25 objections to divine healing and the bible answers gordon lindsay by Katuri

25 OBJECTIONS TO DIVINE HEALING AND THE BIBLE ANSWERS

Despite the fact that literally millions of people have received divine healing and have testified to the same, and the Scriptures unequivocally promise healing and deliverance for the believer, there is rising a subtle form of opposition against this great truth that has been so precious to God’s people. The objections raised have a certain plausibility and sometimes succeed in weakening the faith of those who have the greatest need. In this volume we have noted practically all the main objections that have been raised against divine healing and have given the Bible answer to them. Included in these objections are the following: If divine healing is for Christians, why are so many sick? Doesn’t the Bible say that the Lord sends sickness upon His people? Is not sickness divine discipline? Was not divine healing intended only for the apostolic age? Did not Jesus say that some sickness was for the glory of God? Does not the Bible declare that Job was a perfect man, and yet he was sick? Does not the Scripture state that Paul was nearly blind? Did not Paul himself declare that he had a thorn in the flesh? What about Timothy’s wine and infirmities? What about Hezekiah’s poultice? These and many other questions are answered in this volume. It is a concise, comprehensive, and compelling answer to those objections raised against divine healing, and a powerful faith-builder to all those who need deliverance.

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers by Gordon Lindsay

Prepared for The World Correspondence Course

Published by The Voice of Healing Publishing Co. Dallas, Texas Litho U. S. A. The year 1966

Contents OBJECTION 1: If divine healing is for all Christians, why is there so much sickness among them?...................................................................7 OBJECTION 2: But there are true saints deeply consecrated to the Lord's work that are not healed. Doesn't this prove that it is not the will of God to heal all?...................................................................................9 OBJECTION 3: The healings of Christ were performed instantly. Those who pray for the sick today teach that the healing will take place gradually. If God, who has all power, were to do the healing, He would do it instantly and perfectly...................................................................11 OBJECTION 4: The healing ministries of Jesus and Paul were different from those who pray for the sick today. In these days people are told that they have to have faith in order to get healed. In contrast Jesus could heal as many sick people as He chose at any time, regardless of their faith...............................................................................................13 OBJECTION 5: Those who teach divine healing say that it is the devil that sends sickness. Yet the Bible declares that the Lord brought sickness on certain individuals..............................................................15 OBJECTION 6: God permits sickness to come upon some of His people as divine discipline; therefore, it is the will of God for them to be sick...................................................................................................17 OBJECTION 7: Divine healing was only for the church in the apostolic age.........................................................................................................19 OBJECTION 8: Some who have prayed for the sick have proved to be dishonest. This would suggest that the ministry of healing is not genuine..................................................................................................23 OBJECTION 9: Jesus spoke of those who prophesied and healed the sick, yet in the end they went into perdition:.........................................25 OBJECTION 10: If we are to expect God to heal the sick today through prayer, then we should expect Him to raise the dead............................27

OBJECTION 11: The command in James 5:14 for the elders to pray for the sick is not relevant to the church because the book of James was written only to the Jews.........................................................................29 OBJECTION 12: Even if divine healing is taught in the Scriptures, it was intended for the private ministry only. The practice of praying for the sick in public is not only embarrassing to people, but unscriptural. ...............................................................................................................31 OBJECTION 13: Jesus said concerning the fatal illness of Lazarus, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4). Does not this show that some sickness is for the glory of God?.................................................33 OBJECTION 14: If Christ heals a person, why in some cases does the sickness come back again? If God has all power, why is not the healing permanent?............................................................................................35 OBJECTION 15: God said that Job was a perfect man. Nevertheless, he suffered a serious illness caused by virulent boils. Does this not prove that it is God's will for even the choicest Christians to be sick?...........37 OBJECTION 16: Theologians generally agree that Paul was almost blind and could not be healed. Is not this proof that it is not the will of God that everyone should be healed?....................................................39 OBJECTION 17: But Paul himself says that he had a thorn in the flesh. Bible expositors generally teach that this means that Paul was sick and though he sought deliverance, God refused to heal him. Does not this prove that it is not the will of God to heal all?......................................41 OBJECTION 18: Paul told Timothy to "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." Does not this show that Timothy was often sick and that Paul advised him to use the medicinal properties of wine for the alleviation of ills rather than to expect divine healing?...............................................................45 OBJECTION 19: But Paul spoke about Timothy's infirmities. Why did he not encourage Timothy to get healed of his infirmities? Did not the apostle Paul himself say he had infirmities (Il Cor. 11:30; 12:5, 9-10), and had not been able to get deliverance? Why could he not get healed of them?.................................................................................................47 OBJECTION 20: Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletum (II Timothy 4:20). At another time Epaphroditus, his closest companion, was desperately ill and recovered only after a protracted convalescence (Phil. 2:25-30). How can you harmonize these facts with the position that it is the will of God for all true Christians to be well?...................51

OBJECTION 21: God told Hezekiah to put a poultice on his carbuncle. Does this not prove that God intended medical means to be used for healing?.................................................................................................53 OBJECTION 22: But Jesus said, "They that be whole need not a physician; but they that are sick." In saying this did not He mean that Christians should go to the physicians for healing rather than to God? 55 OBJECTION 23: A certain well-known writer against divine healing has stated: "The doctrine that our Lord Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, made an atonement for the sicknesses and disease of the body, is a false doctrine, a doctrine that cannot be found from one end of the Holy Scripture to the other.".......................................................59 OBJECTION 24: The noted men of God in the past have universally rejected the doctrine of healing's being in the atonement.....................63 OBJECTION 25: If healing is in the atonement and some Christians are not healed, then these must conclude that they are all sinners in the sight of God and under condemnation...........................................................65 A Test Case of Healing.........................................................................67

OBJECTION 1: If divine healing is for all Christians, why is there so much sickness among them? The Bible Answer: Paul said, “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:29-31). Paul did not say that the saints could expect sickness as the normal thing in life. Many indeed were sick in his day as they are in ours, but he said there was a cause. They had not discerned the Lord’s body that was broken for their bodies. Nor had they judged themselves. Consequently, many were sick and weak, and many died prematurely. In addition, since the human body is subject to certain physical laws, it is necessary for Christians to observe these laws. After the Lord gave the covenant of healing in Exodus 15:25-26, He followed it with certain statutes and instructions on the care of the body. In the very next chapter (Exodus 16) we are told that God gave the children of Israel a simple but healthful diet of manna; but they were not satisfied with this, and they gave themselves over to an orgy of gluttony (Psa. 78:18, 29-31). Some Christians eat excessively and many are overweight. As any physician will affirm, excessive weight predisposes to disease and early death. The Lord also gave a law regarding rest. Many Christians ignore this. Even Jesus taught His disciples to take periods of rest (Mark 6:31). Others are guilty of giving way to fears, anxiety, and worry, all of which have an adverse effect on the nervous system. The Bible teaches us to be “careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6). The truth of the matter is that God’s plan for His saints is 7

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

more than divine healing. It is divine health. Most Christians have not been taught this. They look for repeated sicknesses and repeated healings as the best they can expect. Consequently some get the repeated sicknesses, but not the repeated healings. The covenant of healing given in Exodus 15:26 promised that if the children of Israel would keep His commandments which included the health laws, they would be free from the diseases which had come upon the Egyptians. The promise was repeated several times. And ye shall serve the Lord your God; and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. (Exod. 23:25). And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. (Deut. 7:15).

The same truth is taught in the New Testament; for example, III John 2, “Beloved. I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” God made man in His own image and gave him dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). That dominion was lost by Adam’s disobedience. It was partially recovered in Moses’ day, but in Christ we recover all. We live in a different dispensation from those who lived under the Old Testament. God gave a promise of freedom from sickness under the Mosaic Law. The New Testament was in all respects a better covenant. It would be strange indeed if the old covenant promised health and freedom from sickness, and now under the New Testament we have to revert to being subject to the diseases of the Egyptians. God forbid!

OBJECTION 2: But there are true saints deeply consecrated to the Lord's work that are not healed. Doesn't this prove that it is not the will of God to heal all? The Bible Answer: Some saints are not healed because they believe it is God’s will for them to be sick. Yet these same people without compunction of conscience will send for a physician and use all possible remedies to get rid of that which they claim is upon them for their good. This confused thinking is usually caused by false teaching. Often the person is unaware of the absurdity of his position. If it is God’s will for him to be sick, then for him to seek healing by other means would be trying to outwit God. Obviously, down in his heart he believes it is God’s will for him to be well, but according to the teaching he has received, it can be obtained only through drugs and medicine. How tragic this is! God commanded the sick believer not to resign himself to sickness and say he is suffering for the glory of God but to call the elders of the church to pray for him. And the promise is that if he does so, and the prayer of faith is prayed, the Lord will raise him up.

OBJECTION 3: The healings of Christ were performed instantly. Those who pray for the sick today teach that the healing will take place gradually. If God, who has all power, were to do the healing, He would do it instantly and perfectly. The Bible Answer: What God does and what people think He should do are often two different things. There are many healings today that do take place instantly, even as they did in the days of Jesus. On the other hand, there are others that are not manifested at once. To ask why God does not heal all instantly is to ignore the fact that a person’s individual faith has much to do with healing. We have to let God set the rules. Not everyone was made perfectly whole the first moment Christ ministered to them. Jesus said to the nobleman whose son was at the point of death, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe” (John 4:48). In other words he wanted a spectacular miracle wrought. The nobleman accepted the rebuke and went his way believing. He was not disappointed. His son was not made whole instantly, but from that hour he began to amend. The blind man of Bethsaida, after Christ laid His hands upon him was able to see, but he still had blurred vision. He said, “I see men as trees, walking” (Mark 8:24). Further ministry brought perfect deliverance. Christ told the ten lepers to go to the priest and show themselves as a testimony of their healing. Yet at the time apparently nothing took place. As they went their way they were cleansed (Luke 17:14). Faith is an act. Often the manifestation of the healing appears as we go our way believing the promise. Christ said of believers that “they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” The word recover implies gradual healing rather then an instantaneous miracle. Many do not understand the meaning of faith. They say that 11

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

if God heals them they will believe. That is not faith. It does not require any faith once the healing has taken place. Faith is only faith when nothing is seen by the natural eye.

OBJECTION 4: The healing ministries of Jesus and Paul were different from those who pray for the sick today. In these days people are told that they have to have faith in order to get healed. In contrast Jesus could heal as many sick people as He chose at any time, regardless of their faith. The Bible Answer: The above statement that Jesus healed anybody and everybody at any time He chose appears to honor Christ, but it is not in accord with the record. Christ emptied Himself of His Godhead and came to earth and ministered healing according to the same laws and limitations under which we have to work. When Jesus was preaching in His home town of Nazareth, the citizens were skeptical of His claims. They wanted Him to perform His wonders before they would believe (Luke 4:23). The Lord could do little in such an atmosphere of unbelief. We are told that “He could do there no mighty work, save that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled at their unbelief” (Mark 6:5-6). Notice that the Scripture does not say He would do no mighty work, but it says He could do no mighty work. The Lord, seeing the skepticism in Nazareth pointed out that in the days of Elijah and Elisha the children of Israel by their unbelief missed the blessing, while believing Gentiles not under the covenant promise received. (Christ’s reference was to the healing of Naaman and the miracles Elijah performed for the widow of Zarephath.) Jesus always attached the condition of faith to healing. To Martha He spoke saying, “Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, that thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). To the blind man He said, “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt. 9:29). To the woman with the issue 13

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

of blood He said, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” To the centurion He said, “Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.” Although none of us can say our faith is as strong and steady as Christ’s, He operated under the same laws of faith as we do. Likewise did Paul. When he healed the man impotent from birth, we are told that Paul was “steadfastly beholding him and perceiving that he had faith to be healed” (Acts 14:9). Paul commanded him to rise and walk because he saw the man had faith to be healed.

OBJECTION 5: Those who teach divine healing say that it is the devil that sends sickness. Yet the Bible declares that the Lord brought sickness on certain individuals. The Bible Answer: The answer to this objection is simple. It is true that nothing in this world can happen unless God permits it. For example, concerning Christ’s death on the cross, Romans 8:32 declares that God “spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all.” But other Scriptures show us what we all know to be true that God did not exactly put Christ to death, but the ones who were guilty of this crime were ungodly men who took the Saviour and “by wicked hands” slew him (Acts 2:23). These men were controlled by the power of darkness—another term for Satan and his angels. “When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness” (Luke 22:53). Let us notice two Scriptures that speak of those guilty of the death of our Lord. Matthew 27:1-2 indicates first the guilt of the chief priests and the elders. “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.” The other Scripture speaks of Pilate’s being responsible for delivering Jesus to be crucified. “Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Matt. 27:26). Although these Scriptures speak of three different parties’ being responsible for the delivering up of Christ to death, everyone understands that Pilate and the chief priests were the ones who were guilty of the crucifixion of the Lord. 15

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

God was not responsible for the death of His beloved Son. True, He delivered Him up, but only in the sense that He permitted Him to come under the power of evil hands that He might die on the cross to accomplish the redemption of lost humanity. Every Christian fully understands that it was Satan, or the power of darkness, which controlled the hearts of wicked men that conceived the plot to put the Redeemer to death. Likewise, it was Satan that entered into the heart of Judas and caused him to betray his Master (John 13:27). But as Jesus said, they could have done nothing had not God permitted them free course of action (John 19:11). In this sense only God delivered Jesus to die. The Scriptures show that the same thing is true in the matter of God’s sending sickness and disease. The devil said to God concerning His servant Job, “Put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face” (Job 2:5). Satan knew that nothing could touch Job except God permitted it. In fact, as the devil well knew the Lord had built a hedge about Job, and though he had skulked about Job’s property for a long time, he had never been able to get at the patriarch himself. But now God gave His permission for sickness to come upon Job. But it wasn’t God who sent the sickness! He just withdrew His protection. We are taken behind the scenes, as it were, and are given the opportunity to see just who put the boils on Job. It was the devil, as the next verse plainly declares. “So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown” (Verse 7). God sends sickness only in the sense that when certain circumstances arise, He withdraws the hedge of divine protection, so that Satan can do his evil work. As Proverbs 26:2 tells us, “The curse causeless shall not come.” (We shall speak further of Job at another place.)

OBJECTION 6: God permits sickness to come upon some of His people as divine discipline; therefore, it is the will of God for them to be sick. The Bible Answer: It is true that some Christians are sick as a matter of divine discipline, but discipline implies that there is a lesson to be learned. If so, should not those under discipline learn their lesson as soon as possible and get healed? Moreover, it is a matter of common observation that in many cases sickness does not result in any good to the person. Some who have lived their lives as invalids have become irritable and frustrated persons. People do not fulfill their mission in life sitting in wheel chairs or lying in beds. Disease is from the devil, and as far as he is concerned, he does not intend that it should do his victim any good. Again sickness often cuts people off in the midst of their years, leaving behind the brokenhearted, the fatherless, and motherless. For example, sometimes an illness could lead to a permanent nervous affliction and in certain cases even to insanity. Contrary to what is often taught, sickness does not have some mysterious sanctifying power. Too often it depresses and takes the very heart out of an individual. It is true that sickness is permitted as divine discipline where flagrant sin is involved. We see this clearly in I Corinthians 5:15 in the case of a fornicator in the church. But there was a reason that the judgment came. It was the consequence of manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own sin. Nor was this drastic treatment without result. The man, after being reduced to an abject physical state, repented. God forgave him; the church was instructed to forgive him, and his soul was saved. Certainly God can use sickness as well as other misfortunes to bring people to Him. But does the child of God have to learn obedience by means of the whip? Must he have the lash before 17

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

he will do God’s will? God forbid! God has a better way to teach people than afflicting them with some foul disease. Nevertheless, some will seek God’s will for their life only when they suffer. Only after they go through great pain will they give up self-will. David, who committed his great sin said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word” (Psa. 119:67). With such, God may permit sickness to come as divine discipline. But this is something altogether different from God’s sending disease upon His children for mysterious reasons that no one can discern or understand. We should add that many have been afflicted for no cause of their own. Jesus pointed this out to His disciples in the case of the blind man saying that “neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3). The Lord showed that God’s works were not manifest by the man’s remaining blind, but instead He healed him that very day. The Lord received glory through his healing, not when he was sick. We are living in a world that is in travail. It reels and staggers under the blows of Satan. Instead of the church’s excusing its lethargy with pious platitudes that the afflicted are suffering for God's glory and consigning these victims to a future of pain and suffering, she should meet the challenge by rising up in the faith of the Son of God and bringing deliverance to them.

OBJECTION 7: Divine healing was only for the church in the apostolic age. The Bible Answer: The Scriptures do not even hint at a change in God’s plan during the church age. Jesus commanded the disciples in the Great Commission to heal the sick, to cast out devils, and to evangelize the nations. They were to teach the people the same things that He had taught. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matt. 28:20).

Paul spoke of the testimony of Christ being confirmed by the gifts of the Spirit even until His coming. “So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 1:7-8). But what does history say about the gifts ceasing with the apostles? It is a simple matter to quote statements from the Church fathers which clearly disprove the idea that divine healing was only for the apostolic age. The following is taken from T. J. McCrossan’s book, Bodily Healing and the Atonement. Justin Martyr, who lived in the Second Century and was one of the great church leaders and scholars of his day says: For numberless demoniacs throughout the whole world and in your city, many of our Christian men, exorcising them in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, have healed and do heal, rendering helpless and driving the possessing devils out of the men, though they could not be cured by all the other exorcists, and those who used incantations and drugs. (Apol. II Chapter 6).

Irenaeus in 200 A. D. states that the miracle-working power 19

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

was in the church in his time. Those who are in truth His disciples, receiving grace from Him, do in His name perform miracles; and they do truly cast out devils. Others still heal the sick by laying their hands upon them, and they are made whole. Yea, moreover, as I have said, the dead even have been raised up, and remained among us for many years. (Vs. Heretics, Bk. I, Chapter 32).

This same apostolic miracle-working power was in the church down to 250 A. D., according to Origen. And some give evidence of their having received through their faith a marvelous power by the cures which they perform, invoking no other name over those who need their help than that of the God of all things, and of Jesus, along with a mention of His history. For by these means we too have seen many persons freed from grievous calamities, and countless other ills, which could be cured by neither men nor devils. (Contra Celsuni B. Ill, Chapter 24).

The church experienced this same miracle-working power down to 275 A. D. according to Clement. Let them (young ministers), therefore, with fasting and prayer, make their intercessions, and not with the well arranged, and fitly ordered words of learning, but as men who have received the gift of healing confidently, to the glory of God. (Epis. C. XII).

Theodore of Mopsueste (429 A. D.) continues: Many heathen amongst us are being healed by Christians from whatever sickness they have, so abundant are the miracles in our midst. (Christliebâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Modern Doubt, p. 230).

In History of United Brethren, page 17, Rev. A. Bost quotes the famous Zinzendorf's words spoken in 1730: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To believe against hope is the root of the gift of miracles; and I owe this testimony to our beloved church, that Apostolic powers are there manifested. We have had undeniable proofs thereof in the unequivocal discovery of things, persons, and circumstances, which could not humanly have been

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers discovered, in the healing of maladies in themselves incurable, such as cancers, consumptions, when the patient was in the agonies of death, all by means of prayer, or of a single word.â&#x20AC;?

These are but a sample of the vast amount of recorded evidence that miraculous healings have occurred all through the church age.

OBJECTION 8: Some who have prayed for the sick have proved to be dishonest. This would suggest that the ministry of healing is not genuine. The Bible Answer: Those who take this stand would not have accepted Christ when He was here on earth. One of Christ’s chief apostles, the treasurer of the party, turned out to be a thief. Judas Iscariot shared the healing ministry of the other apostles; he performed miracles of healing. Peter plainly said that Judas “obtained a part of this ministry” (Acts 1:17). The Seventy came back rejoicing and declaring that devils were subject to the name of Jesus. It cannot be assumed that Judas as a member of the apostolic party had a lesser ministry than they. We are told that the Twelve went out and “cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:12-13). The case of Judas shows that a man can have a real ministry and yet fail God. The fall of Judas or of any other preacher can in no wise invalidate the ministry practiced by Christ and His followers. The attempt to condemn the whole ministry because someone has failed God is mischievous and malicious. God’s promises are true regardless of what man may or may not do. It is true that the love of money has been the downfall of some ministers, but no group can point its finger at another. If the apostolic treasurer proved to be a thief, it is not surprising that some today should bring reproach upon their ministry by unethical acts. Such occurrences are to be condemned, but they are not restricted to any particular group. On the other hand, we might add that there are some who complain every time an offering is taken. People who deny the church the necessary funds to carry on its work are a disgrace to the cause. God calls them robbers (Mal. 3:8-10). 23

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Despite mistakes that some may make, divine healing is still God's gift to the sick and suffering. Men may come and men may go, but Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s promises stand forever.

OBJECTION 9: Jesus spoke of those who prophesied and healed the sick, yet in the end they went into perdition: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matt. 7:2123).

Are not these words of Jesus an indication that divine healers as a whole are false prophets?

The Bible Answer: The above question has been largely answered under the last objection. The term “divine healer” is usually applied in derision to those who follow the Lord’s command to pray for the sick as given in the Great Commission. The only divine healer we recognize is Christ. If some have commercialized or otherwise abused the ministry of healing, they are not to be defended. If anyone—whatever his ministry—is not a true steward of God’s money, or uses the ministry as a cover for an evil life, then in the end he will suffer the fate mentioned above. Each man stands or falls to his own master. The Bible declares that some have had real gifts from God and have failed. Balaam had the gift of prophecy but sold out for money. Samson was called of God and given unusual gifts but traded his birthright for sensuality. Saul was called to be a king and was given a prophet’s ministry but failed through disobedience. These men, once highly favored with the blessings of heaven, lost out with God. There are some who suppose that their calling is to expose the misdeeds of others. If that is their calling, let them follow it through. It is certainly not a high objective. However, let them 25

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beware that they do not do this as a pretext for fighting the divine healing ministry or traducing other ministers who are faithfully carrying out Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s command to pray for the sick. This was the trick Robert G. Ingersol, the notorious infidel, used. He railed against the ministry and those who failed God as proof that the Bible was not true.

OBJECTION 10: If we are to expect God to heal the sick today through prayer, then we should expect Him to raise the dead. The Bible Answer: Although from time to time throughout the church age certain individuals have been raised from the dead, the command to raise the dead is not in the Great Commission. Jesus told the believers that they would lay hands on the sick and they should recover (Mark 16:16-18). While God on occasion may and has indicated His will that a certain person be raised to life, there is no promise in the Scriptures for us to pray for all the dead. Such miracles will happen occasionally, but with few exceptions those who die in Christ will go to Him to await the resurrection day. People may receive healings at different times in their lives, but ultimately there is a time, as was the case of the great Elisha, when it is not the will of God for them to remain longer in this world. It is time for them to go home (II Kings 13:14). We need not sorrow but rejoice in the homegoing of a saint of God. As the Scripture says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord... Absent from the body, and to be present with the Lordâ&#x20AC;? (Rev. 14:13; II Cor. 5:8).

OBJECTION 11: The command in James 5:14 for the elders to pray for the sick is not relevant to the church because the book of James was written only to the Jews. The Bible Answer: The church of James’ day included both Jews and Gentiles. Certainly James wrote to the church regardless of whether it was composed of Jews or Gentiles, for he said, “Is there any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church.” Surely no one can say that James was not speaking to the church when he said, “let him call for the elders of the church.”

OBJECTION 12: Even if divine healing the Scriptures, it was intended for ministry only. The practice of praying in public is not only embarrassing to unscriptural.

is taught in the private for the sick people, but

The Bible Answer: The simple truth is that the healing ministry of Christ was essentially a public ministry. The woman who thought to touch the hem of Christ’s garment and remain unnoticed by the crowd was called out by the Lord so that the people could see what God had done for her. Her testimony would help others to believe. The ministry of healing as a public ministry was no improvisation by Jesus, but was in direct line with the purpose of His mission in the world. When He called His disciples. He commissioned them saying, “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:7-8). He gave a similar commission to seventy other disciples as recorded in Luke 10:9. The Lord indicated the power and importance of the healing ministry by declaring that if Sodom had witnessed the same miracles that He had performed in Galilee, they would have repented (Matt. 11:21 -24). This is an unanswerable rebuke to those who say that the winning of souls suffers when the ministry of divine healing is practiced. The fact is that multitudes have been brought to salvation through that ministry. The Great Commission includes the command to “lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:17-18). The apostles understood the manner of their ministry after Jesus had left them when they prayed, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness 31

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they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus” (Acts 4:29-30). The Lord answered their prayer, and the tide of revival rose higher and higher. “Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them” (Acts 5:15). Peter was not the only one who conducted healing revivals. Some of the deacons felt the call and began to preach and to minister to the sick. Word spread that Stephen was having notable results in the healing ministry. His work grew to such an extent that the Jews, maddened beyond measure, came upon him and murdered him (Acts 7). Philip was another deacon whom God used in the healing ministry. He went down to Samaria preaching the gospel of Christ. “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did” (Acts 8:6). The context goes on to say that “many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed, and there was great joy in that city.” I Corinthians 12:28 tells us that the gifts of healing were set permanently in the church. They are placed in the church even as the teaching ministry is set in the church. Public healing ministry is Scriptural and is still in action, skeptics notwithstanding.

OBJECTION 13: Jesus said concerning the fatal illness of Lazarus, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby" (John 11:4). Does not this show that some sickness is for the glory of God? The Bible Answer: This question is easily answered. When did God get the glory? Did He get it while Lazarus was sick and dying? Did He get it when Lazarus was dead? The answer is no. God got the glory after Lazarus was raised from the dead. When Thomas heard that Lazarus was dead, he said in a hopeless way, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” When Jesus came to Bethany, Martha said in a reproachful tone, “If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Mary, brokenhearted, said the same thing. The Jews in their questioning said, “Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” It is clear from all this that the sickness of Lazarus and his death brought no glory to God, but only sadness and doubt. The people were stunned that Jesus had not healed Lazarus. But after the great miracle took place, we are told, “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” Sickness in itself does not bring glory to God. It is the healing of the sickness that does.

OBJECTION 14: If Christ heals a person, why in some cases does the sickness come back again? If God has all power, why is not the healing permanent? The Bible Answer: Even Lazarus whom Christ raised from the dead evidently got sick again and died. Only this time Lazarus had fulfilled his years. God’s will for the believer is expressed in Ill John 2 where the apostle says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” Often there is a relation between physical health and the soul’s prosperity. We are healed by faith, and we retain our healing by faith—just as a man is saved by faith and must walk by faith. To maintain healing we must ever keep in vital contact with the Healer. It would be strange indeed if Satan did not tempt people after they receive a physical healing. Jesus did not neglect to warn those who were delivered under His ministry to beware of losing their healing. He said to one man who was healed, “Behold, thou art made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (John 5:14). What is the “worse thing” to which Christ referred? Evidently it might have been another disease, or it could have been the same affliction in a more intensified form. In Luke 11:14-28 we are told that Christ cast the devil from a dumb man and healed him. But the Lord did not guarantee that the man would necessarily keep his healing. Those healed ought to retain it, and it is God’s will that they should. Nevertheless, Jesus explained that “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places...” meaning that the evil spirit found rest only when he was in a body. In other words, Jesus was saying that the evil spirit (and perhaps other evil spirits) would 35

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return and attempt to re-enter the body. But it could do so only if it found the house “swept and garnished.” If a man who has been delivered fails to keep his life filled with God, the enemy may be able to re-enter. Thus Jesus taught that an affliction could come back again upon the one that was delivered. But it was not God’s will for this to happen, and Jesus gave this warning so that the individual should be alerted and prepared for the attacks of the enemy.

OBJECTION 15: God said that Job was a perfect man. Nevertheless, he suffered a serious illness caused by virulent boils. Does this not prove that it is God's will for even the choicest Christians to be sick? The Bible Answer: It is common to hear it said that God sent the boils upon Job. Even Job believed that it was God who afflicted him. He said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Actually, it was God who gave, and it was the devil who took away. Job also said, “For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplied my wounds without cause” (Job 9:17). Job’s wife believed God was responsible for her husband’s misfortunes, and her advice was that he “curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). His friends told him that God sent the affliction (Job 11:3, 6, 14). But they were all wrong. The fact was that the devil, not God, had put the boils on Job. Here is what the Bible says: So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (Job 2:7).

The Scriptures also declare that Job’s sickness was a "captivity.” Satan takes the bodies of people captive in the same way he does their souls (Job 42:10). Of course, since the soul is more valuable than the body, it is the greater disaster for the soul to be taken captive. Job 1 shows that God had placed a wall of protection around the patriarch, but the evidence is that Job allowed that wall of protection to be broken down. Although God spoke of Job as a perfect man, He was not referring to sinless perfection. Noah is spoken of as perfect, but he made a serious mistake as Genesis 9:21-23 informs us. By the term “perfection” God means that 37

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Job and Noah were as perfect as He could expect according to the light which they had received. Actually, there was a circumstance about Job that could have resulted in his calamity if there were no other cause—he was full of fear. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. (Job 3:25-26).

This was the heart of his trouble. Whatever may have been our experience, if we have not conquered the fear problem, we are in danger. Satan always has an opening where there is fear. Jesus, knowing this danger, repeatedly said to His disciples, “Fear not;” "be not afraid;” “why do you doubt?" If one’s trust is in God, he will not fear. To that proportion to which one fears, he is not crusting God. Fear is the thing that can bring sickness to any home. Any physician will tell you that fear is the cause of many nervous disorders. The one thing that some people forget in comparing themselves with Job is that while Job did suffer a severe illness, the time came when he decided that he had lain in the ashes long enough. As his soul reached out to God, his faith not only became strong, but he foresaw the coming of the Great Redeemer to the earth (Job 19:25-27). He ceased questioning God and turning from his own self- righteousness, he confessed his faults (Job 40:4; 42:3, 6). Then God healed him and gave him long life and prosperity. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave him twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10).

OBJECTION 16: Theologians generally agree that Paul was almost blind and could not be healed. Is not this proof that it is not the will of God that everyone should be healed? The Bible Answer: This supposition of Paul’s blindness is purely a human tradition. The Bible does say that the apostle Paul lost his sight on the Damascus road and was led by hand into the city. But the same chapter also declares that Ananias laid his hands upon Paul, and he received his sight (Acts 9:17-18). This statement is very clear and cannot be contradicted. God’s Word says he received his sight, and we believe he did, theologians notwithstanding. But we add this:The Bible does not teach that divine healing will keep us from aging. In Philemon 9 the apostle speaks of himself as “Paul the aged.” The aging process goes on continually in all members of the human race whether saints or sinners. Divine healing does not mean that this aging process will be arrested. As people get older their vitality declines. Bones become brittle. The flesh becomes flabby, and wrinkles appear in the skin. Teeth tend to decay and have to be filled or removed. Whatever goes with aging might be true in Paul’s case, but he was not sick.

OBJECTION 17: But Paul himself says that he had a thorn in the flesh. Bible expositors generally teach that this means that Paul was sick and though he sought deliverance, God refused to heal him. Does not this prove that it is not the will of God to heal all? The Bible Answer: Many are prone to compare themselves to Paul in the matter of his “thorn in the flesh.” We should note the reason for which he had the “thorn.” Paul said it was given him lest he “should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations” (II Cor. 12:7). It is interesting to note that most of those who claim to have a “thorn in the flesh” do not have it because of overabundant revelations. Many who make such excuses do not even know the Scriptures on divine healing. Far from having received any great revelation, they have given little heed to revelations already given, such as Psalm 103:2-3 which declares, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.” It is always wise to allow the Scriptures to explain themselves. The above phrase, “thorn in the flesh,” is figurative and not a literal “thorn.” We shall see in the Scriptures that the term “thorn in the flesh” is used figuratively to indicate persecution by wicked persons and not diseases. In Numbers 33:55 Moses said: If ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein you dwell.

Joshua speaking at a later time used the term in the same 41

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way: “They shall be... scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes” (Josh. 23:13). Again in Judges 2:3, the Lord speaks of the Canaanites as “thorns in your sides.” We see, therefore, that according to the Scriptures a “thorn in the flesh” is not a disease but an enemy whom the devil uses to annoy or persecute the children of God. If we allow the Scripture to interpret Scripture, then the matter should be forever settled as to what the Bible means when it speaks of a “thorn in the flesh.” In the very passage of Scripture in which Paul speaks of his “thorn in the flesh” he refers to it as an infirmity, or infirmities. He says: Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong. (II Cor. 12:9-10).

Paul lists his infirmities here as necessities, persecutions, and distresses. In the preceding 11th chapter, he makes a long list of these infirmities and distresses—twenty-three in all. Notice that with the exception of the natural hardships encountered in those days in the preaching of the gospel, almost all the troubles Paul listed have to do with persecution either by the heathen or by false brethren. These men inspired by Satan raged against him, beating him, stoning him, putting him in prison, subjecting him to hunger and thirst and every kind of indignity. At one time he had been shielded from much of this persecution, but during his later years God allowed the full force of it to come against him, so that at times he even despaired of his life. At least twice he spent a term in prison. But notice! Not once does he list sickness among his infirmities. Nowhere does he mention cancer, tuberculosis, or any other physical affliction. It thus would appear to be pure invention to say that Paul’s infirmities included blindness or some kind of disease. 42

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Moreover, if Paul were sick, then why did he say what he did in I Corinthians 11:29-31? For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

It would be strange indeed if Paul taught that others in the church were sick because they did not judge themselves or discern the Lord’s body, and then Paul himself were chronically sick! Imagine Paul’s reproaching others and excusing himself! It is plain that Paul did not teach that sickness was a special providence of God to help Christians become more spiritual; rather it was because they had not judged themselves. "But let a man examine himself and, so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (Verse 28). Some insist that if Paul did not actually have an organic disease, his health was poor, and he suffered from many ailments. Such speculations plainly contradict the Scriptural record. The fact is that Paul must have enjoyed rugged health to have endured the many hardships and trials listed in, II Corinthians 11. Paul himself testified that he "labored more abundantly than they all” (1 Cor. 15:10). Do those words sound like the words of a sick man? As someone has said, if Paul suffered from a disease, we should pray that every church member should get the same kind of disease! Actually Paul, as far as the record is concerned, enjoyed divine health. The Scriptures indicate he lived above sickness. There was one instance in which Paul was left for dead as the result of a stoning by a wicked mob which was intent on putting an end to him and his ministry. But while the sorrowing disciples stood about his bruised body, suddenly Paul arose to his feet apparently unharmed. He was able to go back with his friends into the city (Acts 14:19-20). The evidence is that as long as the apostle lived, he trusted Christ as his healer. There was no diminishing of his faith in 43

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God during his last years. In the final chapter of the book of Acts, Paul, after escaping from the wrecked ship reached land, was attacked by a poisonous viper that coiled around his hand. The natives fully expected him to fall dead. But Paul, trusting in Christ the Great Physician, felt no harm. This miracle resulted in Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s praying for the sick of the island, including the father of Publius, the chief man.

OBJECTION 18: Paul told Timothy to "Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities." Does not this show that Timothy was often sick and that Paul advised him to use the medicinal properties of wine for the alleviation of ills rather than to expect divine healing? The Bible Answer: That there are two kinds of wine is proved from Luke 5:3739, where Jesus mentions that new wine is not to be put into old wine skins. The old wineskins were full of fermenting lees which would quickly introduce the process of fermentation into the new wine, thus bursting the bottles. If the new wine were already alcoholic wine, it would make no difference whether it were put into old wineskins or not. Actually what Paul was teaching was that Timothy should substitute the healthful qualities of grape juice for water (often badly contaminated). The noted woman physician, Dr. Lillian B. Yeomans says: I shall consider it as belonging to the original text, and I believe that in it Paul advised Timothy in regard to his diet, suggesting the substitution of the juice of the grape, which is most valuable from the standpoint of nutrition, for water, as a beverage, just as though I should counsel one of you to take cocoa, or other nourishing drink, with your meals, instead of water only. In the New Testament we are left perfectly free, under God, as to our diet and so long as we eat and drink to His glory, we may consult our preferences as to the selection we make. Indeed, with a perfectly healthy personâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and God makes us perfectly healthy if we trust Himâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the tastes are an index of the requirements of the systems and should be regarded as such. That God desires us to enjoy a variety of foods is evident from the fact that He has provided so many

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers different kinds, each possessing some special property peculiar to itself and valuable to us. I believe that we should show our gratitude to Him, first by thanking Him for His lavish kindness in this regard; and second, by furnishing our tables with a varied diet, so far as our means will permit. There is no doubt that such a diet makes for health and efficiency.

OBJECTION 19: But Paul spoke about Timothy's infirmities. Why did he not encourage Timothy to get healed of his infirmities? Did not the apostle Paul himself say he had infirmities (Il Cor. 11:30; 12:5, 9-10), and had not been able to get deliverance? Why could he not get healed of them? The Bible Answer: This question has been partially answered elsewhere. Again we have the matter of the meaning of a word. Actually the word “infirmity” according to the dictionary is defined as “the quality or state of being infirm; feebleness, weakness. A physical weakness or defect” (Webster’s New World Dictionary). Young’s Greek Concordance states that this definition is correct and fits the Scripture context where the word is used. Most people, even those endowed with good health, have some kind of infirmity. The list is endless. Some people tire easily. Others are given to physical weakness, especially those of advancing age; some persons age more rapidly than others. Elisha was embarrassed by premature baldness. Some have to be unusually careful of exposure to the elements. Others become seasick easily, whether in the air or on the sea. There are those who are troubled by a mild allergy. Still others have to be careful of their diet. Certain people go through agony to keep their weight down. Still others have a battle in maintaining victory in their sex life. Although these are all physical weaknesses, they are not diseases. Timothy had difficulty with what he put in his stomach. That was his infirmity. We do not know the details of his problem, but we do know that the water in many places was (and is today) contaminated, and this could have easily resulted in upsetting his stomach. In many countries in which we have 47

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travelled, missionaries have warned us not to drink unboiled water. Paul advised Timothy to balance his diet with grape juice and avoid drinking water that might be polluted. Why does God permit his children to have infirmities? Those who have no infirmities are apt to be impatient and annoyed at the weaknesses of others. They may even become self-complacent. But when they too have some weakness, they are more apt to have sympathy and to bear with others. The gospel of healing does not teach that a man will receive angelic strength. Since disease may produce certain infirmities, the two can be related. Ordinarily we speak of diseases producing an infirmity rather than being an infirmity. Of course there are many infirmities not produced by disease. Although some teach that it is God’s will for Christians to suffer sickness, they usually do not suggest that Christ was diseased. Yet we are told that Christ was “touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). That the word “infirmity” in ordinary speech (though perhaps not in every case) relates to human weaknesses rather than disease is seen in Hebrews 5:2 which states that Christ Himself was compassed with infirmity. Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. (Heb. 5:2).

Christ had infirmities, but He did not suffer from sickness or disease. “As he is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17). His body, when He was in the world, was never touched by sickness or plague. Today the church is the Body of Christ, and it need not be diseased. Indeed it should be as Paul prayed in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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As for the apostle Paul, he said, “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities” (II Cor. 11: 30). What things concerned his infirmities? Diabetes? Cancer? Tuberculosis? Not at all! In the preceding verses he listed 23 things that concerned his infirmities. He speaks of his receiving 39 stripes five times. Certainly he suffered from the effect of these beatings. But this brutal treatment he received was not sickness. Paul adds that he was “in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness” (Verse 27). Those are the things that concerned Paul's infirmities. Even a man in the best of health must suffer under constant hardships of this nature. It must not be thought, however, that believers never get delivered of infirmities. Some do. It is the normal thing for a person to require glasses for close reading after he reaches the age of 40. The eyes are not sick, but they no longer focus sharply on objects a few inches away. This is certainly an infirmity of age. Nevertheless, it is true that some have claimed healing from this infirmity and are able to read the finest print.

OBJECTION 20: Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletum (II Timothy 4:20). At another time Epaphroditus, his closest companion, was desperately ill and recovered only after a protracted convalescence (Phil. 2:25-30). How can you harmonize these facts with the position that it is the will of God for all true Christians to be well? The Bible Answer: I have never heard of anyone’s claiming that all the saints of the apostolic church were well at all times. Our privileges in Christ and our state, spiritually or physically, may be two different things. Paul plainly declares that many of the Corinthian church were sick and not a few had prematurely died (II Cor. 11:29-30). But he also implied that they need not have been sick if they had discerned the Lord’s body and judged themselves. The great truths of redemption do not stand or fall upon whether God’s people reach out and appropriate their inheritance of healing or not. These questions have been settled forever by what God has said in His Word. We do not know why Trophimus was sick, but Paul does explain why Epaphroditus had such a siege of illness. We are told that he became ill while engaged in a most worthy cause. Epaphroditus labored beyond his strength to supply the needs of Paul because the Philippian church had fallen down in its responsibility to care for his temporal needs. Although the apostle possessed the gifts of healing, Epaphroditus became steadily worse. In fact he was sick unto death, hanging as it were between life and death for some time. Yet though life was despaired of, he recovered. But Paul makes it plain that Epaphroditus was not suffering for the glory of God or because God wanted him to be sick, but because he had gone beyond his 51

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strength. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because for the work of Christ, he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life to supply your lack of service toward meâ&#x20AC;? (Phil. 2:30). Although Epaphroditus broke the laws of health for a worthy cause, it did not provide him with immunity from suffering the penalty that comes when one goes beyond his strength. This should be a solemn lesson to all of us.

OBJECTION 21: God told Hezekiah to put a poultice on his carbuncle. Does this not prove that God intended medical means to be used for healing? The Bible Answer: A careful study of Hezekiah's illness shows that it was an absolutely hopeless case. God told Hezekiah to set his house in order, for he would die and not live. Physicians generally describe Hezekiahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s condition as caused by a carbuncle, a gigantic boil which involves the deep tissues of the body. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and cried out unto God, and the Lord graciously sent Isaiah the prophet back to inform the king that he would be given fifteen additional years of life. Isaiah was then directed to have a poultice of figs placed on the boil. It is customary even today to have such applications applied to discharging surfaces. But of course in themselves they have no healing power. There is no evidence that any means mentioned in the Bible had healing virtue in it. It is interesting to note that there was another event in Hezekiahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reign that bears on this question. While the children of Israel were in the wilderness, some of them became disobedient and were bitten by serpents. God told them of a means by which they might be healed. Moses was to make a polished brass serpent and put it on a pole. One look at the serpent would bring deliverance to the bitten and dying Israelites. Afterward the brazen serpent was preserved as a memorial of what God had done. A long time later in Hezekiahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day the children of Israel began to depend on the virtue supposed to be in the brazen serpent for healing. Hezekiah rebuked the practice and destroyed the serpent (II Kgs. 18:4). The fact was that the Egyptians with whom Israel lived for several centuries had many kinds of remedies. But God did not 53

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employ their medical science for the healing of His people. We are told that Moses, their leader, was versed in all the learning of the Egyptians, and had it been Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s will, Moses would have used these means. Instead the prophet gave them the covenant of healing and divine health. If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. (Exod. 15:26).

Even though medical science has greatly advanced and has performed many remarkable cures, there is still much uncertainty about the treatment of serious organic diseases. There is much to be learned, and mistakes are still made. U. S. News and World Report (March 4, 1966) says concerning errors made in hospitals. The hospital patient is exposed to a massive attack from bacteria that each year infects one million patients. Rather than a rare occurrence, death from anesthesia is excessively common. Estimates of its toll vary from 9,000 to 33,000 deaths a year with a jarring evidence that a higher figure may be more realistic. The toll of blood-transfusion accidents and biological contamination is outlandishly high. A minimum of 3,000 die every year, and ten to 75,000 contract hepatitis as a result of a transfusion. A survey in one hospital found that the average nurse made an error in every six medications.

All human beings are subject to error, and medical science can and does make mistakes. The wonderful thing about the Great Physician is that He can never make a mistake.

OBJECTION 22: But Jesus said, "They that be whole need not a physician; but they that are sick." In saying this did not He mean that Christians should go to the physicians for healing rather than to God? The Bible Answer: Obviously physicians have a place in the world. Nature itself teaches that there should be those trained in the care and knowledge of the body. Certainly a mother at childbirth needs someone trained in obstetrics to care for her rather than an unskilled person. There are many ways that physicians contribute to human well-being: by stressing the need of exercise, by teaching the correct diet, by instructing in the proper care of the body, etc. Even after the ordinance of healing was given to the children of Israel, the Lord gave certain health laws regarding rest, hygiene, cleanliness, and quarantining. We may thank God for all that the doctors can do to alleviate the suffering of those who are ill, although perhaps their greatest work is in the prevention of disease. If people get sick, they need assistance. Certainly care of the sick is Scriptural (Matthew 25:42-44). The Lord in the parable of the Good Samaritan commended the one who bound up the wounds of the injured man by pouring in ointment and then taking him to an inn where he could be cared for. Nevertheless, having said this, we must point out that the Scriptures recognize the limits of medical skills in dealing with serious organic diseases. Even today there are definite limitations to what physicians can do in curing or staying the progress of such diseases as cancer. This was true in Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; day as shown in the story of the woman who was healed by Jesus of the issue of blood. 55

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.... (Mark 5:25-27).

Although there is a place for trained personnel who care for the sick, we must affirm that God has made definite provisions for the healing of His people. For the Christian whose body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, there can be no question as to who his healer is. If sickness should come because he is under divine chastening, the thing to do is to get the cause removed. Why seek to circumvent the purpose of the Lord through the use of drugs and medicine? While the Scriptures do not condemn medicine, they are more or less silent about the use of medical means in connection with divine healing. We do have the solemn example of the case of King Asa. Asa had been one of Judah’s most exemplary kings. He had learned to trust the Lord and had experienced some remarkable deliverances through divine intervention. But during the years of his prosperity, his devotion to God weakened, and he fell into a more or less backslidden state. It was at that time he contracted a serious disease in his feet. We are told in the Scriptures that Asa did not look to the Lord for deliverance in his illness. What was the consequence? And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign. (II Chron. 16:12-13).

The above verses reveal a solemn warning to the child of God. The Lord expected Asa to look to Him for healing. This he did not do, and the sad words follow, “And Asa slept with his fathers.” Whatever way one may interpret the story of Asa, one thing is certain. It does not teach that God intended medicine to take the place of divine healing. Instead, the Lord expects His people to trust Him for healing. 56

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

Nevertheless, far from condemning physicians, we believe that they fill a vital role in society. Many doctors are devoted Christians and out of the goodness of their hearts have been very generous in giving their services to those who could not pay. Many freely confess that Christ is the Great Physician and is still able to heal the sick. Indeed we have some doctors who actually pray for the sick when they find the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faith sufficient. Miracles of healing have been reported in answer to their prayers.

OBJECTION 23: A certain well-known writer against divine healing has stated: "The doctrine that our Lord Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, made an atonement for the sicknesses and disease of the body, is a false doctrine, a doctrine that cannot be found from one end of the Holy Scripture to the other." The Bible Answer: Because the controversy over whether divine healing is in the atonement involves the Greek language, we shall let T. J. McCrossan, B. A., B. D., a Presbyterian minister and formerly instructor in Greek at Manitoba University, answer this matter. He refers to the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4, which bears on this subject. Surely He (Christ) hath borne our griefs (Kholeeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; sicknesses) and carried our sorrows (Makobâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;pains). The word kholee is translated sickness in Deuteronomy 7:15; 28:61; II Kings 1:2; 8:8, etc.

The word borne, translated nasa, is used of Christ bearing our sins in Isaiah 53:12 and in Isaiah 53:4. This shows that Christ bore our sicknesses in the very same way that He bore our sins. The famous Greek scholar Robert Young and others bear out this translation. That prophecy is quoted by Matthew as the reason why Christ healed. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. (Matt. 8:16-17).

What is the answer of skeptics to this clear teaching that 59

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

divine healing is in the atonement? Mr. Gabelein (Healing Question, Page 73) declares that it was fulfilled before Calvary, before Christ died on the cross. He adds, Then the prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in the day when our Lord Jesus Christ healed the great multitude. It was fulfilled before the Lord died on the cross. The prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in His divine ministry of healing and not when He hung upon the Cross ... any man who claims to fulfill Christ’s command in Matthew (by praying for the sick today) is either ignorant, or a fraud, or both.

This is the general position of all opponents of healing as being in the atonement. According to them it was a prophecy referring only to three years of Christ’s ministry. The error of such an interpretation is seen in Isaiah 61:2, which was quoted by Christ in Luke 4:18. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted....” Jesus said the prophecy was fulfilled in that day—the three years of Christ’s ministry. But as all must agree, it is also being fulfilled all down through the church age. Christ is still preaching the gospel to the poor through His disciples. He is still preaching deliverance to captives. He is still healing the brokenhearted and giving sight to the blind. Though Christ said the prediction was fulfilled in that day, it is yet being fulfilled. Likewise, the prediction of Christ’s carrying our sicknesses is still being fulfilled. If it were otherwise, Christ would not be preaching to the poor any more, and He would no longer be delivering the captives. The truth is that the beautiful Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 53 is one that refers to Christ’s redemption for God’s people throughout the whole church age and not merely to the limited number of people whom He healed during His three years on earth. Peter also gives witness to the fact of healing's being in the atonement. He says in I Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree... by whose stripes (Molopi) ye were healed.” This Scripture agrees exactly with Isaiah 53:5. 60

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

The word healed—eamoi—always speaks of physical healing in the New Testament, where it appears 28 times. Peter clearly teaches in I Peter 2:24 that Christ not only suffered, bled, and died for our sins, but also for our physical healing. Paul declares that “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). What is the curse of the law? Deuteronomy 28:15-47 lists every kind of sickness and disease as included in the curse of the law.

OBJECTION 24: The noted men of God in the past have universally rejected the doctrine of healing's being in the atonement. The Bible Answer: Such a statement is not correct. A. J. Gordon, (Ministry of Healing, p. 16-17), an outstanding man of God recognized by many denominations for his devotional writings says, The yoke of the cross by which He lifted our iniquities took hold also of our diseases—He who entered into mysterious sympathy with our pain—which is the fruit of sin— also put Himself under our pain which is the penalty of sin. In other words the passage seems to teach that Christ endured vicariously our diseases, as well as our iniquities.

Andrew Murray, one of the greatest devotional writers (Divine Healing, p. 99), says, It is not said only that the Lord's righteous servant had borne our sins, but also that He has borne our sicknesses. Thus His bearing our sicknesses forms an integral part of the Redeemer’s work, as well as bearing our sins.

A. B. Simpson, founder of the Christian Missionary Alliance, (Gospel of Healing, p. 17), Therefore as He hath borne our sins, Jesus has also borne away and carried off our sicknesses; yea, and even our pains, so that abiding in Him, we may be fully delivered from both sickness and pain.

We have chosen these three examples, for among them they have written scores of books which have been read by millions of people. Actually most of the church leaders in centuries past did not commit themselves on the matter. Divine healing was not emphasized, and it was not a matter for discussion. Of course, there are some noted preachers in our day who do not accept the 63

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

doctrine of divine healing’s being in the atonement. But others do. However, the doctrine of divine healing does not stand or fall upon what men think but upon what the Bible says—“By whose stripes ye were healed.”

OBJECTION 25: If healing is in the atonement and some Christians are not healed, then these must conclude that they are all sinners in the sight of God and under condemnation. The Bible Answer: We repeat again the words of Paul: “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.” We know that the cup of the Communion is a type of Christ’s blood that was shed to save us from the wrath of God. Christ died to save all men, but if the sinner does not discern the blood of Christ that was shed for his sins, then he does not receive the benefit of the atonement. Likewise when partaking of the sacrament, if we fail to discern the true significance of the bread which is a type of the Lord’s body because of ignorance or wrong teaching, we can lose the benefit of Christ’s atonement for our bodies. This does not mean that the Christian is brought into condemnation, as far as his soul’s salvation is concerned. If he has discerned the blood of Christ, his sins are forgiven. He suffers because of his ignorance only in his body. However, we must remember that even as there are conditions to salvation, there are conditions to healing. Psalms 66:18 declares that if I regard “iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” In other words, we must not permit evil to come into our life. Again we must make a complete consecration to God if we are to get all our prayers answered. As John in his epistle said, “Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight” (I John 3:22). It is not the matter of earning our healing or 65

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

becoming holy enough to receive healing. It is a matter of being consciously obedient to God as He shed the light on our pathway. Anyone can do that whether he is an old Christian or a new convert. Above all we must exercise an expectant faith in the promises of God. Jesus said, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe ye receive them and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). James said, “But let them ask in faith, nothing wavering... For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord” (James 1:6-7). There are conditions to divine healing just as there are conditions to salvation. God grant that we press through and receive the divine inheritance that God has provided for our body, soul, and spirit.

A Test Case of Healing All of us have heard the appeal made some time or other for a test case of healing. Neither Jesus nor the apostles showed great interest in test cases (Matt. 16:1; Luke 23:7-9). If the capacity for faith is lost, it is difficult to believe, even if one sees. Nevertheless, some who really want to believe are like Thomas and want the positive facts of a miracle to strengthen their faith. Below we list all the possible requirements of a test case. 1) That the one healed be a prominent person whose name is widely known. 2) That the individual be a man of unquestioned integrity. 3) That the affliction be such that no means available to medical science can cure it. 4) That the cause and extent of the affliction be publicly known. 5) That the affliction be of such long standing that the healing could not possibly be coincidental with the personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recovering by natural means. 6) That the miracle of healing be witnessed by many people. 7) That the person retain his healing until death comes of old age. All the requirements of the above were fulfilled in the healing of Congressman William D. Upshaw in the year 1951. 1) He served four terms in Congress from the state of Georgia, and ran on a minority ticket for the presidency of the U. S. He was an unusually gifted speaker, and his name was known by millions of people. 2) As a Christian, he was once vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and his reputation for 67

25 Objections to Divine Healing and the Bible Answers

integrity was unquestioned. 3) His affliction occurred at the age of 18 when he fell on the crosspiece of a wagon frame and injured his spine. For seven years he was a total invalid. By the dent of his own exertions, he was finally able to get about in a painful and tedious fashion supported by crutches. 4) Being a member of Congress, the nature of his affliction was known by the leading people of the country. 5) The total time of his affliction was 66 years. 6) The miracle of healing took place instantly before an audience of nearly 2,000 people. Upon the command of the man who prayed for the sick, he threw away his crutches and walked. He not only walked—he ran! 7) The former Congressman retained his healing until his death at 87 years of age. He returned to visit his friends in Congress and testified of the great things the Lord had done for him. He often amazed his old friends by walking in upon them as briskly as a young man. His testimony appeared in many leading magazines. Speaking of his remarkable deliverance he said, “I laid aside my crutches and started toward my happy shouting wife... and the bottom of heaven fell out. Heaven came down our souls to greet, and glory crowned the mercy seat!”