Biblical
Healing
Healing as taught in the
Bible takes some interesting turns when it comes into the modern Church. Divine
healing is a controversial subject.
I believe in and have seen
the healing hand of God, medically and divinely. God has provided for our healing in both the
Spiritual and physical realms.
There is healing in the
atonement given us by Christ Jesus.
However, many so called Spirit filled Christians are not content with
the revealed promises of God. Instead,
they seek that which is borne out through human confirmation.
Let’s focus on two Greek
words that highlight our need for further understanding.
The Greek words are
Therapeuoo/qerapeuw and iaomai/iaomai. Both of those words are translated “heal” in the English Bibles, and
that is part of the problem.
I was recently surprised to
find how little many so-called Spirit-filled Christians understand biblical,
divine healing.
A Bible lesson publisher for
many Churches recently sent out a lesson, in which the two words used in this
text of this article were commingled. The result was that spiritual healing and
physical healing were presented in the same lesson context. It was as though
the writer had no concept of the Greek text or the difference between spiritual
and physical healing.
Prior to getting to that
point, let’s look at a separate point.
Matt 5:29
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it
is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy
whole body should be cast into hell.
Before you go plucking your
eyes out, you need to understand that the word “offend” (Gr. skandalizei-skandalizei) speaks of
enticing you to sin. Whenever you see
something that may entice you to sin, please be aware that it is your brain that
computes what you see. And since you may
not be able to determine which eye enticed you, you might consider cutting your
own head off before you pluck out your eyes. Besides, Christ said nothing about
the left eye. Christ was reducing that “teaching” to the ridiculous.
Now, back to healing: The so-called Bible lesson included:
Matt 8:16
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 (from the Greek
therapeuoo-qerapeuw) all that were sick:
And in the same section the
publisher used,
1 Pet 2:24
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (from
the Greek iaomai-iaomai).
Now to be sure the iaomai
form of healing may include physical, therapeutic healing, but it need not and
in many cases does not include physical, therapeutic healing. The two are not synonymous. The healing spoken of in Matthew 8:18 is physical. The healing referenced in 1 Peter 2:24 is
spiritual. They are not synonymous.
The Bible is the book of good news.
Isa 35:5-6a
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the
ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue
of the dumb sing. (NKJV)
Many Christians are looking
forward to their “resurrection” body.
They incorrectly assume that all
physical flaws (height, weight, personal scars, etc.) will be healed and their
“resurrection” body will somehow appear as if God has done spiritual plastic
surgery on them. That may not be the
case!
As you recall, following the
resurrection when Christ appeared to His Apostles in the room and walked into a
closed room, His appearance was not substantially altered from His appearance
while on the cross. At the time that
Christ was received back into heaven (Acts 1:11) there was no indication that
His physical appearance was substantially changed in respect to the wounds in
His side, or hands, or feet.
John 20:24-29
24 But Thomas, one of the
twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples
therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I
shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print
of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again
his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being
shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas,
Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be
not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said
unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him,
Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that
have not seen, and yet have believed
As you can readily see, after
the resurrection, Christ’s physical wounds were still apparent and unaltered,
unhealed. It may very well be that His
wounds are still visible as Christ sits on the throne glory at the right hand
of the Father.
So, what happened?
The wounds became a source of
validation of the resurrection. The wounds
were used to show that God the Son, even though He was beaten harshly, had
overcome the physical and was standing in the midst of His friends spiritually
whole, but still not physically whole as the carnal count wholeness. Far too many Church members cannot see past
their carnal noses. They speak of
spiritual things with only a carnal understanding.
The question is “So, what
happened?”
In this instance, the
perspective of the Apostles had changed.
They looked upon Christ’s resurrection body with spiritual eyes. The ugliness of the wounds was now the beauty
of overcoming.
Their attitudes had changed!
Not long ago a well known
Charismatic Pastor/Preacher stood in front of his Sunday morning crowd and
loudly proclaimed that God could find no glory in a broken body. That supposedly spiritual man was speaking
from a totally carnal view point. He has
little or no spiritual understanding!
Christ’s body was broken so
that the perfume of God’s glory could fill the earth. And yet, that supposed preacher of a gospel
had absolutely no understanding of the Spirit.
Far too many self appointed and church anointed preachers of
unrighteousness spew carnality and call it the gospel.
The sons of God are led by
the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). It is
obvious that there are far too many who are Christians in name only and they
are not led by the Spirit of God.
That Pastor/Preacher has not
affected mankind or the Body of Christ in a manner as effective as either David
Ring or Joni Ericson Tada.
Joni Ericson Tada speaks the
love of Christ to millions each week---from
a wheelchair.
David Ring begins his
numerous evangelistic meeting with a question, “My name is David Ring. I have cerebral palsy. What is your excuse?”
Many years ago, I sat in a
Some time later, under
another pastor at the same Church that same man again called for the Pastor and
Deacons to again come and pray. The
difference was that it was a Pastor void of faith leading a group of Deacons
void of faith. As the list of deacons
was read from the pulpit, I turned to my wife and said, “He’s a dead man.” More skepticism walked into the hospital room
than faith. He died! That so-called Pastor had no knowledge of the
power or presence of God. Like so many
mama-called, Church-called Pastors, he had a form of godliness, but denied the
power.
In the second section of that
Bible lesson we find,
James 5:14-16
14 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:
15 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.
16 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.
That is a much abused section
of scripture!
Anointing with oil is a
spiritual act. The effect is also
spiritual and should not be taken out of spiritual context and placed in the
carnal.
James 5:15 states plainly
that the prayer of faith shall save
(from the Greek sozo-sozo) the sick (from the Greek kamno-kamno)! This refers to the
deliverance of those wearied from the burden of sin. That verse is not teaching
physical therapeutic healing. It is
teaching spiritual deliverance from the effects of sin.
Many have taught that the
phrase, “the Lord shall raise him up” is a reference to physical healing.
Does God raise up the
physically ill?
Certainly He does! But,
the greatest raising will be at the resurrection of the righteous in
Christ. If the sick are raised up
physically and cast into the
Then in verse 16, we again
find the “healed” (from the Greek iaomai-iaomai), which is a reference to spiritual healing and not
just physical healing.
This article in no way is
seeking to deny physical healing, but we need to put first things first. Seek first
the
In the last section, the
writer returned to therapeutic healing by using,
Acts 8:5-7
5 Then Philip went down to
the city of
6 And the people with one accord
gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles
which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying
with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken
with palsies, and that were lame, were healed (from the Greek therapeuoo-qerapeuw).
We should teach and practice
therapeutic healing within the body of Christ.
But to focus completely on the therapeutic is a false gospel. Again, the primary need is spiritual healing.
Many assume that no therapeutic
healing is God’s way of telling us, “No!”
That is simply not the case.
When Paul faced the situation
with the thorn in the side, he prayed for relief. Christ’s answer was not, “No!” Instead, Paul was given a positive response. Or, at least it was positive for those who
seek the truth of the Christ’s message.
Paul was told, “My grace is
sufficient!”
For Paul, Joni Ericson Tada,
and David Ring, “My grace is sufficient” is a sufficient answer. And, for many
others Christ’s grace is sufficient. But, for some Christ’s grace is not sufficient.
On which side of the fence do
you come down?
Question: Is therapeutic healing taught within the
Bible, and should it be taught and practiced within the Church?
Answer: Absolutely!
Question: Should therapeutic healing be taught as a
sign of spiritual healing?
Answer: Absolutely not!
You may wonder if all this is
true, will there be wheelchairs in heaven.
My response is, unequivocally no!
However the seeming
imperfections that have caused some to use wheelchairs and other devices to aid
in the daily physical life of so-called handicapped people, or the physically
challenged will be unnecessary. We will
not be bound by the physical laws that now dominate our lives.
We will finally see spiritual
the beauty within each individual who trusts in Christ and rejoice in that
trust. As spiritual beings, all physical handicaps will disappear.
As we have seen, Christ
therapeutically healed many. But, He
spiritually healed many more.
Matt 8:16
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 (from the Greek
therapeuoo-qerapeuw) all that were sick:
According to Matthew 8:16,
Jesus healed them all who were brought to Him!
However, that healing was therapeutic, physical healing. Some of those healed at that time may be
headed to the
Those who were healed by
Christ according to Matthew 8:16 were Jews. And the Scripture is specific. His earthly ministry was to the Jews.
Matt 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of
Rom 11:26a
And so all
However:
Rom 9:6-8
6b For they are not all Israel,
which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are
the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be
called.
8 That is, They which are the
children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of
the promise are counted for the seed.
The truth is that all Jews
are not part of Israel! Those Jews who
deny Christ are not true Israelis!
Many who may have received a
therapeutic healing may be cast into the Lake of Fire after being
therapeutically healed. Therapeutic healing is not synonymous with being made
whole. The Greek word indicating therapeutic healing (Gr. therapeuoo-qerapeuw) is never translated “made whole.”
That phrase, “made whole”
comes from the Greek word hugiees-ugihV. That Greek word speaks of being made healthy in body
and spirit, being pure whole and of sound doctrine. It speaks of not only a sound body, but not
deviating from the truth.
The other Greek word that is
at times translated “made whole” comes from the Greek root soozoo (sozo)-swzw, and as most Christians
know that Greek word is most often translated “saved.”
As an aside, the word
“ashamed” found in Philippians 1:20 comes from the Greek word aischunomai- aiscunomai. That Greek word indicates a spiritual
disfigurement. In Christ we are made
free from spiritual shame and disfigurement.
In the meantime, it is our
duty to pray for the healing, spiritual and physical of all those who come to
us and need such prayer. That is our
responsibility. It is God’s responsibility
to answer those prayers in the manner He deems according to His will. In some cases, He will heal. In other cases, He will say, “My grace is
sufficient.”
Can you accept His decision?