CAN YOU DO WITHOUT MEDICAL AID?
This blog entry is designed to teach you what the Bible really has to say in regard to physical healing and illness. The Church of God claims, “His children have the privilege to come to Him in faith for the healing of their bodies—without medical aid. To fully preach Christ is to preach divine healing.” We will examine the claims of the Church of God and see whether they are built upon a solid rock, or upon shifting sand.
The Church of God quotes from Psalm 103:1-4 as their first “proof-text” for “Divine, Physical Healing.” It should be noted that this entire psalm is a psalm of overflowing gratitude to God for His goodness, mercy, and love. Let us look at the context of this portion of Scripture: “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalm 103:1-5).
The Hebrew word translated “healed” is “rapha” (רפא) and means “to mend, to cure, to heal, to repair, to make whole.” The diseases referred to are either, (1) spiritual diseases, lusts or corruptions, which He subdues and purges out by His grace, as this phrase is used in Psalm 41:4; Isaiah 6:10; and 53:5; or, (2) corporal diseases or miseries of which this word is used in 2 Chronicles 21:18-19; Jeremiah 14:18; and 16:4.
This verse does not support “Divine, Physical Healing” in the least. The writer of the psalm, David, is praising and thanking God because He heals our ailments (whether spiritual or physical). “Bless the LORD, O my soul … who healeth all thy diseases.” It does not claim we should avoid doctors or the aid that God provides through doctors. God uses secondary means to accomplish His purposes. He gave us doctors as a means for healing our physical ailments, though He is the sovereign healer. Strike one, for the Church of God!
The Church of God then quotes from Isaiah 53:4-5 as their second “proof-text” for “Divine, Physical Healing.” Chapter 53 of Isaiah is messianic in nature. It portrays the “Suffering Servant”—Jesus—who gave His life to secure redemption for mankind (see v.5). Let us look at the immediate context of this portion of Scripture: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).
The Hebrew word translated “stripes” is “chabbuwrah” (חבורה) and means “bruise, hurt, wound.” The Hebrew word translated “healed” is once again “rapha.” By Christ’s sufferings we are saved from our sins and from the dreadful effects thereof. “By His wounds we are made whole.” There is absolutely nothing in this text to indicate, or even assume, it is referring to physical ailments—let alone to avoid medical aid. Such is an eisegesis of the text; a reading into it what is not there. Strike two, for the Church of God!
The Church of God quotes lastly from James 5:14-15 as their final “proof-text” for “Divine, Physical Healing.” Let us examine the full context of this portion of Scripture: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:13-16).
The Church of God wants you to believe that this means we are to avoid medical aid. Not so! “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” When we pray, God works—according to His will. God directs and works through the distinctive properties of each created thing so that they bring about the results that we see. For example: A botanist can detail the factors that cause grass to grow, such as sun, moisture, temperature, nutrients in the soil, etc. Yet, Scripture says that God causes the grass to grow. The fact is, God created grass with properties that require it to grow exactly the way we observe it growing, and He sustains those properties so that it continues to grow the way we observe it.
Medical aid is no different. We can observe medicine curing us because God gave it the properties to do such. Sometimes God works entirely independent of doctors and medicine, but does that mean we should tempt God by avoiding something He gave us for our well-being? How foolish! Nine times out of ten, God works in conjunction with doctors and medicine. God is the “primary cause,” whereas doctors and medicine are the “secondary causes.” Our prayer in praying over the sick is our asking Him to have mercy and heal the ailment that is plaguing our brothers or sisters (no pun intended). It is up to God’s sole discretion, according to His will, whether He will do such or not. And if He does, He may work independently of medicine or work in conjunction with medicine. We should not deny medicine out of sheer ignorance. Strike three, for the Church of God!
They're out!
WERE DOCTORS APPROVED OF IN SCRIPTURE?
If Scripture disapproves of medical aid the way the Church of God teaches, why does Jeremiah 8:22 ask for a doctor? “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Why does Ezekiel 47:12 and Revelation 22:2 speak of using leaves for medicinal purposes? “And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine” (Ezekiel 47:12; cf. Revelation 22:2).
In Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17; and Luke 5:31, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.” Jesus explains what He meant by this saying immediately following: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32). His analogy, though indicating that He was the Great Physician, proved that He recognized and advocated doctors and medicine. If He did not, He would not have used such an analogy to portray His purpose. If a person does not believe that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, that person will not use such an analogy while trying to describe something to someone else because then it undermines that person’s belief.
In Colossians, chapter 4, verses 7 through 14, Paul gives his stamp of approval on all except one of the individuals named—Demas. Paul stated that the others were fellow Christians, simply by the words he used to speak of them. But he says nothing of Demas. He was unsure of Demas, and with good reason. In 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul says of Demas, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica.” So Demas turned out to be a non-believer, an apostate.
In Colossians 4:14, Paul says, “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” Paul never uses the word “beloved” to refer to non-believers. He always uses it in conjunction with fellow Christians. This Luke is the same who penned the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He was a physician—a doctor! Paul put his stamp of approval upon this brother—this doctor—in Christ. If we were not supposed to see doctors or use medical aid, or even become doctors ourselves, do you not think that Paul would have addressed this issue? Would he not have put Luke in his place as he did with Peter in the Book of Acts regarding circumcision?
CONCLUSION
“Christians” who tempt God by denying and avoiding doctors and medicine should heed these words: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12). To fully preach Christ has nothing to do with this false doctrine. To fully preach Christ is to present the clear Gospel message—nothing more, nothing less. God has given us doctors and provided them with the knowledge and the skill to be able to heal. God has given us medicine and has created it with the properties to heal. To deny what our eyes clearly see is to be willingly ignorant. To be willingly ignorant means to be dumb on purpose. Are you being dumb on purpose?
This blog entry is designed to teach you what the Bible really has to say in regard to physical healing and illness. The Church of God claims, “His children have the privilege to come to Him in faith for the healing of their bodies—without medical aid. To fully preach Christ is to preach divine healing.” We will examine the claims of the Church of God and see whether they are built upon a solid rock, or upon shifting sand.
The Church of God quotes from Psalm 103:1-4 as their first “proof-text” for “Divine, Physical Healing.” It should be noted that this entire psalm is a psalm of overflowing gratitude to God for His goodness, mercy, and love. Let us look at the context of this portion of Scripture: “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's” (Psalm 103:1-5).
The Hebrew word translated “healed” is “rapha” (רפא) and means “to mend, to cure, to heal, to repair, to make whole.” The diseases referred to are either, (1) spiritual diseases, lusts or corruptions, which He subdues and purges out by His grace, as this phrase is used in Psalm 41:4; Isaiah 6:10; and 53:5; or, (2) corporal diseases or miseries of which this word is used in 2 Chronicles 21:18-19; Jeremiah 14:18; and 16:4.
This verse does not support “Divine, Physical Healing” in the least. The writer of the psalm, David, is praising and thanking God because He heals our ailments (whether spiritual or physical). “Bless the LORD, O my soul … who healeth all thy diseases.” It does not claim we should avoid doctors or the aid that God provides through doctors. God uses secondary means to accomplish His purposes. He gave us doctors as a means for healing our physical ailments, though He is the sovereign healer. Strike one, for the Church of God!
The Church of God then quotes from Isaiah 53:4-5 as their second “proof-text” for “Divine, Physical Healing.” Chapter 53 of Isaiah is messianic in nature. It portrays the “Suffering Servant”—Jesus—who gave His life to secure redemption for mankind (see v.5). Let us look at the immediate context of this portion of Scripture: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).
The Hebrew word translated “stripes” is “chabbuwrah” (חבורה) and means “bruise, hurt, wound.” The Hebrew word translated “healed” is once again “rapha.” By Christ’s sufferings we are saved from our sins and from the dreadful effects thereof. “By His wounds we are made whole.” There is absolutely nothing in this text to indicate, or even assume, it is referring to physical ailments—let alone to avoid medical aid. Such is an eisegesis of the text; a reading into it what is not there. Strike two, for the Church of God!
The Church of God quotes lastly from James 5:14-15 as their final “proof-text” for “Divine, Physical Healing.” Let us examine the full context of this portion of Scripture: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:13-16).
The Church of God wants you to believe that this means we are to avoid medical aid. Not so! “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” When we pray, God works—according to His will. God directs and works through the distinctive properties of each created thing so that they bring about the results that we see. For example: A botanist can detail the factors that cause grass to grow, such as sun, moisture, temperature, nutrients in the soil, etc. Yet, Scripture says that God causes the grass to grow. The fact is, God created grass with properties that require it to grow exactly the way we observe it growing, and He sustains those properties so that it continues to grow the way we observe it.
Medical aid is no different. We can observe medicine curing us because God gave it the properties to do such. Sometimes God works entirely independent of doctors and medicine, but does that mean we should tempt God by avoiding something He gave us for our well-being? How foolish! Nine times out of ten, God works in conjunction with doctors and medicine. God is the “primary cause,” whereas doctors and medicine are the “secondary causes.” Our prayer in praying over the sick is our asking Him to have mercy and heal the ailment that is plaguing our brothers or sisters (no pun intended). It is up to God’s sole discretion, according to His will, whether He will do such or not. And if He does, He may work independently of medicine or work in conjunction with medicine. We should not deny medicine out of sheer ignorance. Strike three, for the Church of God!
They're out!
WERE DOCTORS APPROVED OF IN SCRIPTURE?
If Scripture disapproves of medical aid the way the Church of God teaches, why does Jeremiah 8:22 ask for a doctor? “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Why does Ezekiel 47:12 and Revelation 22:2 speak of using leaves for medicinal purposes? “And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine” (Ezekiel 47:12; cf. Revelation 22:2).
In Matthew 9:12; Mark 2:17; and Luke 5:31, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.” Jesus explains what He meant by this saying immediately following: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:13; Mark 2:17; Luke 5:32). His analogy, though indicating that He was the Great Physician, proved that He recognized and advocated doctors and medicine. If He did not, He would not have used such an analogy to portray His purpose. If a person does not believe that a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, that person will not use such an analogy while trying to describe something to someone else because then it undermines that person’s belief.
In Colossians, chapter 4, verses 7 through 14, Paul gives his stamp of approval on all except one of the individuals named—Demas. Paul stated that the others were fellow Christians, simply by the words he used to speak of them. But he says nothing of Demas. He was unsure of Demas, and with good reason. In 2 Timothy 4:10, Paul says of Demas, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica.” So Demas turned out to be a non-believer, an apostate.
In Colossians 4:14, Paul says, “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.” Paul never uses the word “beloved” to refer to non-believers. He always uses it in conjunction with fellow Christians. This Luke is the same who penned the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He was a physician—a doctor! Paul put his stamp of approval upon this brother—this doctor—in Christ. If we were not supposed to see doctors or use medical aid, or even become doctors ourselves, do you not think that Paul would have addressed this issue? Would he not have put Luke in his place as he did with Peter in the Book of Acts regarding circumcision?
CONCLUSION
“Christians” who tempt God by denying and avoiding doctors and medicine should heed these words: “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12). To fully preach Christ has nothing to do with this false doctrine. To fully preach Christ is to present the clear Gospel message—nothing more, nothing less. God has given us doctors and provided them with the knowledge and the skill to be able to heal. God has given us medicine and has created it with the properties to heal. To deny what our eyes clearly see is to be willingly ignorant. To be willingly ignorant means to be dumb on purpose. Are you being dumb on purpose?