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[Bible verses: New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise indicated]<\/p>\n
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1)\u00a0Jesus:<\/b>\u00a0Illness Not Necessarily Due to Sin<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n John 9:2-3<\/strong>\u00a0His disciples asked Him, saying, \u201cRabbi, who\u00a0sinned<\/i>, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?\u201d Jesus answered \u201cIt was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents, but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2)\u00a0Enduring Sickness and God Smiting With Disease<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Proverbs 18:14<\/strong>\u00a0The spirit of a man can\u00a0endure his sickness<\/i>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Why\u00a0endure<\/i>\u00a0if God intended for us never to be sick? The Hebrew is\u00a0machaleh<\/i>, defined by\u00a0Strong\u2019s Concordance<\/i>\u00a0as \u201csickness, disease, infirmity\u201d (word 4245), and by\u00a0Gesenius\u2019 Lexicon<\/i>\u00a0as \u201cdisease\u201d also (word 4245). It occurs in 2 Chronicles 21:15, 18: \u201cand you will suffer\u00a0sickness, a disease of your bowels<\/i>, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day . . . So after all this\u00a0the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable sickness<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n Here God gives a man a disease, which isn\u2019t supposed to happen, according to this false teaching; only the devil is supposed to do that. But God is Judge: he can certainly give an illness to someone, just as He can kill them, if He should so choose, as He is our Creator, and life and death is in His hands.<\/p>\n 3)\u00a0The Apostle Paul Recommends Wine Instead of Healing<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 1 Timothy 5:23<\/strong>\u00a0Use a little wine for the sake of your\u00a0stomach<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0frequent ailments<\/i>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Why didn\u2019t Paul heal Timothy, or tell him he must be in sin, or that he lacks faith for healing?<\/p>\n 4)\u00a0No biblical passage<\/b>\u00a0teaches that Christians should never have illness.<\/span><\/p>\n 5)\u00a0Apostle<\/b>\u00a0Paul Again Unable to Heal<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 2 Timothy 4:20<\/strong>\u00a0Trophimus I left\u00a0sick<\/i>\u00a0at Miletus.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Why couldn\u2019t Paul heal Trophimus (or Timothy) if Jesus said His disciples would have the power to heal? Two reasons. There is a limitation on our powers, and God sometimes chooses\u00a0not\u00a0<\/i>to heal, for reasons above our understanding.<\/p>\n 6)\u00a0No Death?<\/b><\/span> 7)\u00a0Prophet Daniel\u2019s Lack of \u201cFaith\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Daniel 8:27<\/strong>\u00a0Then I, Daniel, was\u00a0exhausted and sick<\/i>\u00a0for days . . .<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Another example of a saint without enough faith to be healed.<\/p>\n 8)\u00a0Prophet Elisha Also Succumbs to Faithlessness?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 2 Kings 13:14<\/strong>\u00a0Elisha became\u00a0sick with the illness of which he was to die<\/i>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This destroys the notion of the righteous (Elisha was God\u2019s prophet) always dying of old age.<\/p>\n Exodus 4:11<\/strong>\u00a0And the Lord said to him, \u201cwho has made man\u2019s mouth? Or who makes him\u00a0dumb\u00a0<\/i>or\u00a0deaf<\/i>, or seeing or\u00a0blind<\/i>? Is it not I, the Lord?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This verse simply should not exist if \u201cfaith\u201d teachers are correct. They say that Satan produces all physical abnormalities, and that God wills for no one to have these defects. The above verse renders this belief biblically absurd and false.<\/p>\n 10)\u00a0Aging<\/b><\/span> 11)\u00a0Mentioning False Teachers by Name<\/b><\/span> 12)\u00a0Church History<\/b><\/span> 13)\u00a0Relation of Healing to Faith<\/b><\/span> In Matthew 8:13, the centurion\u2019s\u00a0servant\u00a0<\/i>was healed with no mention of his faith whatsoever. Now, if one believes that the centurion\u2019s faith brought about the healing and goes on to set up an ironclad rule or principle that faithful people can heal others with perhaps little or no faith, then Paul\u2019s difficulty with Timothy and Trophimus needs to be explained (see numbers 3 and 5 above).<\/p>\n This is a strange dilemma indeed! In order to salvage the false doctrine, one is forced to conclude that Paul lacked adequate faith. In Matthew 8:14-15, Peter\u2019s mother-in-law is healed with no mention of faith. When Jesus healed whole crowds of sick and disabled people, are we to believe that every single one of them had faith? Matthew 9:25: Jesus raises a girl from the dead (obviously it wasn\u2019t\u00a0her<\/i>\u00a0faith). Matthew 12:13: a man with a withered hand is healed, with no mention of faith. John 11:43-44: Lazarus is raised from the dead (clearly his faith had nothing to do with it, either). Numerous other examples could be cited.<\/p>\n 14)\u00a0Our Prayers and God\u2019s Will<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 1 John 5:14<\/strong>\u00a0If we ask anything\u00a0according to His will<\/i>, he hears us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 John 3:22<\/strong>\u00a0and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are\u00a0pleasing in His sight<\/em>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n James 4:3<\/strong>\u00a0You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n We see, then, that our prayers are qualified by God\u2019s will. He is sovereign; He knows what\u2019s best for us. We cannot have\u00a0whatever<\/i>\u00a0we ask, with no limitation. That is obviously not what verses saying \u201cwhatsoever you ask\u201d mean. I cannot ask God to let me murder someone, because this is not His will. Therefore, we should pray whether a\u00a0healing<\/i>\u00a0is in God\u2019s will or not. It isn\u2019t\u00a0always<\/i>\u00a0His will: as has been shown above, and will be further substantiated below. Unlimited positive confession would lead to unmitigated personal selfishness. Thank God that He often refuses us!<\/p>\n 15)\u00a0St.<\/b>\u00a0Paul Can\u2019t Heal One More Time! (Seems to be a Pattern)<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Philippians 2:25-27<\/strong>\u00a0I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier . . . because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was\u00a0sick<\/i>. For indeed he was\u00a0sick to the point of death<\/i>, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Paul again is unable to heal one of his associates. Why?<\/p>\n 16)\u00a0St. Paul\u2019s Sufferings and Example for Us<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Colossians 1:24<\/strong>\u00a0I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my\u00a0flesh<\/i>\u00a0I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ\u2019s\u00a0afflictions<\/i>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Greek for \u201cafflictions\u201d is\u00a0thlipsis<\/i>, which\u00a0Strong\u2019s Concordance<\/i>\u00a0(word 2347) defines as \u201cpressure (literal or figurative).\u201d W.E. Vine\u2019s\u00a0Expository Dictionary<\/i>\u00a0states under \u201caffliction-thlipsis\u201d for Colossians 1:24, \u201cAfflictions of Christ from which his followers must not shrink, whether sufferings of\u00a0body<\/i>\u00a0or mind.\u201d Thayer\u2019s\u00a0Greek-English Lexicon of the NT<\/i>\u00a0reiterates the same thing (p. 291 \u2014 word 2347). The same word is used referring to the distress of a woman in childbirth in John 16:21.<\/p>\n Paul\u2019s mention of \u201cflesh\u201d would seem to indicate he is referring to physical distress. The Greek for \u201cflesh\u201d is \u201csarx\u201d, and concerning its use in this verse, Thayer\u2019s\u00a0Greek-English Lexicon<\/i>\u00a0states, \u201cthe physical nature of man as subject to suffering\u201d (word 456, p. 570). As a cross-reference, 1 Peter 4:1 is cited: \u201cTherefore, since Christ has suffered\u00a0in the flesh<\/i>, arm yourselves also with the\u00a0same purpose<\/i>, because\u00a0he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin<\/i>.\u201d\u00a0Such physical suffering as part of God\u2019s will is a constant theme in Paul\u2019s writings:<\/p>\n 2 Corinthians 4:10<\/strong>\u00a0(RSV) Always\u00a0carrying in the body the death of Jesus<\/i>, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2 Corinthians 1:5-7<\/strong>\u00a0. . . the\u00a0sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance<\/i>\u00a0. . . if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation . . .\u00a0patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer . . . as you are sharers of our sufferings<\/i>, so also you are sharers of our comfort.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Philippians 2:17\u00a0<\/strong>(RSV) Even if I am to be\u00a0poured out as a libation<\/i>\u00a0upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all (cf. 2 Cor 6:4-10, 11:23-30).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Philippians 3:10<\/strong>\u00a0That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. (cf. Gal 2:20).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Greek word for \u201cfellowship\u201d is\u00a0koinonia<\/i>, which means (as in the familiar usage), \u201cparticipation, or sharing in something\u201d (word 2842 \u2013 Strong and Thayer).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2 Timothy 4:6<\/strong>\u00a0(RSV) For I am already on the point of being\u00a0sacrificed<\/i>; the time of my departure has come (cf. Romans 12:1).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In 2 Timothy 4:6 and in Philippians 2:17, the Greek word for\u00a0libation\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0sacrifice<\/i>\u00a0is\u00a0spendomai<\/i>. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament which was the Bible of the early Christians, this term is used with reference to the Messiah, Jesus, in Isaiah 53:12 (RSV) \u201c. . . he poured out his soul to death . . .\u201d It appears, then, that St. Paul is stressing a mystical, profound identification with Jesus even in His death \u2014 as also in 2 Corinthians 4:10 and Philippians 3:10 above, and Galatians 6:17:\u00a0\u201c. . . I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cfaith\u201d teacher rather desperately retorts that this suffering was God\u2019s will only for Paul and (especially) Jesus. Apart from the fact that this notion is clearly refuted already in the verses directly above and in #17 below, Paul himself directly contradicts it by urging us to imitate him, and in turn, imitate Christ (Whom\u00a0he<\/i>\u00a0is imitating):<\/p>\n Philippians 3:17<\/strong>\u00a0Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The word for \u201cfollowing\u201d is\u00a0summimetes<\/i>, which means \u201cco-imitator\u201d (Strong\u2019s, Thayer, and Vine).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2 Thessalonians 3:7, 9<\/strong>\u00a0. . . you ought to follow our example . . . [we] offer ourselves as a model for you, that you might follow our example.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Corinthians 11:1<\/strong>\u00a0Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Thessalonians 1:6<\/strong>\u00a0You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word with much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit (cf. Heb 6:12, James 5:10-11).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Galatians 4:12<\/strong>\u00a0I beg of you brethren, become as I am.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Philippians 4:9<\/strong>\u00a0The things you-have learned end received and heard and seen, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 1 Corinthians 4:11-16<\/strong>\u00a0To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2 Timothy 1:8<\/strong>\u00a0Join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 2 Timothy 2:3<\/strong>\u00a0Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Greek word for \u201cimitator\u201d here is\u00a0mimetes<\/i>\u00a0(usually \u201cfollower\u201d in KJV). Greek scholar W. E. Vine stresses that the tense of the verb in many instances of this word, is a continuous tense, meaning that \u201cwhat we became at conversion we must diligently continue to be thereafter.\u201d<\/p>\n 17)\u00a0Suffering (including sickness) is God\u2019s Will for the Christian<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Matthew 10:38\u00a0<\/strong>(RSV) And he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.<\/p>\n Matthew 16:24<\/strong>\u00a0(RSV) Then Jesus told his disciples, \u201cIf any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me\u201d (cf.\u00a0Mark 8:34-35).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The disciple of Christ is called to suffer (Matthew 10:22, Mark 10:37-39, Luke 6:22, Acts 14:22, Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Philippians 1:29, 1 Thessalonians 3:3, 2 Timothy 1:8, 2:3, 3:12, Hebrews 5:8, James 1:2-4,12, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 2:20-21, 4:12-19, Revelation 1:9). No biblically-informed Christian would dispute that. Controversy only arises over whether such sufferings can improve one\u2019s estate vis-a-vis salvation, or help anyone else in the Body of Christ (see, e.g., Romans 15:1 and 1 Corinthians 12:24-26).<\/p>\n Romans 8:13, 17<\/strong>\u00a0(RSV) For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live . . . and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,\u00a0provided we\u00a0suffer<\/b>\u00a0with him<\/i>\u00a0in order that we may also be glorified with him\u00a0<\/i>(cf. 1 Corinthians 15:31, 2 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Peter 4:1,13).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Furthermore, the Bible often stresses the painful experience of being corrected by God, as parents discipline their children (Leviticus 26:23-24, Deuteronomy 8:2, 5, 2 Samuel 7:14, Job 5:17-18, Psalm 89:30-34, 94:12, 103:9, 118:18, 119:67,71,75, Proverbs 3:11-12, Isaiah 48:10, Jeremiah 10:24, 30:11, 31:18, Zechariah 13:9, Malachi 3:3, 1 Corinthians 11:32, Hebrews 12:5-11, Revelation 3:19).<\/p>\n 18)\u00a0Chronically Ill Apostle Paul<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 2 Corinthians 1:8-10<\/strong>\u00a0. . . our\u00a0affliction<\/i><\/b>\u00a0which came to us in Asia, that\u00a0we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life<\/i>, indeed, we had the\u00a0sentence of death within ourselves<\/i>\u00a0in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a peril of death.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Greek for \u201caffliction\u201d is\u00a0thlipsis<\/i>, discussed in #16. Whether the meaning here is physical or not is debatable, but either way, the \u201cfaith\u201d teachers would have a difficult time fitting this passage into their doctrine, which maintains that \u201cgood\u201d Christians (i.e., faithful and righteous ones, according to their warped definition of what \u201cfaith\u201d is) don\u2019t have afflictions of any sort.<\/p>\n 19)\u00a0St.<\/b>\u00a0Paul\u2019s \u201cIllness\u201d or \u201cCondition\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Galatians 4:12-14<\/strong>\u00a0I beg of you, brethren, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You know that\u00a0it was because of a\u00a0bodily illness\u00a0<\/b>that I preached the gospel to you<\/i>\u00a0the first time, and that which was a trial to you in my\u00a0bodily condition<\/i><\/b>\u00a0you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The Greek for \u201cbodily illness\u201d is\u00a0astheneia<\/i>:\u00a0Strong\u2019s Concordance<\/i>\u00a0(word 769) defines it as \u201cfeebleness (of body or mind): by implication, malady, frailty, disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.\u201d As for its use in this passage,\u00a0Thayer\u2019s Greek-English Lexicon<\/i>: \u201cfeebleness of health, sickness\u201d (word 769, p. 80). And indeed that meaning is quite abvious in all English translations. Here are some of these and their translations of both bolded phrases (20 total):<\/p>\n KJV \/ Wuest<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cinfirmity of the flesh\u201d Thus, Paul\u2019s condition is beyond dispute. Its impossible to say his problem was not physical. Of course, the implication of all this is that Paul (again) could not heal himself. Yet his sickness didn\u2019t hinder him from preaching the gospel. If we are supposed to \u201clive above sickness,\u201d then we have more faith than Paul, and perhaps should rewrite his books since we know so much more than he did.<\/p>\n Most \u201cfaith\u201d churches would turn Paul from their door, reviling him for his lack of faith and appearance. There is some dispute as to the exact nature of Paul\u2019s infirmity, but virtually all conservative biblical scholars agree that he suffered from some physical condition (and chronic at that). Let\u2019s look at a sampling:<\/p>\n i)\u00a0New Bible Commentary<\/i>: either a recurrent illness (2 Cor 12:7) or a weakening disability, or malaria (Acts 13:13). iii)\u00a0New Layman\u2019s Bible Commentary<\/i>: some ailment. Note how many of these commentators connect this sickness with Paul\u2019s \u201cthorn in the flesh.\u201d We will consider this passage next and seek the most reasonable interpretation of it.<\/p>\n 20)\u00a0St.<\/b>\u00a0Paul\u2019s \u201cThorn in the Flesh\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n 2 Corinthians 12:7-10<\/strong>\u00a0To keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a\u00a0thorn in the flesh<\/i>, a messenger of Satan to buffet me \u2013 to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this, I entrusted the Lord three times that it might depart from me and He said, \u201cMy grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in\u00a0weakness<\/i>.\u201d Most gladly, therefore, I am will rather boast about my\u00a0weaknesses<\/i>, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with\u00a0weaknesses<\/i>, insults, distresses, persecutions, with difficulties,for Christ\u2019s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Lets look at the original Greek and try to determine exactly what Paul is teaching. The word for \u201cthorn\u201d is\u00a0skolops<\/i>, and this is the only time it is used in the NT. Concerning it,\u00a0Thayer\u2019s Greek-English Lexicon<\/i>\u00a0states. \u201ca pointed piece of wood, a pale, a stake; appears to indicate some constant\u00a0bodily\u00a0<\/i>ailment or infirmity, which, even when Paul had been caught up in a trance to the third heaven, sternly admonished him that he still dwelt in a frail and mortal body\u201d (word 4647, p. 579).<\/p>\n Vine\u2019s Expository Dictionary<\/i>\u00a0states. \u201cHis language indicates that it was\u00a0physical, painful, humiliating<\/i>; it was also the effect of Divinely permitted Satanic antagonism; the verbs rendered \u201cthat I should (not) be exalted overmuch\u201d and \u2018to buffet\u2019 are in the present tense, signifying\u00a0recurrent action<\/i>. Indicating a constantly repeated attack . . . What is stressed is not the metaphorical size, but acuteness of the suffering and its effects.\u201d (see #2).<\/p>\n Furthermore, the \u201cflesh\u201d (Gk.\u00a0sarx<\/i>) is said to refer to the physical body in this context, according to Thayer: \u201cThe\u00a0body . . .\u00a0<\/i>signifying the\u00a0material<\/i>\u00a0or\u00a0substance<\/i>\u00a0of the living body . . . 2 Cor 12:7\u2033 (word 4561, p. 570). A.T. Robertson, in his\u00a0Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/i>, writes: \u201cCertainly it was some physical malady that persisted.<\/p>\n All sorts of theories are held (malaria, eye-trouble, epilepsy, insomnia, migraine or sick-headache, etc.) . . . Each of us has some such splinter or thorn in the flesh, perhaps several at once . . . The messenger of Satan kept slapping Paul in the face and Paul now sees that it was God\u2019s will for it to be so.\u201d Marvin R. Vincent (Word Studies in the New Testament<\/i>) concurs: \u201cIt was probably a bodily malady . . . Very plausible reasons are given in favor of both epilepsy and ophthalmia.\u201d<\/p>\n The Greek word translated \u201cweakness\u201d three times is\u00a0astheneia<\/i>\u00a0(see #19). Vine mentions the use of this Greek term in this passage, and defines its meaning as \u201cweakness of the\u00a0body<\/i>\u00a0. . . (2 Cor 12:4-10)\u201d (listed under \u201cWeakness\u201d). It may be argued that Paul\u2019s use of the word here is in a larger sense (i.e., taking in non-physical weakness also).<\/p>\n But it is quite often used in an obviously physical sense elsewhere in Scripture. Since \u201cthorn in the flesh\u201d (especially after examining the Greek) would appear to be a graphic description of physical pain, it is very likely that \u201cweakness\u201d includes physical suffering. Also, the equation of power with weakness in verses 9 and 10 would make more sense if the \u201cweakness\u201d was physical. Let\u2019s look at some other uses of\u00a0astheneia<\/i>\u00a0in Scripture:<\/p>\n Luke 1:11<\/strong>\u00a0A woman had a\u00a0sickness<\/i>\u00a0caused by a spirit and she was bent double and could not straighten up at all.<\/p>\n John 5:5<\/strong>\u00a0A man who had been thirty-eight years in his\u00a0sickness<\/i>\u00a0(vs. 8-9 indicate that he couldn\u2019t Luke 5:15<\/strong>\u00a0Great multitudes were . . . healed of their\u00a0sicknesses<\/i>.<\/p>\n Luke 8:2<\/strong>\u00a0Some women-who had been healed of evil spirits and\u00a0sicknesses.<\/i><\/p>\n John 11:4<\/strong>\u00a0This\u00a0sickness<\/i>\u00a0. . . (referring to Lazarus\u2019 sickness).<\/p>\n Acts 28:9<\/strong>\u00a0The people who had\u00a0diseases<\/i>\u00a0were coming to him and getting cured.<\/p>\n Luke 10:9<\/strong>\u00a0. . . heal those . . . who are\u00a0sick\u00a0<\/i>. . .<\/p>\n Matthew 10:8<\/strong>\u00a0Heal the\u00a0sick<\/i>\u00a0. . .<\/p>\n Matthew 6:2\u00a0<\/strong>. . . those who were\u00a0sick.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Also, a closely related word,\u00a0astheneo<\/i>, from the same root, is very often used in Scripture referring to obviously physical infirmities. In John 5:3 it is translated in various Bible versions as \u201csick,\u201d \u201cimpotent,\u201d \u201cinvalids,\u201d disabled,\u201d \u201cailing,\u201d or \u201cinfirm\u201d (see also Mt 10:8, 25:36, Mk 6:56, John 4:46, 5:7, 6:2, 11:1-3,6, Acts 9:37, Phil 2:26-27, 2 Tim 4:20, James 5:14). A third related word,\u00a0asthenes<\/i>, is used in a physical sense in Mt 25:31, 43:44, Lk 10:9, Acts 4:9, 5:15-16.<\/p>\n Finally with regard to Paul\u2019s \u201cthorn,\u201d we have the consensus of the overwhelming majority of conservative biblical scholars that it was some physical disease. Although they may disagree on the exact nature of the infirmity, there is a consensus that it was a\u00a0physical<\/i>\u00a0infirmity:<\/p>\n i)\u00a0New Bible Commentary<\/i>: possibly malaria. The implications of all this for the \u201cfaith\u201d adherent are (as is always the case with occurrence of disease in Scripture), are obvious:\u00a0why couldn\u2019t Paul heal himself<\/i>\u00a0if he could heal others (but not always: see #\u2019s 3, 5 and 15)? The answer is obvious and occurs right in the passage.\u00a0God didn\u2019t will to heal him<\/i>\u00a0(\u201cMy grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness\u201d).<\/p>\n We have seen how the Greek word for \u201cweakness, which God uses here, is used in Scripture and the overwhelming evidence is that\u00a0Paul suffered from disease, with God\u2019s approval<\/i>. This destroys one of the \u201cfaith\u201d doctrine\u2019s chief beliefs: namely, that it is always God\u2019s will to heal at all times.<\/p>\n 21)\u00a0The Case Of Job<\/b><\/span> In verse 1:1, Job is described as \u201cblameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil.\u201d In verse 1:8, the Lord Himself repeats these same words, in conversation with Satan, adding the phrase, \u201cthere is no one like him on the Earth.\u201d\u00a0After Job is afflicted with all the calamities described in 1:13-22, God still says the same thing about him that He said in 1:8, in verse 2:3 (adding,\u00a0\u201cAnd he\u00a0still\u00a0<\/i>holds fast his integrity\u201d). Note how God says in the same verse,\u00a0\u201cYou incited\u00a0me against him<\/i>, to ruin him without cause.\u201d<\/p>\n This is very important, because faith teachers would have us believe that Satan was solely responsible for Job\u2019s troubles, while the Bible, on the other hand, tells us explicitly that\u00a0God afflicted Job<\/i>, using Satan as His\u00a0agent<\/i>\u00a0(i.e.,\u00a0allowing<\/i>\u00a0him to do evil to Job). Note also, how God proclaims that even though Satan cited Him against Job, there was\u00a0no cause\u00a0<\/i>for it. This wasn\u2019t allowed to come upon Job because of some secret sin, or lack of faith, etc.<\/p>\n In this vein, Job 42:11 is quite instructive:\u00a0\u201c. . . all the evil that\u00a0the Lord<\/b>\u00a0had brought on him.\u201d What are \u201cfaith\u201d teachers to do with this verse, and also Job 2:3? Thus, two false doctrines are exposed. \u201cFaith\u201d teachers tell us that the righteous should not suffer and be afflicted physically, and that Satan is the author of all diseases, which afflict believers only through lack of faith. Thus, they attribute Job\u2019s problems to lack of faith, secret sin, and allowing Satan to \u201cget in.\u201d But the Bible tells us otherwise. Job\u00a0was\u00a0<\/i>righteous because\u00a0God said so<\/i>\u00a0(1:8 and 2:3) in no uncertain terms.<\/p>\n And his afflictions (both bodily and otherwise) were ultimately caused by God (Job 2:3 and 42:11. See also Exodus 4:11, under #9). They were\u00a0God\u2019s will.<\/i>\u00a0There is no indication that Job\u2019s sufferings were a result of his shortcomings or lack of faith. That is pure speculative desperation on the \u201cfaith\u201d teachers part, with no biblical basis. James even commends Job for his endurance (James 5:11; see also #28). This is strange indeed if we are to regard Job as an example of a\u00a0lack<\/i>\u00a0of faith!<\/p>\n Job shows his understanding of God\u2019s ways in verse 2:10:\u00a0\u201cShall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?\u201d Now we will look at Job\u2019s \u2018comforters.\u2019 We will see how they asserted that the righteous do not suffer, and that therefore, Job must have some sin which is causing his problems. They are exactly, uncannily, like \u201cfaith\u201d followers today, who exude a decided lack of compassion toward the suffering because they regard them as second-class spiritual citizens (this is the strong\u00a0tendency\u00a0<\/i>anyway, and the logical outcome of the doctrine).<\/p>\n But we will also see how God severely rebukes these \u201cfriends\u201d at the end of the book, and asserts His sovereignty (i.e., \u201ctrust Me even though you may not understand some things such as adversity befalling the righteous.\u201d).<\/p>\n Bildad says in verse 8:6: \u201cIf you are pure and upright, surely now He would rouse Himself for you and restore your righteous estate,\u201d implying that Job was\u00a0not<\/i>\u00a0righteous because God didn\u2019t move immediately. Job, however, although the most righteous man on the earth, recognizes mans inherently sinful nature by saying:\u00a0\u201cHow can a man be in the right before God?\u201d\u00a0(9:2). He is arguing that since no man is righteous, God\u2019s dealings with men are based totally on His mercy, and not\u00a0our\u00a0<\/i>supposed faith or righteousness.<\/p>\n The hyperfaith doctrine tends to make the Christian walk depend far more on\u00a0our<\/i>\u00a0power and knowledge than on God\u2019s mercy, sovereignty, and grace. Job\u2019s comforters continue to make insinuations about Job\u2019s supposed great sinfulness as the book goes on, getting worse as they go. \u201cIs not your wickedness great, and your iniquities without end?\u201d (22:5) And so it goes throughout the book.<\/p>\n Of course we know that these \u201cfriends\u201d are dead wrong, because of God\u2019s proclamations of Job\u2019s righteousness at the beginning of the book, and His responses to them at the end of the book. Lets look now at God\u2019s opinion of the discourse which is documented in the book of Job. \u201cMy wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right\u00a0as my servant Job has\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>(42:7). In verse 42:8, God refers to the friends\u2019 \u201cfolly\u201d.<\/p>\n God tells the three \u201ccomforters\u201d that Job will pray for them after they offer up burnt offerings, thus vindicating Job and severely rebuking his self-righteous, supposedly \u201cwise\u201d friends. We find in conclusion, then, that the whole of the book of Job is contrary to the \u201cfaith\u201d doctrine, and fatally destroys it. Many other biblical verses teach the same thing about God\u2019s relation to evil and affliction:<\/p>\n Exodus 15:26\u00a0<\/strong>And He said, \u201cIf you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes,\u00a0I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians<\/i>; for I, the LORD, am your healer.\u201d<\/p>\n Leviticus 26:15-16<\/strong>\u00a0if, instead, you reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors My ordinances so as not to carry out all My commandments, and so break My covenant, I, in turn, will do this to you:\u00a0I will appoint over you a sudden terror, consumption and fever that shall waste away the eyes and cause the soul to pine away<\/i>; also, you shall sow your seed uselessly, for your enemies shall eat it up.<\/p>\n Deuteronomy 7:15<\/strong>\u00a0And the LORD will remove from you all sickness . . .\u00a0He will lay them on all who hate you.<\/i><\/p>\n Deuteronomy 28:61<\/strong>\u00a0Also\u00a0every sickness and every plague<\/i>\u00a0which, not written in the book of this law,\u00a0the LORD will bring on you until you are destroyed.<\/i><\/p>\n Judges 9:23\u00a0<\/strong>Then\u00a0God sent an evil spirit\u00a0<\/i>between Abimelech and the men of Schechem; and the men of Schechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech. (cf. Isaiah 19:1-4)<\/p>\n 1 Samuel 16:14, 23\u00a0<\/strong>Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and\u00a0an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him . . . the evil spirit from God came to Saul\u00a0<\/i>. . .<\/p>\n 1 Samuel 18:10-11<\/strong>\u00a0. . . an evil spirit from God came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul\u2019s hand. And Saul hurled the spear for he thought, \u201cI will pin David to the wall.\u201d . . . (cf. 19:9-10: \u201cevil spirit from the LORD\u201d)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 22)\u00a0Jesus and the \u201cCurse of the Law\u201d<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Galatians 3:13\u00a0<\/strong>Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, \u201cCursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cFaith\u201d teachers tell us that the \u201ccurse\u201d referred to here is the curse of physical disease, but the context, and the examination of similar Pauline teachings elsewhere point to other conclusions. The whole context of Galatians 3:13 (all of chapter 3) is concerned with faith leading to righteousness, rather than works of the Law. Paul actually defines the \u201ccurse\u201d being spoken of, in verse 3:10: \u201cFor as many as are of the works of the Law are under a\u00a0curse<\/i>; for it is written \u2013 \u2018Cursed is every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n He goes on to assert, in verse 11, that\u00a0no one<\/i>\u00a0is justified by the law. Thus, the curse of the Law is the fact that no one could ever get to heaven by means of it. Physical infirmities are nowhere spoken of. We are redeemed from hell by the work of Christ on the cross, as the profound statement of Galatians 3:13 tells us (see also Rom 7:6 and 8:1-3).<\/p>\n \u201cFaith\u201d teachers cross-reference Galatians 3:13 with Deuteronomy 28:15 ff. and tell us that Jesus Christ took upon Himself all the curses described there (so that we would never have them again). Beyond the considerations examined in #16, a simple examination of Deuteronomy 28 quickly reveals that this belief is totally absurd: The passage is a warning directed against the Jews alone. It doesn\u2019t even apply to Gentiles!<\/p>\n But even if we did grant that the \u201ccurse\u201d might apply to believers today, and that Christ took upon Himself all the curses mentioned, let\u2019s follow this logic for the sake of argument and see what happens: Christ bore our mildew (v. 22), our droughts (v. 24), our battles (v. 25), our madness (v. 28), our adultery (v. 30), our bad crops (v. 39), our being scattered among all peoples (obviously referring to the Jews alone \u2014 v. 64), etc., etc.<\/p>\n There is no connection between Galatians 3:13 and Deuteronomy 28, and nothing in Galatians 3 to make us believe that we would be delivered from physical disease. Disease cannot cease yet, because we are still under the curse of the Fall. Thus, Paul says, \u201cWe ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body\u201d (Rom 8:23) after speaking of the travail of all creation in the previous three verses.<\/p>\n This curse continues until the time of the New Heaven and Earth, because in Revelation 22:3, we are informed, \u201cThere shall no longer be any curse.\u201d\u00a0Pain and suffering will end at\u00a0that<\/i>\u00a0time (Rev 21:4), not in the present age, as \u201cfaith\u201d teachers would like to believe. For now, we are to suffer with Christ, rather than seek to avoid suffering in some ersatz notion of \u201cfaith\u201d: 1 Peter 4:12-13:\u00a0\u201cBeloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you, but to the degree that you\u00a0share the sufferings of Christ<\/i>, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation or His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.\u201d<\/p>\n 23)\u00a0Jesus Didn\u2019t Heal Everybody All The Time<\/b><\/span> All He had to do was say the word. And again, these healings are not (as far as we can determine from the text, at any rate) tied to faith, so that those who lacked faith did not get healed (as hyperfaith doctrine holds). So if folks like Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland are indeed gifted with the marvelous power to heal everyone, what in the world stops them from visiting every hospital in the world and clearing them out? After all, they think it is God\u2019s will that no one should be sick, and that they have the power to heal by their own supposed extraordinary \u201cfaith.\u201d<\/p>\n 24)\u00a0The Gift Of Healing<\/b><\/span> 25)\u00a0Is Healing Part of the Atonement (Isaiah 53)?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Isaiah 53:4-5\u00a0<\/strong>(4a and 5b) Surely our griefs (or, sicknesses) He bore, and our sorrows He carried . . . By His scourging we are\u00a0healed.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n As for Isaiah 53:5, the Hebrew word for \u201chealed\u201d is\u00a0
\n
\n<\/b>Consistent, so-called \u201cfaith\u201d doctrine would mean that followers would never have to die! The person with enough \u201cfaith\u201d could theoretically heal himself indefinitely. Yet, we know that this is obviously absurd. Everyone dies; and most people have some sickness from which they will die. Thus, for most people, there is one sickness of which they will never be healed \u2014 their\u00a0last one<\/i>. Death and sickness came about in the first place as a result of the fall. God decides ultimately when someone dies, and He decides whether to heal or not. But perfect health will not be achieved until the Kingdom arrives.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/b>Aging is itself a degenerative disease which is irreversible, constantly occurring and ultimately fatal. This is a medical and scientific fact, and one which contradicts the \u201cfaith\u201d doctrine, which teaches attainable perfect health. Such a state is not possible for fallen man and fallen creation.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/b>This finds biblical sanction in Paul\u2019s writings. In 1 Timothy 1:20, he mentions Hymenaeus and Alexander in an unfavorable light. In 2 Timothy 2:17-18, he names Hymenaeus and Philetus, \u201cmen who have gone astray from the truth\u201d . . . And in 2 Timothy 4:14, he writes, \u201cAlexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds.\u201d Thus, one can rightly name false teachers such as Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland, for the sake of orthodoxy and true doctrine, and to prevent injury to souls.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/b>No key figure in the history of the Church and Christianity has ever taught freedom from all disease as a result of the atonement, God being \u201cbound,\u201d our positive confession, etc.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/b>We find that healing is sometimes related to faith and sometimes not, in the NT. Many scriptures can be found where Jesus says \u201cYour faith has made you well\u201d or some other similar phrase. But other passages don\u2019t mention faith at all. Thus\u00a0we cannot establish an absolute relation between faith and healing<\/i>\u00a0(or, conversely, a correlation between sin and sickness). These beliefs are not biblical, and are constructed by illogically reading into Holy Scripture what is not there. Let\u2019s examine a few passages in this regard.<\/p>\n
\nNIV \/ Moffatt \/ Williams<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cillness . . . illness\u201d
\nRSV\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cbodily ailment . . . condition\u201d
\nTEV (GNB)<\/strong>\u00a0\u201csick . . . physical condition\u201d
\nNEB<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cbodily illness . . . state of my poor body\u201d
\nPhillips<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cphysical illness . . . disease\u201d
\nLiving Bible\u00a0<\/strong>\u201csick . . . sickness\u201d
\nJerusalem<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cillness . . . disease\u201d
\nMLB<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cphysical infirmity . . . physical condition\u201d
\nAmplified\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cbodily ailment . . . physical condition\u201d
\nNew American Bible<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cbodily ailment . . . physical condition\u201d
\nBarclay<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cillness . . . physical illness\u201d
\nNKJV<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cphysical infirmity\u201d
\nBeck\u00a0<\/strong>\u201csick . . . sick body\u201d
\nNRSV<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cphysical infirmity . . . condition\u201d
\nREB<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cbodily illness . . . pjysical condition\u201d
\nCEV<\/strong>\u00a0\u201csick . . . illness\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nii)\u00a0New Catholic Commentary<\/i>: possibly malaria; possible connection to Acts 13:13.<\/p>\n
\niv)\u00a0Matthew Henry\u2019s Commentary<\/i>: some infirmity.
\nv)\u00a0Peake\u2019s Commentary<\/i>: connected with 2 Cor 12:7-10; possibly malaria, or eye disease.
\nvi)\u00a0Pulpit Commentary<\/i>: chronic sharp physical distress (2 Cor 12).
\nvii)\u00a0Barne\u2019s Notes<\/i>: some bodily infimity (2 Cor 12).
\nviii)\u00a0Interpretation of St. Paul\u2019s Epistles<\/i>: R.C.H. Lenski: illness, possibly malaria.
\nix) Ramsay: malaria with severe headaches.
\nx)\u00a0Daily Study Bible Series<\/i>, William Barclay: likely malaria with severe headaches, same as 2 Cor 12.
\nxi)\u00a0Tyndale NT Commentaries,<\/i>\u00a0Galatians (Alan Cole): \u201cPaul was constantly plagued by ill health . . . Most scholars have taken \u2018trial\u2019 (v. 15) as being synonymous with Paul\u2019s \u2018thorn in the flesh\u2019.\u201d
\nxii)\u00a0Zondervan Commentary<\/i>, Galatians: J.B. Lightfoot: bodily ailment of some sort.
\nxiii)\u00a0Expository Messages on Galatians<\/i>, H.A. Ironside: \u201cPaul was used of God to heal many sick people, but he never healed himself . . . He was a sick man for years as he preached the gospel.\u201d Probably an affliction of the eyes.
\nxiv)\u00a0The Gospel in Galatians<\/i>, C. Norman Bartlett: Either ophthalmia or malaria. \u201cIt was probably the thorn in the flesh alluded to in 2 Cor 12.\u201d
\nxv)\u00a0Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary<\/i>: Some bodily sickness. Probably the same as his \u201cthorn in the flesh\u201d (2 Cor 12).
\nxvi)\u00a0Word Studies in the New Testament,\u00a0<\/i>Marvin R. Vincent: \u201cPaul, in his first journey, was compelled by sickness to remain in Galatia . . . bodily infirmity.\u201d
\nxvii)\u00a0Word Pictures in the New Testament<\/i>, A.T. Robertson: \u201c. . . sickness of some kind whether it was eye trouble (4:15) which was a trial to them or . . . the thorn in the flesh (II Cor. 12:7) we do not know . . . illness and repulsive appearance . . . \u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nwalk).<\/p>\n
\nii)\u00a0New Laymans Bible Commentary<\/i>: most probably ophthalmia or malaria. Possible connection to Gal 4:13-15, 6:11, Acts 13:3 and 23:5.
\niii)\u00a0Barne\u2019s Notes<\/i>: \u201cSome infirmity of the flesh, some bodily affliction or calamity.\u201d Connection to Gal 4:13-15.
\niv)\u00a0New Catholic Commentary<\/i>: possibly a \u201cchronic humiliating malady,\u201d such as marsh fever (connection with 2 Cor 1:8 ff. and Gal 4:13-14).
\nv)\u00a0Corinthian Letters of St. Paul<\/i>, G. Campbell Morgan: Some type of physical affliction, for
\nsure.
\nvi)\u00a0Daily Study Bible<\/i>, 1 & 2 Corinthians, William Barclay: chronic attacks of a certain virulent malarial fever which was common in the eastern Mediterranean area. \u201cBy far the most likely thing.\u201d
\nvii)\u00a0Interpretation of 1 & 2 Corinthians<\/i>, R.C.H. Lenski: some physical infirmity.
\nviii)\u00a0Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary<\/i>: some affliction causing acute pain (as \u201cthorn\u201d implies). Connection with Gal 4:13-14.
\nix) Ramsay: recurring malarial fever.
\nx)\u00a0Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary<\/i>: Some physical ailment, which was painful and disfiguring; possibly ophthalmia.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n
\n<\/b>The book of Job, rightly understood and interpreted, reads almost like a parable of the \u201cfaith movement\u201d, and its refutation, for we find much here that cannot be explained by \u201cfaith\u201d proponents. Some of the worst arguments in the \u201cfaith\u201d literature are put forth in attempts to explain away Job and his sufferings. Lets look at some key verses of Job:<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/b>At the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9), John mentioned \u201ca multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered\u201d (v. 3). Yet when Jesus passed by, he only healed just\u00a0one\u00a0<\/i>lame man (5:5-9). In Mark 1:32-34, we are informed that people \u201cbegan bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed,\u201d but it doesn\u2019t say that\u00a0all<\/i>\u00a0were healed; rather, \u201cHe healed\u00a0many<\/i>\u00a0. . . and cast out\u00a0many<\/i>\u00a0demons.\u201d If Jesus wanted to heal absolutely everyone in the whole country, He could have easily done so, just as He healed the centurion\u2019s servant at a distance (Mt 8:13).<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/b>1 Corinthians 12:9 mentions the \u201cgifts of healing,\u201d among the listing of many spiritual gifts. Then 1 Corinthians 12:11 states, \u201cone and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.\u201d Thus we see that healings are not earned by our faith (a doctrine of works, or the ancient heresy of Pelagianism), but rather, bestowed upon us by God as a\u00a0gift<\/i>,\u00a0when<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0as<\/i>\u00a0He wills. This is distinctly different from having a divine \u201cright\u201d or \u201cprivilege\u201d to be healed by God.<\/p>\n