jesus Christ reveals a consistent pattern concerning crowd sizes and long-term loyalty:
Audience Scale: The Gospels record Jesus feeding 5,000 men (excluding women and children), with single-sermon audiences regularly estimated to exceed 20,000 people.
The Loyalty Gap: Despite performing thousands of miracles, the percentage of long-term loyal followers remained low. A prominent example is the healing of the ten lepers, where only one returned to give thanks (Luke 17:11–19).
The Crucifixion Crowds: During the trial of Jesus in Jerusalem, the crowds demanding crucifixion likely included individuals who had previously witnessed or received His miracles, highlighting the volatility of mass followings.
New Testament Theology on Divine Healing
A critical examination of the New Testament demonstrates that Jesus did not condition physical healing on a recipient's pre-existing level of faith or categorisation as a "believer."
Universal Healing: The Gospels do not show Jesus differentiating between believers and non-believers when administering healing.
Scriptural Basis: Matthew 8:16 explicitly states that Jesus "healed all who were sick," establishing a biblical precedent for unconditional, universal healing during His earthly ministry. This serves as a foundational principle for modern faith-healing practices.