It seems when the term “healing” is used in Scripture, Womack, and others with him interpret to mean that physical healing is meant and that part of God’s grace through Christ is healing.  The introductory booklet under review entitled, God Wants You Well reads on page 10, “He submitted to terrible humiliation, beating torture, and death on a cross so that we could be forgiven our sins, receive healing, and be accepted as sons and daughters of the Most High”  The book then proceeds to use Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 that has the statement, “by whose stripes you were healed” and applies it to physical healing and explains, “God treats the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our bodies as two parts of the same salvation, and it is not conditional.  It is not about being worthy.  It is about receiving the greatest gift in the universe.”

The use of the word “healing” unless in a context like James 5 where physical healing is mentioned, is always talking about spiritual healing.  Salvation, according to Vines Dictionary, denotes “deliverance, preservation, salvation.”  He proceeds to show one use of the word in the NT of material and temporal deliverance from danger and apprehension.  Acts 27:34 finds Paul encouraging those on the ship with him to take food for their salvation.  Clearly, this refers to one’s health, not salvation from the bondage of sin, i.e., forgiveness.  We cannot compile all the uses of the word and apply them in one passage, interpreting Paul to say that if we take food we can have forgiveness of sins.  The same word may be used in other contexts that have nothing to do with food (Acts 4:12, Rom. 1:16; 10:10).  Isaiah 53:5 is describing the suffering servant who was wounded and bruised for our sins.  There are not two parts to our salvation in this text.  The salvation that is undeserved is the grace of God that remits the sin of the penitent believer and is described as healing because it represents an unfavorable condition that is fixed, changed, or removed.  problem no longer exists.

Further, if we apply physical healing from these texts, are we not forced to treat the same (physical and spiritual healing) equally.  For example, when Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his oft infirmities, why did not God’s grace include the unconditional healing of Timothy’s body?  Instead of telling him to rely on God’s grace, Paul tells him to drink a little wine.  If we grant that both physical and spiritual illness is included and that both would continue to be an ongoing problem, then God’s grace should provide healing if one is in Christ.  If one is automatic, so should the other.  If one is conditional or unconditional, so should the other.   Womack’s booklet places both as two parts to God’s salvation that is procured through the death of Christ.  If anyone has sinned, we have the promise of continued fellowship through the confession of sin and repentance (1 John 1:7-9).   If one is physically sick, brethren were told to have the elders pray (James 5:14).  If you take the view that both gifts are unconditional, and there is automatic forgiveness in Christ, then you are forced to apply automatic physical healing in Christ.  Either way, examples of physical illness in the New Testament exist, even to the point of being near death, which proves two things.  It destroys the view of automatic healing and grants no guarantee even after prayer (2 Cor. 12:9).  Friends, it appears to me that we are forcing a conclusion that is most illogical.

About

I have been a fervent student of the Bible all of my life
Experience: Preacher for 30 years and father of three sons
Education: Florida College and Missouri State University

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