Does God guaranteed perfect physical health in the Bible?
While this is a popular notion and is widely taught in the Word-of-Faith movement and popularized by the TBN network, it is a false teaching and it sadly leads many astray from the truth.
One of the best resources for understanding healing and the atonement, is Pastor Bob Dewaay’s Critical Issues Commentary article, “Healing and the Atonement”. Also available from Pastor Dewaay is a free MP3 download.
GotQuestions.org says: “Isaiah 53:5, which is then quoted again in 1 Peter 2:24, is a key verse on healing that is often misunderstood and misapplied. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The word translated “healed” can mean either spiritual or physical healing. However, the contexts of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that it is speaking of spiritual healing. 1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” The verse is talking about sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being “healed” is speaking of being forgiven and saved, not physically healed.”
Syndication URL
One Comments
The author of this article conveniently left out Matthew 8:17 where Matthew quotes this verse in Isaiah in reference to Jesus healing PHYSICAL ailments.
Poor Matthew. He did not have this article to refer to so we can forgive his ignorance, right?
Of course not.
Isaiah dealt with the spiritual side of Jesus’ suffering where Matthew dealt with the physical results of Jesus bearing our sins and sickness by His stripes.
When a person leaves the Word of Faith–which they have every right to do–they work feverishly to discredit any and all of the teaching they heard and disregard truth in the process.
Folks, I do not agree 100% with the Faith movement either but let’s not go to the other extreme and try to prove *every* teaching from the Word of Faith as wrong.
If a teaching agrees with the scriptures you have an obligation to believe it regardless of whether the Faith teachers taught it or not.