Healing Doctrine - Survey of the Doctrine

Sub-subject index to doctrine arranged by subject.      Printer-friendly Page 15
 
 Instructions: This page takes all the sub-subjects and key statements from the main Survey of the Doctrine page and lists them in doctrine order by subject.  Click on the paragraph number to go back to the Survey of the Doctrine page to read the doctrine.

Subject

Key Statement/Teaching

Paragraph

Ministry

The Church teaches 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.

94

Ministry

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.

112

Ministry

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."

112

Ministry

It is not the Church's responsibility to endorse or condemn any particular treatment or procedure.

127

Ministry

-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.

-The minister is the expert in counseling his people and serving his congregation.

-He is not necessarily, by virtue of ordination, a medical or nutritional expert.

-He should faithfully teach what the Bible says about health and healing.

-He should encourage his people to seek the best professional advice available when needed.

143

Ministry

-The minister must be truly neutral on medical matters.

-He cannot tell one person one thing and another something else on the same subject, procedure, medicine, diet, food or supplement.

-He cannot assign fallacious levels of righteousness to physical procedures, as they are all the same in God's sight.

144

Ministry

-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.

-His realm is the spiritual and this is where he must give his counsel and advice.

-He must be sure that members of his church are not judging each other and are not comparing themselves among themselves with respect to health.

-He can be the most effective by emphasizing God's positive instructions on these matters and following up his teaching with encouragement and exhortation.

145