"By His stripes we are healed"

I attend a pentecostal church and i often hear people praying for divine healing and expecting it as there right because as they quote, it is written 'By His stripes we are healed'.

Is this legitimate? Are these well meaning people misinterpreting scripture?

Does it mean this?

I know it is talking of being healed and cleansed from the disease of sin but is it also literal?

It is interesting that in Matt 8:17 Matthew quotes from Isaiah 53 in connection with the divine healings that had just taken place 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses'.

Did our Lord bare our sickenesses at the cross? Is phsical healing part of the victory of the cross as the Pentecostals believe?

That my friend, is the million dollar question.

Did our Lord bare our sickenesses at the cross? Is phsical healing part of the victory of the cross as the Pentecostals believe?

I have carefully steered around the last paragraph in your question because all that God does for us is through the effects of the work done on the cross. However, I do not believe that 'healing is in the atonement' in the same way that forgiveness is.

On the basis of what Christ has done on the cross we may come to him, confess our sin, and receive instant forgiveness and cleansing... [color=0000ff]If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9 KJVS)[/color] God is honour-bound to fulfill this promise on the grounds on a Propitiation who stands in the heavens. As an old Charles Wesley hymn states it 'he cannot turn away the presence of His son'.

There is no such provision for sickness. We cannot, as the faith merchants suggest, 'claim' our healing. But we are encouraged to pray for each other that we might be healed which shows the general indication of God's heart towards us. If healing were 'in the atonement', to encourage us to plead for each other's 'healing' would be a massive intrusion into the personal relationship between God and his children. This would also imply that we would need 'gifts of forgiveness' in our gatherings as well as 'gifts of healings'. It would also imply that the elders would visit and pray for the forgiveness of the saints' sins as well as for their healing.

Healing is a gospel sign not an unconditional effect of the cross.

First, I think we can all agree that we would all prefer God's will to be healing in all cases (except, perhaps, an old person who is ready to go) and no one wants to misrepresent God's will on such a topic. Here are some observations:

-In general, Christ seemed to heal just about everybody who needed healing and the word says the works He did we will do also and even greater.

-A number of scriptures exist which do endorse physical healing (this is not exhaustive):

- Mark 16:18 says that believers will lay hands on the sick and they will recover

- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
speaks of God sanctifying us wholly - spirit, soul and body.

- Psalm 103:2-3
speaks of the benefits of the Lord - who heals all of our diseases

- James 5:14-15
says that the sick are to go to the elders of the church, be anointed, prayed for and the prayer offered in faith will save the sick and any sins they have commited will be forgiven.

- Proverbs 4:20-22
speaks of Gods word being health to all our flesh (bones).

-Though I'm not fond of using the verse this way, Isaiah 53:5-6 can be looked at in an interesting way:

He was wounded for our transgressions
[i](outward sin)[/i]
He was bruised for our iniquities
[i](inward sin - so all sin is covered, inward and outward)[/i]
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him
and by His stripes we are healed.
[i](since all sin was covered in the first two lines, is it possible this refers to sickness & disease? Also, would God use the word healed when are spirits are actually reborn?)[/i]

- Paul instructed Timothy to take some wine for an ailment, why didn't he tell him to overcome it by faith if healing is God's will all the time?

- Paul left someone behind because he was sick (was it Trophemus?). Why didn't he just pray over him?

- Some think Paul's thorn in the side was a physical problem.

- In Acts 5:16, all of the sick people were healed - this was done by the hands of the apostles, not Jesus.

- Romans 8:11 speaks of the Holy Spirit giving life to our mortal bodies.

- Sickness and disease seem to be tied into sin and resulted after the fall. With that in mind, look at these scriptures:

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

1 John 3:8b
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Faith seems to be a major issue here. Our words do have power (study blessings and curses) and what we confess does matter:

Proverbs 18:21
Death and LIFE are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Mark 11:22-23
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

1 John 5:14-15
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

There is evidence that healing is often (if not always) God's desire. If we walk in unbelief or believe that miracles have ceased - why should we expect to see any?

I believe God loves to heal and have actually experienced demonic manifestation and release when someone prayed against cancer in me - which I had (don't any longer). So I say pray with boldness knowing that God can heal and loves to do so - the rest is up to Him. Ask and receive.

Disclaimer: If you pray for someone and he/she is not healed, condemning God for lying or condemning the person for having a lack of faith is very foolish - perhaps it is you who is the problem. Or perhaps God has other plans.

To the great dismay of many a Pentecostal i know, i believe of this passage of scripture (by whose stripes ye were healed) exactly as bro Ron posted ...

Bro Ron wrote;
"Healing is a gospel sign not an unconditional effect of the cross."

Man did this phrase just really blow me away in it's precision!

I would say from what I believe from reading God's word that healing is for everyone (Therin is another puzzle for there are sometimes reasons/blockages to healing, ie: Unforgivenss, curses etc - But God will reveal these to the ernest believer so they can be broken and set free(Even the blind man born blind to glorify God was healed.) It is however God's timing when and how to heal someone. If we look at men and women over the past 2 centuries we will see how God used in them miraculously. Sometimes theologian forget to let "the main things be the main things" Look what God says to us in Psalm 91 (this is also pre-Christ). Now we live under the New Covenant made by Jesus, so we are not under law but Grace. It is vitaly important that whatever one does "in the name of Jesus" that we are individually responsible to have a personal intimate relationship with God as "Abba -Father" (that means reading His Word as well). Too many theologians are as dry as tinder and have no relationship with Jesus, please beware of such individuals. Also some believers can become "Too" spiritual and have their heads in some sort of spiritual cloud. We can never order or command God to heal or do anything He is no Genie in a bottle. If I recall whenever Jesus healed He did so with great compassion,
Ps 91:14 “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
Ps 91:15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. r
Ps 91:16 With long life s will I satisfy him and show him my salvation. t ”

God is a God of Mercy and Compassion, full of love and Grace, He does also discipline those he loves (not inapropriately like man - His discipline draws us lovingly back to Him). He does have a time for Judgement and wrath but this is not for His children

Thanks Ron,

This is so well stated, couldn't agree more with Ramon's expression.

[b]We are healed[/b] - literally, it is healed to us; or healing has happened to us. The healing here referred to, is spiritual healing, or healing from sin. Pardon of sin, and restoration to the favor of God, are not unfrequently represented as an act of healing. The figure is derived from the fact that awakened and convicted sinners are often represented as crushed, broken, bruised by the weight of their transgressions, and the removal of the load of sin is repesented as an act of healing. ‘I said, O Lord, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned againt thee’ Psa_41:4. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed’ Psa_6:2. ‘Who forgiveth all thine, iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases Psa_103:3. The idea here is, that the Messiah would be scourged; and that it would be by that scourging that health would be imparted to our souls.

It would be in our place, and in our stead; and it would be designed to have the same effect in recovering us, as though it had been inflicted on ourselves. And will it not do it? Is it not a fact that it has such an effect? Is not a man as likely to be recovered from a course of sin and folly, who sees another suffer in his place what he ought himself to suffer, as though he was punished himself? Is not a wayward and dissipated son quite as likely to be recovered to a course of virtue by seeing the sufferings which his career of vice causes to a father, a mother, or a sister, as though he himself When subjected to severe punishment? When such a son sees that he is bringing down the gray hairs of his father with sorrow to the grave; when he sees that he is breaking the heart of the mother that bore him; when he sees a sister bathed in tears, or in danger of being reduced to poverty or shame by his course, it will be far more likely to reclaim him than would be personal suffering, or the prospect of poverty, want, and an early death. And it is on this principle that the plan of salvation is founded. We shall be more certainly reclaimed by the voluntary sufferings of the innocent in our behalf, than we should be by being personally punished. Punishment would make no atonement, and would bring back no sinner to God. But the suffering of the Redeemer in behalf of mankind is adapted to save the world, and will in fact arrest, reclaim, and redeem all who shall ever enter into heaven.

(Sin is not only a crime for which we were condemned to die, and which Christ purchased for us the pardon of, but it is a disease which tends directly to the death of our souls, and which Christ provided for the cure of. By his stripes, that is, the sufferings he underwent, he purchased for us the Spirit and grace of God, to mortify our corruptions, which are the distempers of our souls; and to put our souls in a good state of health, that they may be fit to serve God, and prepare to enjoy him. And by the doctrine of Christ’s cross, and the powerful arguments it furnisheth us with against sin, the dominion of sin is broken in us, and we are fortified against that which feeds the disease - Henry.)

Albert Barnes

([i]We would have to have a whole lot of explaining to do if we are getting sick in the first place with this 'provision' in place.[/i])

Here4Him wrote:
I attend a pentecostal church and i often hear people praying for divine healing and expecting it as there right because as they quote, it is written 'By His stripes we are healed'.

Is this legitimate? Are these well meaning people misinterpreting scripture?

[b]Isa 53:5[/b] [color=990000]But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his [b]stripe[/b] we are healed.[/color]
The word "stripe" in Hebrew is actualy in the singular.
It was the stripe from His Father that healed us from the broken relationship between Him and us.

If you put the verse in context: our transgressions, our iniquities, the correction of our welfare on Him; none of these lead to the thought of health but a broken relationship.

These are the verse which spring to mind...

[color=0000ff]Jer. 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.

Hos. 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him. [/color]

Thank you all for your thoughts. Brother Ron B, what you said was particularly helpful. I think i agree with that and the scriptures that have been put forward have helped me to understand this subject. So thank you all and the Lord bless you!

George

Matthew 9:4-6 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home."

I agree with much that has been said already, but just wanted to add my own personal experience. Healing is a sign of God's forgiveness, in as much as he forgives the sins of all of his children, however a physical healing is not a necessary product of this true healing.

The wife of one of the ministers at my church has had a brain tumor for almost a decade now, the Lord is faithful to sustain her, and although she is visibly shaken by the ailment she continues to serve joyfully, this I think is the true sign of healing.

I don't remember whom I heard this from, either Zac Poonen, Leonard Ravenhill or KP Yohannan (that’s who I've been listening to lately) but I think it is an apt point. [In reflection, I'm pretty sure it was Zac Poonen, somewhere in his series entitled 'basics']

Acts 3:1-10 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

This man evidently came to the temple gate called Beautiful, and since he was crippled from birth one could suppose that he had been doing this for quite a while... now it doesn't say how long this was after Pentecost, or after the crucifixion, but one can reasonably assume that Jesus had passed by this man on his times entering the temple. Why hadn't Jesus healed him earlier? If he was always begging there, Jesus could have gone over and touched him years ago.

But this serves a purpose in God's plan; this man's sickness gave the Apostles an opportunity to proclaim the Word of God to those whom had crucified Christ. Isn't it an amazing testimony, through his own sickness, the word of God was spoken boldly in the temple!

God allows people to have sickness; it is so that in it we may find God and his plan for our lives. Apostle Paul often complained about the thorn in his flesh, yet God didn't remove it even after Paul pleaded with him three times. Paul was an Apostle in every sense of the word, why couldn't he just drive out the sickness!? God was being glorified more in his suffering than he would have been in his healing.

Ravi Zacharias in his own personal testimony alludes to a thorn in his flesh, which led him to believe that he could never be an itinerant minister. However he also stands by the supposition that it is those who suffer that seek meaning, those who are in pain that look for the face of Jesus… and in all our comfort, we forget about the fleetingness of life and suppose ourselves to be immortal, until we have wasted the life that God has given us.

I think he said something along the lines of [because of the suffering in India] ‘In India they do not question whether God exists, but instead, which God to believe in.’ [as opposed to the West where we are debating whether God exists.]

Sorry brother Ravi if I have horribly misquoted you!

The suffering that God allows in India, as well as in our lives, makes them fertile soil for the Gospel. Why would anyone think that the Gospel is especially good news if they're living comfortably and without pain? Why do you think God had to cut down the number of man's days... because the longer and more healthier we live, the less we think about God!

Healing is a sign of God's forgiveness, in as much as he forgives the sins of all of his children, however a physical healing is not a necessary product of this true healing.

I was using healing in the sense that Jesus was in the verse I quoted at the start of my post... Jesus connected healing and forgiveness of sins. I don't think this is is necessarily heretical!

To continue that thought I submit 2 Cor 4:10
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

I never intended to start a topic on 'signs of forgiveness' but Apostle Paul said that we carry this sign of 'crucifixion' ie. the death and life of Jesus in our bodies... that is through the forgiveness of sins, and lives lived dying to self day by day... that in us others may see the act of forgiveness that Jesus made on the cross.

What I mean to say is that as a professing Christian, we should all be billboards for Jesus... for lack of a better anology. Whether it be in physical healing, spiritual healing, or downright suffering... we all show the marks of Jesus to the world. The sign of forgiveness is a Christian holding onto the foot of the cross and saying "Today, let me live for you, no matter what my circumstances."

Edit: as much as I can't figure out what the heck I was trying to say... I won't edit my post, but it did remind me of the essay 'Branded for Christ by Leonard Ravenhill: http://www.ravenhill.org/branded.htm
It's worth a read.