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Bible Lesson - Healing - check text
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| Doctrinal Statements - Paragraphs and Text |
1
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Divine healing is a miracle which God in His mercy and
love may extend to those who call upon Him in time of need, according to faith and/or
other factors. Christians are encouraged to appreciate this special benefit from God as
well as to do everything they can for themselves in times of illness or injury by »king
the most competent professional help. Faith in God for healing does not conflict with the
use of modern medical science. The healings of Jesus Christ demonstrate and represent His
power to express compassion, to forgive sin, and ultimately, to resurrect the dead and
establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
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2
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Healing is a continuous theme running through the Bible from
Genesis to Revelation. Yet it cannot be denied that God has extended the miracle of
healing in different degrees for different purposes at different times. People have not
always been healed with the same regularity or for the same reason.
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3
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There are few healings recorded in the Old Testament. The very fact
that God gave laws of quarantine to ancient Israel proves that He did not instantly heal
every disease, even in His theocratic state.
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4
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During Jesus' time, and during the apostles' early ministry, God poured
out the gift of healing much more than He ever had previously or has since. Jesus'
miracles of healing also helped establish His absolute credibility as one sent from God.
It built faith into those who saw His hearings firsthand and into all who read of them
millennia later. Healing was also utilized for expressing Christ's power on earth and for
attracting public awareness quickly for the preaching of the gospel.
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5
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It is quite evident that God is not healing today in the same manner or
to the same degree that He did in early New Testament times. It is equally evident that
the physiological knowledge and medical expertise of the end of the 20th century is far
advanced over that of the middle of the first century (and certainly unrelated to the
magical rites and potions of even earlier centuries). Consequently, Christians today can
take full advantage of the latest information in health maintenance and the most modern
techniques in health care, recognizing that such proper physical concern in no way
detracts from one's faith in God.
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6
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The Biblical Meaning of Healing
Healing may assume various forms in the Bible. The actual
biblical usage of the English word "heal" (and the Hebrew and Greek words from
which it is translated) is quite broad. It can mean the healing of the body, but is not
limited to the physical body; it can refer to the healing of the mind or the emotions
(Psalms 147:3); it can have the metaphorical connotation of the healing of the land (2
Chron. 7:14), God's people as a whole (Jer. 6:14; 8:11), the nation of Israel (Lam. 2:13;
Hosea 7:1), and gentile nations such as Egypt (Isa. 19:22) and Babylon (Jer. 51:9); it can
refer to the healing of inanimate things such as the earth (Psalms 60:2), water (2 Kings
2:21; Ezek. 47:8, 9), and even the "altar of the Lord that was broken down" (1
Kings 18:30, where exactly the same Hebrew word that is usually translated
"healed" is translated "repaired"); it can allude to abstract concepts
such as the healing of faithlessness or backsliding (Jer. 3:22; Hosea 14:4); it can also be
used of spiritual healing, the healing of the " sin-sick soul," as it were (Psalms
41:4; 2 Chron. 7:13, 14; Isa. 57:19;
Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27).
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7
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Of course most of the places where the term "heal" is used in
the Bible do refer to the miraculous, though physically oriented, healing of an ill or
injured human body.
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8
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In Exodus 15:26, where God states "..... I am the Lord, your
healer," the Hebrew word translated "healer" is rafa’. It is
exactly the same word used in Genesis 50:2, which refers to Joseph's "servants the
healers." Note that the "physicians" or "healers" are not
condemned, but are specifically called Joseph's servants.
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9
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Rafa' is also the same word found in Exodus 21:18, 19:
"When men quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with
his fist and the man does not die but keeps his bed, then if the man rises again and walks
abroad with his staff, he that struck him shall be clear; only he shall pay for the loss
of his time, and shall have him thoroughly healed."
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10
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This shows that an individual who caused an injury was responsible to
have the injured person "healed," indicating that "healing" (rafa’
is not limited to God. 2 Kings 8:29 (also 9:15; 2 Chron. 22:6) reads:
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"And King Joram returned to be healed in Jezreel of the
wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah."
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11
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Again, healing (rafa' is used in reference to what men can do
for themselves. The contrast of "a time to heal" with "a time to kill"
in Ecclesiastes 3:3 strongly suggests a natural healing process.
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12
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There are two scriptures that indicate, although their usage is
certainly metaphorical, that the term "healing" can be used to describe the
natural bodily processes that can be aided by external medicines. In Jeremiah 51:8, balm
is suggested as a possible way for Babylon to be healed ("give her medicine; perhaps
she can yet be healed"—Living Bible); in Jeremiah 30:13, the lack of
medicine is equated with the consequent lack of healing. From God's statement to Ezekiel
showing that Pharaoh's broken arm was not healed because it was not bound up with a
bandage (Ezekiel 30:21), it logically follows that the arm would have "healed"
had Pharaoh in fact bound it up. This confirms that the biblical usage of
"healing" can include the physical body's normal mechanisms of recuperation and
repair as part of its overall definition.
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13
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In the New Testament there are three Greek words translated
"heal" in the King James version: therapeuo, meaning "to heal"
in the New Testament, and "to care for, wait upon, treat (medically), heal or
restore" in Greek literature outside the New Testament; iaomi, meaning
"to heal, cure or deliver"; and sozo, meaning "to save from death,
to free from disease, to make whole, to save from eternal death, or to attain salvation.
" Sozo is especially interesting in that, while it is clearly used to describe
physical healing in Mark 5:23; Luke 8:36 and Acts 14:9, it is the same word appearing
about 100 times in the New Testament to describe the process of spiritual salvation
(suggesting some conceptual relationships between healing and salvation that will be
discussed in the section on The Healings of Jesus Christ).
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14
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Healing in the Bible: A Conditional Promise
The miracle of healing is an act of God's divine grace,
which must not be taken lightly. It is therefore important that one understand the topic
of healing in the context of the entire Bible. If one approaches the scriptural references
to healing without the full biblical context, and out of the context of human experience,
he may fix upon them a meaning not supported by logic, common sense or proper biblical
exegesis. In this regard, we should consider some important scriptures.
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15
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Among the blessings God offered to the nation of Israel was the removal
of diseases from among them. Several statements made to the Israelites in the wilderness
show this; perhaps the most familiar is Exodus 15:26:
"If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God,
and do that which is right in His eyes, and give heed to His commandments and keep all His
statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I put upon the Egyptians; for I
am the Lord, your healer."
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16
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Notice that the promise is conditional; it is predicated on obedience.
God also says that He will refrain from putting diseases upon the nation.
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17
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Exodus 23:25, 26 adds to this:
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"You shall serve the Lord your God, and I will bless your bread
and your water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of you. None shall cast her
young or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days."
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18
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The converse of these blessings promised for obedience are the curses
pronounced for disobedience. Instead of removing sickness and disease, God would allow
these afflictions—along with many other curses—as the natural consequences of
man's ways apart from the ways of God. Deuteronomy 28 enumerates these curses in great
detail (» especially verses 21, 22, 27, 28, 35, 59-61). The promises are conditional.
Blessings come only with obedience; curses automatically follow transgression. But notice
that these promises are national rather than individual. Sickness would be removed from
the nation to the same extent that barrenness, miscarriages and premature death were taken
away. Healing as such is not really promised in these verses except as it is implied in a
general way in the promise to remove sickness.
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19
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Healing in the Bible is not a simplistic algebraic equation relating
faith and healing. God healed for different reasons in different circumstances. God healed
Abimelech and his household after Abraham prayed for them, (Gen. 20:17), thus ratifying
Abraham's position as a servant of the Eternal. God healed Hezekiah from a deadly sickness
and added 15 years to his life because He respected Hezekiah's heartfelt prayer in which
he recounted to God, with tears, his utter loyalty, sincerity and uprightness.
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20
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The story of Elisha is similar, yet it has a "twist" ending.
Elisha was a remarkable individual (2 Kings 2:9). He asked for and received a double
portion of Elijah's spirit. A great number of miracles are recorded in his name; even
after his death, Elisha's bones brought a man back to life (2 Kings 13:21). Yet Elisha
died of a sickness (verse 14). Despite the great powers bestowed and miracles
performed through God's spirit, Elisha himself was not healed of some sort of sickness but
actually died from it.
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21
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A strong statement about healing is found in Psalm 103:3-. "who
(God) forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases." Surely God has stated
that He desires to, can, and shall heal; but nowhere has God absolutely bound Himself to
provide physical healing, nor is this passage an exception to the statement. The context
of the psalm is given in verse 2: "Bless the Lord, O my soul; . . . and forget not
all his benefits." The psalm is essentially a recitation of the many benefits
received from God. However, these various benefits—of which physical healing is
indeed one—are not absolute and unconditional promises to which God has irrevocably
bound Himself. Notice that one's youth is renewed like that of an eagle (v.5) and God
provides justice for all the oppressed (v.6). These are both promises in only a general
sense since various qualifications are indicated elsewhere in scripture. Our youth is not
always renewed like that of an eagle. There have been countless righteous people oppressed
without receiving justice. Verse 3 is no more a blanket promise for unconditional physical
healing than any of the other promises in the psalm, as other scriptures and the
experiences of the Church show. Yet the power of the poetry cannot help but make one
realize that our God does desire to heal our diseases, to eliminate our afflictions, and
to bring us out of distress. But what He will actually do in any given situation remains
unknowably beyond our limited understanding.
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22
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Several examples of non-healing are also recorded in the New Testament,
even during a period when special gifts were possessed by some and astounding healings
were being performed by various of the apostles. Paul writes that Epaphroditus was very
ill, almost to the point of death (Phil. 2:25-27). But God had mercy on him. Healing was
here given as an example of mercy, not of faith or obligation (or at least not of these
alone).
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23
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On another occasion, Paul mentions that he had left Trophimus ill in
Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20). He does not elaborate on the situation, but illness is taken as a
matter of course rather than as some sort of unexpected occurrence. In fact, in an earlier
letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul refers to Timothy's "frequent ailments" (1
Tim. 5:23).
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24
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Paul himself had a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7ff). He
does not describe it exactly, but there is a likelihood that it was something physical.
The Greek term astheneia, translated "weakness" in verses 9 and 10, is
often used specifically of physical weakness, sickness or disease (e.g. Acts 5:15; 28:9;
Luke 5:15; John 5:5). If Paul's "thorn" was indeed some physical defect, he was
suffering from the very thing—a physical weakness—he was being used to heal
others of.
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25
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At first glance, James 5:14-20 »ms to contradict the biblical fact
that God's promise to heal is conditional rather than absolute. James says that the
"prayer of faith on behalf of a sick person who has requested and receives the
anointing of the ministry shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up." But
to interpret James' statement to mean that the prayer of faith must always obligate God to
physically heal not only contradicts numerous biblical and Church examples of healing and
non-healing, but is also unfair to the sense and context of these verses. Although this
one statement appears to be written without qualification, the condition, "if it be
God's will," was no doubt tacitly understood.
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26
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Furthermore, the word translated "save" in verse 15 is the
Greek word sozo. As previously explained, sozo is used only a few times in
the Bible in reference to a sick person being made well (e.g.
Mark. 6:56). The overwhelming
majority of times (over 100) that this word is used in the New Testament it is in the
spiritual sense of eternal salvation. Likewise, the word "raise" in this verse, egeiro
in Greek, can mean "to rouse from sleep or lift up as from a bed or floor"; but egeiro
is used most often in the New Testament to represent the resurrection from the dead.
(Examples of this usage are found in Matthew 10:8, where the disciples are instructed to
"raise the dead, cast out devils"; Matthew 11:5, "the dead are raised
up"; Matthew 14:2,"he is risen from the dead"; Matthew 16:21, "and be
raised again the third day"; Acts 3:15, "whom God hath raised from the
dead"; and Romans 6:4, "as Christ was raised up from the dead.") Thus,
while James is primarily speaking of physical healing upon anointing by the elders, he is
also alluding to spiritual salvation and the resurrection from the dead. The ambiguity
caused by the double meaning of these words no doubt has a purpose. It may have been
James' intent to show that God will probably heal the faithful sick person, but certainly
shall grant him salvation through the resurrection. James thereby confirms the conditional
nature of the promise of physical healing and the unconditional nature of the promise of
the resurrection from the dead.
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27
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PHYSICIANS AND MEDICINES IN THE BIBLE
It is true that the Bible often condemns ancient practitioners who
relied on pagan gods, amulets, incantations or other forms of magic. But one cannot
extrapolate from ancient superstition, demonology and ignorance to modern scientific
medicine. In biblical times the medical arts, primitive by today's standards, were often
associated with pagan religions and mystical rites: the line between such "black
arts" and pure medicine was hazy.
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28
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One example is the reference to Ahaziah in 2 Kings 1:2:
Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria,
and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baalzebub, the god
of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness."
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29
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This passage does not mean that Ahaziah went to Baalzebub for healing.
Firstly, if he had wanted to be healed, he would have gone personally rather than just
sending messengers. Secondly, he was only trying to inquire whether he would live or die,
nothing more. This implies that he was consulting an oracle to try to find out the future,
disobeying God's law in the process, just as Saul had done before his final battle with
the Philistines. Professor John Gray in his commentary on Kings states: "daras
(literally 'to »k') is used specifically of »king divine revelation by consulting an
oracle, cf. Amos 5:5." Ahaziah should have sought to God concerning his
future—therein lay his mistake.
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30
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There are a number of other biblical allusions to physicians, healing
and medicine. Exodus 21:19, as discussed above, hints at the beneficial, fully accepted
use of "healing arts" within Israel; Isaiah 38:21 gives an example remedy for
boils which Isaiah himself prescribed. Perhaps it could be said that this "cake of
figs" which Isaiah had said was to be applied to Hezekiah's boil "that he may
recover" was only symbolic since God was going to supernaturally heal Hezekiah. Yet
the fact remains that Isaiah did state that such an external, physical healing-type
medicine was to be applied. Such "medical" help (within the medical technology
of the time) was not only not condemned but was actually a fundamental component of the
healing process. It certainly would appear that this laudable example of Hezekiah's
be»ching with full faith in God for healing did not exclude his simultaneous utilization
of external "medical" aids. In fact by requiring it as part of the process,
Isaiah corroborates the view that man should do the most that he can for himself, while
asking God to do that which he cannot.
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31
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Other references to physicians are used metaphorically. Jeremiah 8:22
certainly gives no sense of condemnation; many, in fact, read it very positively regarding
its allusion to the role of a physician: "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no
physician there? Why then has the health of the daughter of my people not been
restored?" Job 13.4 does not refer to all physicians. In 2 Chronicles 16:12, Asa is
censured for not »king God for help in his illness; the questions of whether the act of
»king the physicians was itself condemned in this case or whether these
"physicians" were really priests and magicians of a false religion (and thus to
be condemned) cannot be settled here alone, considering the lack of biblical data. In any
event, the primary point of the verse is clearly that Asa erred in consulting only
physicians, and did not consult God at all.
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32
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In Matthew 9:12, Jesus states that: "Those who are well have no
need of a physician, but those who are sick." This saying is used in a metaphorical
sense, yet it and other similar sayings give no feeling of condemnation of physicians. As
Wendle Short writes:
Our Lord several times mentions physicians. . . . [None] of these
sentences give the impression that the physician was generally looked upon, in Palestine
at that time, as a pagan, a charlatan, or hopelessly incompetent" (The Bible and
Modern Medicine. p. 30). In Luke 4:23, Jesus quoted the proverb, "Physician, heal
thyself," and applied it to Himself with no hint of denigration of physicians in the
process. Luke is called "the beloved physician" by Paul in his letter to the
Colossians (Col. 4:14). The Greek word used here for "physician" is, iatros
and means "one who heals" (cf. the verb iaomai meaning "to
heal" which is used in reference to Christ's divine healings many times in the
gospels). Since iatros was the normal word for "physician" used through
out the Greek world at the time, there is no indication that Luke was any different from
other physicians. Nor is anything said about his giving up his pre-conversion practice.
(Indeed the reference to Luke as a physician, beloved at that, can be dated at 62-63 A.D.)
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33
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What about medicines and drugs? Revelation 21:8 says that sorcerers
(Greek pharmakos) shall have their part in the lake of fire. The clear evidence indicates
that the word pharmakia referred to cult worship and the use of drugs to induce
spells, rather than modern medicines and pharmacological drugs since these were not then
in existence. Medicines used to heal sickness are not condemned in the Bible. Passages
alluding to the use of medicines or similar preparations for healing purposes (e.g. Is.
38:21; Prov. 17:22) do not condemn them. As »n above, the metaphors in Jeremiah 30:13,
51:8 and Ezekiel 30:21 alluding to the use of healing medicines or physical methods of
healing may either be stated sarcastically or as an accusation, but the allusion is
nonetheless positive as far as the benefits of the medicines are concerned. The words used
in these scriptures are derived from rafa' and evidently have the meaning
"that which heals."
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34
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Ezekiel 47:12 is especially interesting since it shows the continuing
positive use of healing medicines—made from special leaves from trees which are
nourished by waters from the new Temple—in the millennium after the return of Jesus
Christ. Corroboration can be found in Revelation 22:2, where it relates that healing
preparations shall still be used after the new heaven and new earth are established.
Whatever the understanding or fashion of usage (literal and/or metaphoric)—which is
presently well beyond our ken—even the reference to these healing preparations must
surely be taken as a very positive sign since they shall have their part in this
magnificent environment.
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35
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HEALTH PRINCIPLES
God's earnest desire is for all human beings to live an abundant
life in perfect health. This attitude is reflected in the words of the apostle John:
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as
thy soul prospereth" (3 John 2). The Bible refers to health as a positive standard
metaphor with which other things are likened ("the tongue of the wise" in Prov.
12:18 "a faithful ambassador" in Prov. 13:17, "pleasant words" in
Prov. 16:24). To this end, the Bible gives basic principles of health which, counted with
common sense, experience and modern knowledge, would prevent many of the health problems
plaguing modern man.
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36
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Common sense and experience by themselves should make the basic
principles of health quickly available to everybody. The old adage "an ounce of
prevention is worth a pound of cure" is absolutely valid. The realization of this
should lead to an attitude of genuine care and concern for the health of one's family and
oneself. Such a conscious awareness would go a long way toward securing good health. A
vital component of a good health program is a balanced diet which includes wholesome,
natural foods and which excludes (as much as is practical in our society) processed foods
such as sugars and starches, and artificially flavored and preserved foods. The right
amounts of exercise, sleep and relaxation are likewise important. Maintaining a positive
mental outlook and a peaceful mental attitude by eliminating (or at least attenuating)
stress and flares of emotion is being increasingly recognized by modern health specialists
as an essential health principle, considering the enormous effects (called
"psychosomatic") that the mind exerts on the body. Caution should, of course, be
taken to prevent accidents and bodily harm (without becoming obsessive or paranoid in the
process.) Finally, a regular program of routine physical examinations by a qualified
doctor is also important in recognizing and solving any potential problems before they
become serious.
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37
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God has designed the human body to function in good health for the full
span of one's allotted years. Unfortunately, mankind has so polluted the environment and
human beings so often ignore the basic rudiments of health that imbalances occur, with
sickness and disease the natural result.
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38
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To the degree that a person disregards the obvious physical principles
of health, such as proper nutrition, adequate sleep and rest, a positive mental outlook,
etc., is generally the degree to which one suffers ill health. The obvious exceptions to
this are accidents and when disease or affliction is inherited. Even these two cases are
many times the result of mankind harming himself, however, because most accidents are the
result of carelessness and could have been avoided, and many inherited illnesses no doubt
result from the nutritional, environmental, or even medical shortcomings of previous
generations. Some obvious examples are the limb less offspring of mothers who ingested the
drug thalidomide during pregnancy; the children who are born deaf because their mothers
had a disease during pregnancy; and those who have organic brain deficiencies due to
malnutrition. It is evident, then, that most of man's health problems are self-generated.
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39
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Radiant health has always been a prime concern of the Church. Indeed,
the Church strongly teaches that individuals must care for their bodies physically, just
as they must care for their minds mentally and spiritually. For, in the final analysis,
physical, mental, and spiritual health cannot be isolated from one another.
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40
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Even though physical life is not the primary object of Christian
commitment, it is important, and God expects us to take care of our bodies. Consistent
with this is making good use of available knowledge about the human body, its functions
and processes. In addition to showing how to maintain good health, specialists can aid the
body in time of injury or bad health. This human aid in no way hinders God if He decides
to intervene miraculously and do what cannot be done physically.
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41
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CHURCH INSTRUCTIONS FOR TIMES OF ILLNESS
No matter how much we take care of ourselves, almost all of us
become ill or sick from time to time or suffer a misfortune such as an accident. At such
times, the biblical record makes plain that God can intervene on behalf of the sick and
heal them according to faith and/or other factors. This divine healing process is apart
from, and not in conflict with, anything a person can do to help himself. Healing is a
"special benefit" which God has made available to His Church. But it is not part
of His spiritual, moral law, as it were; and not being healed, therefore, is not a sin.
The ill individual should look to man for whatever physical help he can receive but should
also look to God to do what man cannot do—supernaturally intervene and divinely
remove the illness, sickness or disease.
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42
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The basic instructions followed by the Church are found in James 5:14
ff. These verses state that the sick person should call for the elders of the Church who
will lay hands upon his head, pray over him and anoint him with oil. This ceremony is
richly symbolic: the oil is a symbol of God's Holy Spirit (cf. Ex. 30:23-25;
Matthew 25:lff;
etc.); the act of one having hands laid upon him shows the person's desire to be set apart
by God through His Spirit for the special miracle of the divine healing of his body.
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43
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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SICKNESS AND SIN
Physical sickness and illness can be caused by different factors.
At times, it is the general result of violating the principles of health, or perhaps the
direct result of a person's own sin (Matthew 9:1-7; John 5:14). At other times, sin is not
involved; and the illness or infirmity is inherited (John 9:2) or the result of injury or
accident (Luke 13:1-5).
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44
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Whenever sin is involved, healing includes the forgiveness of that sin
(Matthew 9:1-7). The final statement in James 5:14 illustrates the point: "and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." The construction used (the Greek
particle kan with the subjunctive) expresses uncertainty and doubt. The person may
have sinned; on the other hand, he may not have sinned. If the individual is only
ill, he shall be healed. But if he has also sinned, his sins shall be forgiven as well.
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45
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In John 9, Jesus confirms that physical debilities are not necessarily
caused by sin. The relevant points for our purpose are contained in the first few verses;
"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his
disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born
blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but
that the works of God might be made manifest in him." (vv. 1-3)
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46
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It is important to notice that the assumption of sin was made on the
part of the disciples. (Job's friends made the same mistake—which has a definite
superstitious ring to it—by assuming that Job's physical problems were due to his
sins.) Jesus did not say that either the blind man or his parents had sinned. On the
contrary, He denied that sin was involved in this case even though He did not elaborate
further.
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47
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In another context, Jesus reinforces the fact that the blows of time
and chance are not necessarily related to some extraordinary degree of sinfulness:
There were some present at that very time who told him of the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you
think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they
suffered thus? I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or
those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they
were worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem?" (Luke 13:1-5)
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48
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The Bible nowhere speaks of "physical sin." Sin is surely
discussed a great deal; and from the numerous biblical references, it is possible to piece
together the various acts and attitudes which constitute sin. But all of these fall under
ethical, moral or mental categories—and are all, therefore, spiritual in nature.
Indeed, the penalty for sin—eternal death in the lake of fire—proves that sin is
spiritual only, because "breaking" a physical principle of health (e.g. stubbing
one's toe, not getting sufficient vitamin C, ingesting too many refined sugars and
starches, etc.) will not lead toward eternal death. Although, as previously explained,
much if not most illness is self-generated through ignorance, error or neglect, it is not
proper to label such physical mistakes "sin" in the strict biblical sense. Thus,
to speak of "physical sin" is an actual contradiction in terms and likely to be
confusing.
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If, however, the illness or injury is directly or indirectly caused by
the breaking of one of God's laws—two obvious examples would be venereal disease,
resulting from unlawful sexual behavior, and liver disease, resulting from
over-consumption of alcoholic beverages—then the cause of the problem is indeed sin
in its true biblical meaning. It is not always possible, of course, to discern when
illness or injury is the result of sin (the breaking of God's law in the letter) and/or
stems from a sinful attitude (the breaking of God's law in the spirit). Nor is it wise to
become sidetracked by undue concern over whether certain detrimental physical practices
under consideration are, or are not, sin. If the physical practice under consideration is
indeed detrimental—as determined by biblical revelation or scientific fact—It
should be stopped, as even common sense would dictate.
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To be sick, therefore, is not necessarily to have sinned. Sickness is
sometimes the result of sin and healing sometimes includes the forgiveness of sin. But at
all times, whether sin is involved or not, healing is a manifestation of God's mercy and
an exemplification of God's love.
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THE HEALINGS OF JESUS CHRIST: PURPOSE AND POWER
Though there were several notable healings in the Old Testament, by
far the most important and consistent healings in history were associated with the
ministry of Jesus Christ. Some examples (with references) of these healings follow. By
both their quality and quantity, they demonstrate the enormous importance that the New
Testament places on the healing miracles of Jesus Christ. The leper, Matthew 8:1-4;
Mark
1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16; the Paralytic, Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26; the multitudes,
Matthew 4:24-25; Mark 3:7-13; Luke 6:17-19; the centurion, Matthew 8:5-13;
Luke 7:1-10; Peter's
mother-in-law, Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39; Jairus' daughter,
Matthew 9:18-26; Mark
5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56, blind men, Matthew 9:27-31; 20:30-34; Mark 10:46-52;
Luke 18:35-43; the
Canaanite woman, Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30; the deaf mute, Mark 7:31-37; the blind man at
Bethsaida, Mark 8:22-25; the ten lepers, Luke 17:11-19; Sabbath healings,
Matthew 12:10-13; Luke
13:10-17; 14:1-6; the officials sick son, John 4:46-54; the restored ear,
Luke 22:50-51.
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Understanding the significance of all these healings is essential to
salvation since they are a direct verification that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ.
Healing was one of the foundational signs that God employed to demonstrate the power and
to ratify the office of His Son (Matthew 8:16-17; 11:2-6). Healing was also a fundamental part
of the work of Jesus Christ on earth, and of this there can be no doubt. Jesus' primary
object in performing the numerous healings that he did throughout His ministry, as it
would be recorded in the New Testament for all peoples and for all times, was to give an
absolutely certain, physically verifiable demonstration of His spiritual power.
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The first reference to healing in Matthew's account is in direct
association with Jesus "preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God"; indeed,
healing and Christ's message of the coming Kingdom of God were almost inseparable.
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And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among
the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick,
those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics,
and he healed them. (Matthew 4:23-24)
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Many other verses confirm the close interdependence between healing and
the full scope of Jesus' gospel of the Kingdom (e.g.
Matthew 9:35). The association is
profound: healing returns the body to its original, pure, wholly sound state; and so it is
with the Kingdom of God, which shall return the earth to its original, pure, wholly sound
state (referred to as "the times of restitution of all things" in Acts 3:21).
Jesus' power to accomplish the former—the physical evidence of His healings was
immediate and startling—was the clear demonstration that He likewise had the power to
accomplish the latter—and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. In this context,
Jesus' frequent casting out of demons as part of the healing process foreshadowed His
binding of Satan in establishing the Kingdom of God.
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Jesus' healings were spectacular; no one ever doubted when the crippled
walked, the maimed were made whole, the blind saw, the deaf heard.
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And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed,
the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,
so that the throng wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame
walking, and the blind »ing; and they glorified the God of Israel. (Matthew 15:30-31)
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Healings were the clearest demonstration of God's power in Jesus
Christ, which could literally flow from Him (Mark 5:30;
Luke 6:19; 8:46). Indeed, Jesus'
healings represented to the world the absolute power that God had given Him over the
world. Healing likewise corroborated Jesus' power over Satan and his demons (Mark 3:15;
Acts 10:38).
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Jesus also used healing to show His authority over other aspects of
God's universe, such as, for example, the Sabbath day. When the religious leaders told the
man Jesus had just healed that he should not by carrying his pallet on the Sabbath, the
man answered them (probably with great confidence and conviction): "The man, who
healed me said to me, 'Take up your pallet, and walk'"
John 5:11).
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But the most important aspect of Jesus' spiritual power, that His
healing demonstrated to the world was His power to forgive sin, and, ultimately, to
resurrect the body from the dead. As noted, the word used in Mark 5:23 to indicate Jesus'
physical healing of Jairus' daughter (sozo) is the same word used in about 100
passages to represent spiritual salvation. Jesus' ability to efficaciously heal in the
flesh proved His equal ability to assuredly grant salvation in the spirit, thus showing
the profound relationship between Jesus' healings and salvation.
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Many of the people whom Jesus healed were lepers. This dread disease
was the epitome of uncleanness. The word "cleanse," utilized in reference to
Jesus' healing of lepers (Matthew 8:3; 10:8; 11:5;
Mark 1:42;
Luke 7:22; 17:14,17) was,
interestingly enough, the same word chosen on occasion to describe what should happen to
sin and how it should happen. " . . . let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit" (2 Cor. 7:1); and more directly, "the blood of Jesus his
Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Thus, Jesus' supernatural miracles of
literally cleansing lepers in the flesh during His ministry writes the record for all
human history and beyond, confirming Jesus as the One who can literally cleanse sinners in
the spirit. And just as the faith of the leper and the mercy of God were intrinsic to
healing (Luke17:13, 19), so the faith of the sinner and the mercy of God are intrinsic to
the forgiveness of sin.
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Jesus' healing of the paralytic in Matthew 9:1-8 is particularly
instructive in exemplifying the relationship between healing and the forgiveness of sin.
Rather than healing being the forgiveness of sin, Jesus used His power to heal in order to
prove that He also had the power to forgive sin. The miracle of healing (more than any
other miracle) was especially apropos since it physically represented a restorative
process in which something unclean and broken was supernaturally made clean and whole.
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Jesus was teaching at home surrounded by a large crowd which had
gathered to hear Him. Some friends of a paralytic wanted to bring him to Jesus; they could
not get through the crowd so they let him down through a hole in the roof. Jesus saw their
faith (not necessarily that of the paralytic, though his was probably included). He said,
"Your sins are forgiven" (present tense), or as in Luke's account, "Your
sins have been forgiven" (perfect tense). This forgiveness cannot as yet refer to the
cause of the man's paralysis even if that cause was sin, since he did not immediately
stand up—he continued to lie on his pallet—when Jesus told him that his sins had
been forgiven. Only when Jesus realized that He was being judged by some of the religious
leaders present, did He demonstrate His power to forgive sins by healing the man
"'that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive
sins'—he said to the man who was paralyzed—'I say to you, rise, take up your bed
and go home"' (Luke 5:24).
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The point is that the power to forgive sin is proved by the
healing—"Which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Rise,
and walk'?" Yet, nothing is said about the forgiveness of sin being the cause of the
healing. In fact, the verb in Luke 5:20 ("your sins have been
forgiven"—apheimi) shows that the forgiveness was completed at the moment Jesus
spoke those words. But the man was not healed until a few moments later. Thus, the healing
was differentiated from the forgiveness of sin. They were two separate acts, with the
former being used to prove Jesus' power over the latter.
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In John 11, Jesus once again gives a physical demonstration of His
spiritual power. This time it is His power to resurrect the dead, which is the ultimate
miracle of healing. Jesus sets the stage by discussing the subject with Martha, who is
grieving for Lazarus; He tells her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who
believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (v.25). Jesus then presents
tangible proof of His assertion—proof that would resound throughout the millennia of
history—by resurrecting Lazarus back to physical life.
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Healing thus foreshadows the resurrection when God shall re-create
those who have died and transfigure those who will be alive. Just as Jesus instantly
changed sick bodies into healthy bodies, so shall Christ instantly change mortal bodies
into immortal bodies. The situations where Jesus actually brought a human corpse back to
physical life, as with Lazarus and Jairus' daughter, reinforce the analogous and symbolic
relationship between healing and the resurrection. Since physical healing foreshadows the
resurrection to spiritual life, the analogy can be extended by viewing sickness as
foreshadowing the resurrection to eternal death—and Jesus' power to do the former
gives us the ultimate victory over the latter (1 Cor. 15:54-58). Healing, then, is the
clearest physical counterpart of this great spiritual event when human mortality shall be
swallowed up by godly immortality and when mankind shall be born into God's Family.
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Though Jesus did not heal everybody all the time, He often responded
positively through people's faith in Him. Jesus emphasized that He healed according to an
individual's faith. Such an intimate involvement of faith is wholly consistent with
healing portraying the cleansing of our sins at conversion and the transformation of our
bodies at the resurrection—since faith is absolutely essential to both processes. It
is a person's faith in Jesus Christ, then, that is a critical and necessary
element—in healing, in the forgiveness of sin, in conversion, and, ultimately, in the
resurrection from the dead. As such, it is completely logical that healing should center
around and emanate from Jesus Christ, giving great credence to His office, His authority
and His commission.
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Healing, then, is in essence the physical representation of the
spiritual cleansing, restitutory and regenerative power of God through the person of Jesus
Christ. This is why healing figured so prominently in the ministry of Jesus Christ and so
much less so at earlier times in biblical history, or at later times in church history.
The healing of the physical body, radically and miraculously altering it from a state of
sickness to a state of health, symbolizes what God can do through Christ to our minds,
hearts and spirits. Our sins are forgiven, our minds are changed, our hearts are made pure
and our spirits are made whole. The process is supernatural and immediate; just as Jesus
could heal the sick and make the lame whole before men, so can Christ cleanse our minds
and make our spiritual lives righteous before God.
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Though healing was a vitally important aspect of Jesus' ministry for
what it spiritually represented, Jesus' personal motivation for healing was more simply
human. He empathized deeply with the human misery and suffering that illness and injury
brought, and consequently did what He could to ease the misery and alleviate the
suffering. Jesus was "moved with compassion" (Matthew 14:14) toward people who were
sick; He "pitied them" (Living Bible) and "felt deep sympathy" (Modern
Language Bible) for them. So, notwithstanding all the other reasons, Jesus healed because
He loved people.
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"BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED"
Jesus Christ as our Paschal Lamb was intimately acquainted with
suffering and sorrow. He suffered the penalty of our sins through His beating, crucifixion
and death that we might be relieved of all our infirmities, whether physical, mental or
spiritual:
. . . he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain
that we should have borne . . . because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the
evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he
received. (Isaiah 53:4-5, Today's English Version)
Or, in more familiar words, he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed."
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In quoting this very passage Peter states, "Christ himself carried
our sins in his body to the cross [stake], so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.
It is by his wounds that you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24, TEV) "by whose
stripes ye were healed" (KJV). Though healing can take various forms and though by
His supreme sacrifice Jesus made all healing possible—spiritual, mental, physical and
even environmental—still, the primary intent of Isaiah's prophecy and Peter's
reference to it does in fact refer to the healing of our physical bodies and minds. This
is clearly shown by the context in which this same passage is once again quoted in Matthew
8:14-17, after Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law:
That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons;
and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfil
what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our
diseases." Furthermore, the Greek word used for healing in 1 Peter 2:24, iaomai, is
used almost exclusively in reference to physical healing (yet the context of the verse
itself would not exclude a spiritual understanding as well).
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In giving the Corinthian Church instructions on the proper way to
observe the Lord's supper (while correcting their errors), Paul showed how "the wrong
manner or attitude toward the body and blood of the Lord (symbolically represented by
eating the bread and drinking the wine during the Passover memorial service) has resulted
in many Church members remaining weak and ill, with some even having died.
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Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man
examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and
drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself. That is why many
of you are weak and ill, and some have died (1 Cor. 11:27-30).
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Paul's precise reference and analysis in verse 30 may be difficult to
discern. But what is immediately clear is that physical ills do result from spiritual
problems. Some commentators feel that the physical sickness and death were a direct result
of the Corinthians' sins in profaning the Lord's supper, or were a judgment from God.
There is a variation on this theme, however, which could equally apply. This would involve
healing—or, more precisely, the absence of it.
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To investigate this possibility we should consider two simultaneous
equations and then solve them together. In the first equation, "the body of the
Lord" (vv.27 and 29) which a Christian must discern in order to eat the bread and
drink the wine in a worthy manner is the same "body" which Peter (quoting
Isaiah) said was wounded so that we could be healed. In the second equation, the profound
appreciation of, and personal identification with, the sufferings and sacrifice of Jesus
Christ, which are vital elements of the healing Process, are also an important part of the
Passover service. What emerges from the two equations is the strong suggestion that it
could well have been the lack of physical healing in the Church, caused by a lack of
appreciation for the fact that Jesus was wounded for our healing, which was Paul's point
to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 11:30)—an admonition that should not be lost on the Church
of God of any age.
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HEALING IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH
During Jesus' ministry no one except Jesus Himself had God's Holy
Spirit; consequently, no one else was empowered with godly faith. Jesus' healings,
therefore, served the important purpose of being the overt physical evidence absolutely
essential to stimulate His disciples' own human faith; His healings were necessary for
even His closest friends to believe in Him as Savior, and it is unlikely that He would
have gained any following at all without these miracles. (The fact that His healings were
performed to inspire faith in His disciples is »n by the numerous instances when such
miracles were accompanied by comments by Christ on the topic of faith,
Matthew 9:22, 17:18-20;
Mark 9:23; Luke 8:48-50,)
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In commissioning His disciples, Jesus told them that they too would
"heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out "demons" to
accompany and corroborate their preaching that "the kingdom of heaven is at
hand" (Matthew 10:8). As Luke recorded it: "Whenever you enter a town and they
receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, "The
kingdom of God has come near to you"' (Luke 10:8-9; cf. 9:2,11).
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Jesus kept His promise to His disciples. After His resurrection and the
sending of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the apostles performed astounding
miracles.
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And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of
men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on
beds and pallets, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them.
The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those
afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. (Acts 5:14-16)
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The healings Jesus Himself performed were utterly miraculous and
spectacular—many in full public view. "And great crowds came to him, bringing
with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the dumb, and many others, and they put them at
his feet, and he healed them" (Matthew 15:30). Likewise, the apostles performed
incredible miracles—miracles such as the healing of the congenitally lame man by
Peter and John at the gate of the Temple (Acts 3:1-11), and the healing of the
congenitally crippled man by Paul in Lystra (Acts 14:8-11). In both cases, it was the
stunning and incredible aspect of the healing—withered limbs instantly regenerated,
strengthened and made whole—that gave the apostles the opportunity to preach the
gospel boldly and proclaim it loudly before large, hostile crowds.
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But as the years went on, it appears that the initial surge of
tremendous spiritual power began to wane. In later decades, dedicated Church members are
»n sick and dying, and the days of astounding miracles of healing »m to have ended.
Paul talks about some in the Church having "the gifts of healing" (1 Cor. 12:9),
yet "healers" are mentioned behind apostles, prophets, teachers and workers of
miracles in verses 28-30, and verse 10 »ms to indicate that those at the higher levels
of responsibility in the Church did not necessarily have the gifts of healing.
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Was the attenuation [lessening
of intensity or occurrence] of major healing miracles the result of a
proportional decline in the faith of the elders and members? The answer appears to center
more around God's overall, long-term purpose for His Church. At its inception, there was
no New Testament record to read and there was great persecution to endure. Consequently,
God poured out His spirit to begin the Church and give its members confidence. But it was
not part of God's plan for His Church to grow very large—that was not His purpose in
that age—so God apparently withdrew His tremendous power to perform spectacular
public healings.
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Coming down the centuries to our time, God's Church has many advantages
today that were unavailable in the first century. The mass media of radio, television and
publishing enable the gospel to be preached to all the world. The complete New Testament
gives us a full account of Jesus' life, teachings and healings, and through God's Spirit,
we should be able to study God's Word and develop real spiritual faith without depending
on the external crutch of physical evidence through miracles.
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As far as healings are concerned, we surely know that God is not
pouring out His Spirit to empower His ministers to perform breathtaking miracles as
obviously and as supernaturally inspired as those that occurred in the early New Testament
Church. (Perhaps God will do so at some future date; there are biblical hints and
parallels which »m to suggest this possibility as we move closer to the return of
Christ.) Does God's Church today have even the same type and frequency of healings that
the later New Testament Church had? It is hard to know for sure.
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But what we can know for sure is the awesome spiritual meaning that
Jesus' healings have for us today—the confidence that they generate, the faith that
they give us. We can know for sure that the same Personality who healed the sick, cleansed
the lepers and raised the dead has promised, and has the power to forgive our sins,
cleanse our bodies and spirits, and eventually resurrect us from the dead. This, in
reality, is the ultimate miracle, and this, indeed, is the ultimate faith.
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DIVINE HEALING, FAITH AND PHYSICAL/MEDICAL PROCEDURES:
INTERRELATIONSHIPS, APPLICATIONS AND
CHRISTIAN RESPONSIBILITIES
To understand the Practical application of healing today, several
complex interrelationships (such as between faith and healing, and faith and medical
procedures) need to be considered. The following points help project the proper
perspective:
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Physical life is intrinsically temporal.
A human lifespan is only temporary and was so intended from the time of
Adam. Whether it be 969 years, seven decades, three months or one day, each physical life
will eventually come to an end. The human body was designed to die. It may come by
accident; it may be by disease; or perhaps the body will just wear out. But the statistics
for it have never dropped below 100 percent.
God could, of course, preserve physical existence to eternity, but He
has not chosen to do so. We know of no case where He has maintained physical life
indefinitely, even for the patriarchs and prophets. Yet God has many times chosen to
extend physical life temporarily by healing a disease or repairing an injury.
God has healed; He does heal; He will continue to heal as long as there
is physical life extant. But the reasons for doing so are always temporal.
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Spiritual life is the hope of the Christian.
Once this physical life ends, healing ceases to be a concern, since the
body of the resurrection shall be a spiritual one. Healing, therefore, pertains to this
life alone and is a short-term, although important concern. One should never forget that
the real hope of all true Christians—both for the healthy and for the sick—is
eternal spiritual life through the resurrection and not prolonged physical life through
healing.
Furthermore, one's ultimate reward is neither determined nor affected
by whether he was or was not healed during his physical lifetime.
The fact that we can know by the written record of God's Word that
Jesus Christ performed the most amazing and incredible healings during His ministry, and
that those healings manifested God's power through Him, should give us great confidence.
It is through our faith in the reality of Jesus' healings that we can be assured that,
through this same power, God has promised to forgive us of our sins, cleanse our minds
and, ultimately, to resurrect our bodies from the dead.
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3. Healing is not an indicator of righteousness; nor is it a test of spirituality.
Even the most righteous and most spiritual eventually die of
something physical. Healing is an example of God's mercy, a product of God's wisdom. When
He chooses to intervene and heal, we should be grateful. When He does not, we should not
necessarily assume lack of faith, unrighteousness, and/or insufficient spirituality. And
when we die, "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord" (Rev. 14:13). Therefore,
neither healing nor the lack of it are an indication of one's level of faith or
spirituality. In Acts 3:1-8, God healed, through Peter and John, a man who had no idea
that he was about to be healed; he desired money, and was totally shocked at being healed.
Surely the healing of this man was not at all indicative of his righteousness or
spirituality.
God sometimes heals the new convert and the spiritually immature, while
he may withhold it from the mature Christian. And we shall all, no matter how spiritual,
eventually die of some physical state which God does not correct and heal. Another
situation where healing was not an indicator of righteousness or a test of spirituality
was the example of the apostle Paul mentioned earlier. If his thorn in the flesh was
physical, he was not healed of this serious affliction.
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4. Faith is not the sole criterion for determining whether a person
shall be healed.
One main prerequisite God requires for healing is the total confidence
and faith that God does indeed exist and can heal us of our illnesses (Matthew 9:28-29). One
must not forget that the people whom Jesus healed during His earthly ministry had, for the
most part, already heard numerous accounts from far and wide of His miraculous
intervention in other people's lives to heal them. It would not, therefore, have required
that much effort on their part to believe that Christ could—and, indeed,
would—heal them. This means that those whom Jesus healed by no means had to have been
spiritual giants possessing great faith—quite possibly it was just the opposite. As
Jesus Himself said in another context, "Blessed are those who have not »n and yet
believe" (John 20:29).
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But the Bible also shows that other factors, at times known only to
God, enter into His decision regarding whether, when, why and how to heal the sick person.
God may heal to show mercy (Luke 17:13), to express love, to encourage the spiritually
weak, to reinforce faith, as a witness of the gospel, etc. Furthermore, the object of
God's purpose may not always be the sick person himself: God sometimes heals for reasons
other than solely to restore someone to health (e.g. as a witness to those who » the
sick person healed, etc.)
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God is intensely concerned with an individual's mind and
heart—attitudes that are always obvious to God though often not apparent to others.
In the matter of healing, it may be one's attitude as much as one's faith that may
influence what God will do. "But this is the man to whom I will look, he that is
humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my, word" (Isaiah 66:2). Anyone who »ks
to be healed to show others his righteousness or favor with God, or who desires
vindication of his position, or who craves recognition of his spirituality will be sadly
and sorrowful, disappointed.
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The New Testament refers to "gifts of healing" (1
Cor.
12:9,30) which apparently differed from the normal function of elders anointing the sick.
Only a few had this unusual gift of healing; it was not the possession of everyone. In the
Church today, we » no evidence of such a gift having been bestowed on any individual,
certainly not as a permanent thing. Perhaps God will give this gift in the future, but He
has not done so yet.
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Since the Church recognizes these individual circumstances, it
vigorously teaches that there is no way of knowing in advance whether any person will be
supernaturally healed. Similarly, the Church teaches with equal vigor that its ministry
must not attempt to influence the person in any way regarding what type of action he may
wish to take for his health other than to recommend that each person seek the most
professionally competent specialists available for consultation or procedure. Certainly we
can go to medical sources and take advantage of the scientific advances they have to
offer, with the full confidence that this positive act on our part in no way interferes
with God's ability to heal supernaturally should that prove to be His will.
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5. The relationship between healing and faith is complex,
necessitating an understanding of the whole Bible and current, practical experience.
The numerous healings of Jesus Christ show the clear, active
involvement of the faith of the individual (Matthew
9:22; Mark 9:23; Luke 8:48-50). Yet, the man
healed in Acts 3 obviously had no faith whatsoever, despite which he was completely
healed. Likewise, the slave of the centurion was healed because of the centurion's
faith—the slave himself probably did not even realize why he suddenly got better (Matthew
8:5-13).
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The Bible shows that there are different "kinds" of faith, or
at least different levels of faith. There is a faith which all Christians are required to
have for salvation, but this is not necessarily the same kind of faith needed for healing.
Jesus said that if we had enough faith we could literally move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Yet
no living Christian that we know of has had such faith. It is impossible to "work
up" such faith; in the same way, it is impossible to "work up" the faith
involved in healing. Only God can supply this faith. It is His responsibility and,
consequently, an actual healing or the lack of such a healing must never be viewed as a
straightforward indication of an individual's righteousness, spirituality or favor with
God. On the other hand, it is our responsibility to yield to God and His Spirit so that we
may grow in this God-given faith. We should be»ch God to do what the apostles asked of
Jesus in Luke 17:5, "Increase our faith."
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The faith that Jesus said was involved in healing »ms so simple, yet
so difficult, and yet so simple again. Faith is the belief that God shall heal. But our
years of experience in the Church, going through our own trials and empathizing with the
trials of others, sometimes add enormous complexities to faith. Knowledge itself—and
all human knowledge is partial—can sometimes militate
[have influence] against faith. Faith cannot be
faked, and with the many demands and multifarious distractions impacting the Christian,
faith may just not be there. The examples of faith in the New Testament »m so
simple—almost too simple—to us. These people did not have time to develop the
faith we think is necessary—they hardly knew Jesus or the apostles, and certainly had
little idea what they taught—they just immediately believed and were healed. Maybe
there is a lesson here.
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6. The lack of faith is not sin, nor is the lack of healing a sin;
healing is rather a special benefit from God, which is neither commanded nor required.
Healing is a special benefit from God—a gift from our Father in
heaven through Jesus Christ. But healing is not a part of God's spiritual-moral law, and
as such is neither commanded nor required by God. Consequently, it cannot be a sin if one
is not healed. The fact that one person decides to »k anointing for the healing of a
physical condition while another suffering from the same condition, does not, can in no
way be taken to mean that the first person is necessarily righteous or that the second
person is necessarily unrighteous. It is just that the individual who asks for anointing
is »king this special benefit from God.
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We all, in some manner, lack faith. This is no more an indictment than
to say that we are all human. How many have the faith to move mountains? Yet no Christian
feels spiritually inferior because he cannot do so. The same lack of spiritual inferiority
should equally apply to the faith required for healing. How many have consistent faith? On
the other hand, to say that a person lacks faith is not necessarily to blame him in any
way, since faith comes from God. If that individual does not have faith, it may be because
God has not given it to him. Can one blame God for not having given someone something that
only He can give? Of course, this does not mean that the individual does not have a
responsibility; yet the faith required for healing must come as a gift.
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If »king external help in any way indicates a "lack of
faith," then such lack of faith is in no way a sin, because it is God's
responsibility to give us this special faith, though we certainly have our part in it.
(The scripture which states that "for whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom.
14:23) does not refer to a lack of faith as sin. It rather means that when one violates
his conscience, his own sense of right and wrong, then that is sin.)
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There is sometimes the misconception that if something did not happen
as hoped, it was due to lack of faith. As a blanket assumption, this is untrue. What is
faith? It is total belief. But even absolute belief in something contrary to God's
intention will not bring it about. God may honor faith or belief in something not contrary
to His will. Conversely, He will not honor a request contrary to His will, no matter how
much faith the requester has (for example, the death of David's and Bathsheba's first
child). Jesus Christ—our perfect example of faith—requested that the cup of His
suffering and death be taken from Him. It was not removed—not because of a lack of
faith, but because God had ordained otherwise.
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A person can have "absolute faith" when he asks for healing
and still be denied it, because God in His wisdom may think it is better for that person
not to be healed. Healing is not just a matter of faith—it is also a matter of mercy.
God said, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom
I have compassion" (Rom. 9:15, citing Ex. 33:19). Healing is an extension of God's
mercy; it is not an absolute promise according to one's faith. Faith usually does—but
does not forcibly have to—have something to do with it.
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There is no better example of a spirit-filled Christian with great
faith in God than the apostle Paul. Yet he had a "thorn in the flesh" which he
was apparently never healed of (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Was the reason for his not being healed
any sin on Paul's part? Was there any sin involved at all? Was his physical infirmity
itself the result of sin? Was Paul's failure to be healed a sin in itself? Was it
symptomatic of a lack of faith which was a sin? We can pretty well answer all of these
questions in the negative and be quite confident of this conclusion, not because Paul did
not sin, but because he was so open and honest in freely admitting his most personal sins.
Paul was so hard on himself in Roman's 7, where he exposed his own sin of covetousness and
his other human frailties, that we can rest assured that if there had been even a
possibility that sin was in any manner connected with his physical infirmity—if some
sin on his part might have been the cause of it, or if the lack of healing might have been
a sin, or if he might have lacked faith—Paul would surely not have hesitated to fully
disclose it. The only possible reason Paul did not discuss sin in the context of his own
physical infirmity was that sin was not involved at all. Paul's attitude to his failure to
be healed is truly exemplary.
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Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me;
but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2
Cor. 12:8-10)
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There is no question that Paul did not lack faith; faith had no
relationship whatsoever to the fact that he was not healed. God simply knew what was best
for him. Paul needed this infirmity to keep him "from being too elated by the
abundance of revelations" (v.7) given to him (such as being "caught up to the
third heaven . . . into Paradise . . . and hearing things that cannot be told, which man
may not utter," vv.2-4). Paul accepted God's decision that, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (v.9), with magnificent
humility and a fiercely loyal desire to now fully appreciate his physical weakness, which
God knew was important for his spiritual strength: "I will all the more gladly boast
of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (v.9). There can be no
better example to follow—no better attitude to have—whenever God, for reasons
only He knows, decides to withhold His blessing of healing. What God knew was best for
Paul, He may also know to be the best for many other Christians—that our continuing
physical weaknesses are efficacious in continuously building our spiritual strength.
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7. Faith must not be confused with desires, fears or pressures.
A person's faith—even one's own faith—is difficult if not
impossible to assess. It is in no way "godly" or "spiritual" for a
person to overestimate his own faith, then make drastic decisions based upon this
misjudgment. "Hoping" or "wishing" to be healed is not the same thing
as having the special faith that God must give to really be healed. Neglect is not faith,
neither is fear of doctors and hospitals.
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It is natural—although surely not wise——for humans to
delay undergoing even a medical diagnosis to determine the cause, nature or extent of an
illness because of fear of what they might learn. Some even confuse this fear of
diagnosis—the unwillingness to face the reality of their condition—with faith.
Fear and faith are not equal; they are in fact opposites. For some it is a fear of the
unknown; for others it is a fear that if they find out something frightening they will not
have the faith to face it. But to act based on fear, and convince oneself that it is based
on faith, is brutal self-deception which can yield no good result either physically or
spiritually.
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Similarly, it is strangely simple to confuse faith with stubbornness or
pride. Peer pressure can also loom as a powerful force, imposing itself as a surrogate for
faith, inhibiting the individual from doing what should be done. Likewise, for some to
suffer rather than »k relief can fulfill certain psychological needs. Having a
martyr-complex—enjoying watching others watching you languish—is far from the
simple faith of those Christ healed. Dying in stubbornness or pride, continuing to suffer
in order to uphold one's own self-righteousness or self-image is just another
manifestation of human nature. Thus, it is possible for a person to neglect medical help
because of subconscious factors or vanity, while convincing himself (and/or trying to
convince others) that it is because of faith and spirituality.
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A Christian must walk in continual faith. This faith is demonstrated in
many ways. If God allows a person to die, this may be a demonstration of faith. But, if
one can live many long and useful years in God's service through an operation, rather than
be debilitated by disease or even die in agony, that cannot be condemned as a lack of
faith. To refuse the operation may be only fear, peer pressure, neglect or
ignorance—not faith.
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It is likely that God would heal more people, if
more people had more faith to be healed. One of the biggest factors that
blocks a person from receiving more faith is his own erroneous belief
that he already has enough faith when he does not. As previously stated,
it is not enough to "think" or "hope" that one has the proper faith, or
to wish" that he had it. One reason people are not healed is
because they do not have the appropriate faith. This does not mean they should pretend to
have this faith. That would be disastrous. For a person not to acknowledge his lack of
faith in this area would be folly indeed.
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God will not heal a person because that person thinks he has faith if
he in reality does not. (God may heal him in spite of that fact.) For God to heal people
without faith—but who think they have it—would serve to perpetuate their
self-deception. Perhaps this is one reason why God does not heal more often. Since God
will not give someone something he does not want (i.e. the faith that the person thinks he
already has) each must appraise his own faith realistically. But a Christian who is
realistic enough to soberly assess his own faith and find it wanting is not a
"weak" Christian. He may in fact be quite a strong Christian, who is converted
enough to » himself as he really is; such an individual will not bow to stubbornness or
yield to pride when his need of external help highlights his physical debilities and
spiritual imperfections.
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8. Healing and faith are totally private matters between a person and God.
Anointing for sickness is a solemn ceremony. It is an expression of
the faith of Jesus Christ and an affirmation of our faith in Him—the recognition of
God's sovereignty over our life and well being. It is thus a very personal thing between
the individual and God, similar to prayer, though the minister is an important part of the
process.
No one should take upon himself the role of spiritual judge or
"second guesser" over another's actions in this regard. To do so is to usurp
that person's God-given right of free moral agency. Therefore, any reasonable request for
anointing should be honored, regardless of the nature of the illness or affliction and
regardless of whether the person is consulting a physician or of what treatment he may be
undergoing.
On the other hand, some people's requests for anointing border on
superstition. To anoint for every sniffle or mild ache makes a mockery of divine healing
and Christ's suffering. There is an extremely important caution here, however. A minister
cannot put himself in the position of a medical diagnostician and refuse to anoint because
he regards the persons illness as "minor" or "not life-threatening,"
What at first may appear to be the most insignificant symptoms can later turn out to have
been the early manifestations of a serious illness. More than one person has died of
pneumonia which started out as a cold, or of cancer of the colon which in its earlier
stages »med only a minor digestive imbalance. Hence, although the minister himself
should preach publicly about the solemnity of anointing and about taking Christ's
sacrifice seriously, he should nonetheless respect the judgment of the sick person who
feels that he needs anointing.
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9. It is neither possible nor profitable to determine why God has or
has not healed an individual.
One can seldom say with certainty why a person has or has not been
healed. To conclude that one person was healed because of his spiritual uprightness is no
more accurate than to conclude that another person was not healed because of his spiritual
inadequacy. The Biblical example of Paul and others simply negates such reasoning and
renders any such exercise fruitless. Healing may relate to any number of factors—the
person himself, his immediate family, his close friends, his wider acquaintances, the
minister involved, the timing, the circumstances, etc.—and it is pointless to try to
discern why something did or did not happen with respect to healing. The additional
uncertainty of not knowing what "the gifts of healing" (1 Cor. 12:9) were and
how they worked—and how they may apply today—adds further complexity to our
understanding of the application of healing.
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Since all must eventually die, it is inevitable that many will suffer
from incurable diseases. If the best physical knowledge cannot heal and God chooses not to
intervene, then "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." If that is the way
God allows one to serve, so be it. Perhaps, ultimately, that is the real test of
faith—to die confidently in Christ, entrusting to Him the life He gave to do with as
He »s fit. Death may in some cases be a greater sign of faith than life and healing.
Nevertheless, one should not prejudge his own case by assuming this to be true and
neglecting to »k proper medical aid as a consequence. If God's will is for a person to
die, it should be in spite of his best efforts to recover and not because of his
stubbornness in avoiding professional aid. God chooses who His martyrs will be: we cannot
and must not make this decision for ourselves.
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It is both offensive and inaccurate to say that one who is not
supernaturally healed (or who »ks medical aid) is a "Weak" Christian. He may
have weak faith (as compared to the amount of faith necessary to be healed, but surely not
as compared to the faith of other Christians who may never have been tested in a
life-or-death situation), but that does not mean that he is a weak Christian. He may be
far more spiritually mature than most in the congregation. Indeed, God may not be healing
him because he can take it—he has enough spiritual maturity to endure the trial.
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In the final analysis, faith is only one aspect of the Christian life,
and it is not even the greatest; this honor is reserved for love (1 Cor. 13:13). "If
I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing" (v.2).
Conversely, a person who is weak in faith but strong in love is a far greater Christian in
God's sight.
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10. It is entirely within biblical principles and common sense to
»k competent medical help and still rely on God for healing at the same time; healing
through faith in God and the modern health sciences is not a contradiction or a
combination of opposites; indeed, what God can do for man as a special blessing should
work together with what man can do technologically for himself.
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God has healed; God does heal, God shall heal. There are no limitations
on God's ability to heal any and all sickness and bodily defects—supernaturally,
miraculously, completely. But does this mean that a Christian has no responsibility to
help himself if he becomes ill or injured, other than to trust in God for healing?
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Biblical examples and common sense teach us that God is practical and
logical, and He expects human beings to do what they can to help themselves. Just as
little children depend on their parents, we as Christians must depend on God for certain
things. But God also expects us to grow and mature. If we can stand on our own feet, we
should. If we can do something for ourselves, we are derelict in our responsibility if we
do not. God's Church has taught this for years.
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If a person has a badly decayed tooth, he should have it repaired or
removed. This in no way usurps God’s power of divine healing. If one has a headache,
he can take an aspirin. If one has a broken bone or an open wound, he should have it set
or sewn as the case may be. These are physical measures which can and should be made use
of. They are not an affront to God as our Healer; nor do they contradict faith.
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In fact, to ask God to supernaturally do for us what we can naturally
do for ourselves may begin to undermine the vital representational analogy between healing
and the forgiveness of sin, conversion and the resurrection from the dead (since no human
being can ever do any part of the latter). In Matthew 4:5-7, it was Satan who tempted
Jesus by setting Him on the pinnacle of the Temple and challenging Him to throw Himself
down so that God would save him. Jesus' answer was that "You shall not tempt the Lord
your God" (v.7). What is tempting God? Is it trying to entice God into a position
where He "must" do something "good" to "save" us? If so,
could we ever, however sincerely, be putting ourselves into a position of tempting God,
however inadvertently, by asking Him to do for us what we can and should do for ourselves?
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Only God can "heal"—if we define "healing" as
a miraculous, supernatural removal of an affliction or illness. Physicians are only mortal
men and can only work with the laws God designed to function in the human body. Medical
science can work to speed, enhance or aid recovery. As such, the roles of God and man do
not conflict; in fact, they can complement each other. In the same manner that healing is
not a test of righteousness, so also going or not going to a physician is not a test of
righteousness. Neither does it show a lack of faith in God's ability to heal nor does it
prevent God from performing a miracle.
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Faith in God and scientific confidence in man are not in conflict.
Faith in God is a matter of the heart between a person and God. It is entirely possible to
receive medical help—and even have a positive trust in that technological
help—without having this trust or confidence supersede or negate one's faith in God.
It is, of course, possible to have no faith in God and an almost superstitious faith in
man's scientific knowledge. But, in either case, the technical utilization of modern
medical science is not the factor that must decide where one's faith is. Faith is fully
determined by the person's attitude in his private relationship with God.
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Luke 8:43-48 records the story of "a woman having an issue of
blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be
healed of any. Note that Jesus in no way unbraided the woman for having gone to the
physicians. Furthermore, and even more relevantly, He did not withhold healing from her
because of it—even though, as it appears, she came to Him as a last resort. Indeed,
Jesus said she did have the faith to be healed (v.48). Thus, this verse serves as an
example of one who had gone constantly to physicians and yet did have faith to be healed.
Certainly one could not immediately conclude she was weak in faith because she had used
the medical services of her time.
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There is no reason why the judicious use of physical methods should
interfere with either one's faith or the ability and desire of God to heal. Faith says
that God can heal; it is not a guarantee that God shall heal in every individual
situation. It is surely not a sign of faith to neglect appropriate physical methods which
can cure a disease, slow an illness or relieve suffering. It is also not a sign of faith
to »k obscure second-class treatment when competent first-class health care is readily
available.
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The scientific and technological progress of the health sciences has
been remarkable, especially over the last few decades, with increasing sophistication and
effectiveness of technique, combined with a decreasing incidence of complications and side
effects. For such achievements man should give God the credit; for it was God who created
the human mind, empowering it with the creative brilliance to constantly attain to new
heights of achievement in the physical world.
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The Church is not in the health business. Consequently, it is not the
Church's responsibility to endorse or condemn any particular treatment or procedure. Each
individual has the same responsibility to examine alternative proposals, and »k and
evaluate advice from several professional sources before making a decision in a serious
health matter.
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Faith is demonstrated in various ways. If one can live many long and
useful years in God's service through an operation, rather than wasting those years by
suffering in agony, how can that be condemned as lack of faith? To have the operation may
evidence greater commitment to God, because one believes in the importance of service to
His Church. To refuse the operation may only be the unintended neglect of one's Christian
responsibility to God and His Work.
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James wrote that "faith without works is dead." This applies
to all aspects of the Christian life including health maintenance, health care, disease
prevention, regular checkups by a qualified doctor, and healing and/or medical procedures
in times of illness or injury. One should always consider the long-range implications for
oneself and one's family in these areas by »king experienced professional counsel and by
making wise, sound-minded decisions. Christians should avail themselves of the best health
care that man can provide and, at the same time, ask God to supernaturally supply what man
cannot. This could also include the sick person asking God to bless the skill of the
doctor in his diagnosis and treatment (much as God inspired the craftsmen who built the
ark of the covenant and the Tabernacle, and, later, the Temple, » Ex. 31:3ff; 35:31,
36:1-2, 1 Kings 7:14).
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Faith in God for healing and the sensible, sagacious use
[using sound judgment] of the most
modern medical/health procedures do not clash. They can, indeed, work together in harmony.
The human personality is a unified whole composed of physical, mental and spiritual
elements, and each one must be functioning as effectively as possible for the whole person
to be completely healthy. In recent years, as a matter of interest, there has been
increasing recognition among large segments of the medical profession that they should
focus their attention as much on the maintenance of good health and the prevention of
disease as they have on the treatment of disease. One reflection of this is the increasing
employment of the term "health sciences" instead of "medical science."
Another reflection of this trend is that many doctors have come to appreciate that
spiritual factors, especially faith and prayer, can play a significant role in the
recovery of patients.
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Christians should appreciate both the special blessings of healing that
God offers to them and the sophisticated techniques that man has developed to diagnose and
cure illness. Healing through faith in God and through scientific medicine should,
therefore, never be artificially opposed to one another, but should, rather, symbiotically
reinforce one another to bring the greatest benefits to human beings.
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11. Physical procedures cannot be evaluated based on spiritual
criteria; all routine maintenance, as well as special treatment for illness or injury
should be the most effective and finest available.
It is the responsibility of each Christian to recognize the important
distinction between the physical and the spiritual. God's miraculous intervention to heal
is spiritual; this healing is God's prerogative. What we do for ourselves is physical, a
means of aiding and complementing the natural bodily processes in healing the body. God
does expect us to do what we can for ourselves.
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No physical procedure is intrinsically more righteous or spiritual than
any other, though one may well be more effective and have fewer side effects than another.
Surgical interventions, pharmacological prescriptions and other medical procedures
(whether diagnostic, preventive or curative) must be evaluated on their own merits and on
their own terms.
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There should be no hair-splitting between different physical treatments
as far as their spirituality is concerned Such would be contrary to the implications of
the Bible, the teachings of the Church, logic and plain common sense. One physical method
is not more godly than another; one physical method is not necessarily more in harmony
with the Bible than another. Physical healing—of any and every sort—must be
distinguished from divine, miraculous, supernatural healing.
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Stitching together an open gash in one's arm is just as physical as
open-heart surgery to stitch together a hole between one's ventricles—both involve
human intervention to aid the body's normal regenerative processes in restoring the
cellular tissue. Special diets and supplements to fight cancer are just as physical as
surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. To have a broken bone set is physical; to take an
aspirin is physical; to fast for health reasons is physical. Mega-vitamins, rosehip tea,
laetrile, wine and oil are all just as physical—and just as non-spiritual—as
penicillin, vaccinations, cataract removal and appendectomies. To extract a seriously
decayed tooth does not differ in kind from excising a malignant tumor or a diseased
appendix—both involve professional competence to remove a damaged part of the body
before its continued deterioration causes worse complications, such as the spreading of
infection, The efficacy of different physical treatments is evaluated by their results,
not by their degree of spirituality. One may be physically preferable—one drug may be
more beneficial with fewer side effects than another—but one is surely not
spiritually better in God's sight. Therefore, a person chooses to do something physical
about a bodily condition, his concern should not be about which method is more spiritual.
Rather, his sole concern should be to find out what is the best method with the fewest
side effects.
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In evaluating physical procedures in matters of health, the Christian
is encouraged to emphasize proper health maintenance and disease prevention: there is
minimum expense, little inconvenience and no side effects to a balanced program of health
care. The appropriate use of nutrition, for example, should always be part of a
health-maintenance and disease-prevention program. Eating natural foods (as much as
logically possible) in a balanced diet and avoiding processed sugars and starches, are
both much easier and more enjoyable to do than later being forced to undergo medical
treatment.
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Proper health care should include periodic physical examinations for
all Christians and their families by a qualified medical doctor. Care should be taken to
select the most able and proficient doctor available as the family physician. He should
have a genuine interest and concern about the health of all members of the family.
Eminently qualified specialists for particular problems should generally be recommended by
the family doctor.
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When one »ks professional medical help, he should select the most
competent within his means. There are different specialties and different degrees of
competency among individual practitioners just as in any other profession. One is not more
"righteous" than another, but one might be more skilled than another.
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All this will also help people avoid falling prey to quackery and
faddism. If a person recognizes that the best scientific knowledge should be sought, and
that this is not a sign of a lack of faith, he will naturally want the best that he can
afford for himself and his family. He will be sound-minded in matters of health, not
»king physically "miraculous" or unorthodox "cures " under the false
assumption that they are somehow more righteous than the procedures of a knowledgeable
specialist, and he will save both his money and his health in the process.
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12. Christians must never judge one another, nor compare themselves
among themselves; Christians should rather encourage one another, mutually bearing their
burdens.
Far worse than any personal spiritual slips or lapses in faith is the
commonplace gossip of judging fellow members of the congregation. Such innuendo and rumor
is vicious and terribly debilitating to Christian character. Paul admonished the Roman
Church, "let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put
a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother" (Rom. 14:13). In writing to
the Corinthian Church, Paul sternly rebuked them for their attitude of making internal
comparisons: when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one
another, they are without understanding" (2 Cor. 10:12).
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Surely these principles apply to all facets of Christian life, but
never with more direct impact than in matters of health and healing. It is carnal, but
nonetheless common, for many individuals to consider their own particular approach to
physical health and healing as the best or the most spiritual. All too often their desire
to share this "special" knowledge with brethren ends up in any thing from a
campaign to a crusade.
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While the laws of the land and the principles of God's Church give to
everyone the full freedom to make their own decisions in such deeply personal matters,
basic human decency and comity [atmosphere
of social harmony] dictate that one should never try to impose his will on
others. Brethren should be more than willing to help each other by exchanging ideas and
information in matters of health and healing. But extreme care should be taken not to
allow such conversation to subtly degenerate into even mild coercion through deep
pressure. A person should be as respectful of another person's approach as he would want
that other person to be of his (Lev. 19:18; Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Luke 10:27). The worst thing
we can do as Christians is to offend our brothers in any way, especially "little
ones" or those who are weak in the faith (Matthew 18:6; Rom. 14). On the other hand, to
encourage and strengthen our brothers and sisters in the Church, bearing one another's
burdens willingly and cheerfully, is the essence of true Christianity.
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MINISTERIAL RESPONSIBILITY
What is the minister's role in matters of health and healing? A
minister of God is a professional in spiritual understanding; he should be ready to fully
explain the purpose of healing—what it is and what it represents—to all who
desire to know. Furthermore, the minister is the expert in counseling his people and
serving his congregation. But he is not necessarily, by virtue of ordination, a medical or
nutritional expert. Consequently, he should faithfully teach what the Bible says about
health and healing, and he should also encourage his people to »k the best professional
advice available when needed.
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The minister must be truly neutral on medical matters. Subtle
differences can be dangerous. He cannot tell one person that he "should" take
vitamins, get his broken bone set or have a decayed tooth extracted, if he will then tell
another person that, "It's up to you," whether to take antibiotic drugs, get an
internal injury repaired or have a diseased appendix removed, The phrase, "It is not
wrong," can also convey a negative implication, suggesting, in effect, that,
"Although it is not wrong, it is spiritually not the best." Such would subtly
assign fallacious levels of righteousness to physical procedures when all are in fact the
same in God's sight.
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The minister is the spiritual leader of his congregation and must take
great care not to abuse this position of spiritual power, trust and respect. He must be as
aware of his physical limitations as he is of his spiritual responsibilities. The minister
must operate on the highest plateau; his realm is the spiritual and this is where he must
give his counsel and advice. Along these lines, one of his more important duties is to be
sure that members of his church are not judging each other and are not comparing
themselves among themselves with respect to health procedures and healing. He can
accomplish this most effectively by emphasizing God's positive instructions on these
matters and following up His teachings with encouragement and exhortation.
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SUMMARY
God can and does heal in ways and manners and at times and for
reasons that He determines for Himself. As such, divine healing is totally beyond the
scope of medical science; therefore, doing what we can in »king and utilizing the most
competent, professional assistance in times of illness or injury will not inhibit God from
healing us, but can contribute to the efficacious restoration of full health. Divine
healing is a miraculous intervention by the creator of the universe in our lives; it is a
special blessing from God given according to His mercy and our faith, and represents God's
power through Jesus Christ to forgive our sins, cleanse our minds and, ultimately,
establish the Kingdom of God on earth and resurrect our bodies from the dead.
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