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Institute for Christian Teaching

A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE ON DISEASE, HEALTH,

AND HEALING

Harvey A. Elder

409-00 Institute for Christian Teaching

12501 Old Columbia Pike

Silver Spring, MD 20904 USA

Symposium on the Bible and Adventist Scholarship

Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic

March 19-26, 2000

I.Biblical Premises Foundational to My Understanding of Medicine:

Many Biblical notions inform the Christian practice of medicine. In this paper I will examine a few that are formative. The Bible takes a very high view of the physical especially our physical bodies. We were created in the "image of God." Not only did God create us with physical bodies, He personally incarnated into a physical body, healed physical bodies, was resurrected with a physical body and gave the gifts of healing physical bodies to His disciples and to His church. He will yet redeem our mortal physical bodies transforming them into an immortal body. Though multifactorial, humans are an integrated whole. Health requires that the multiple factors be integrated and in balance. Human brokenness, a consequence of broken fellowship with God, sheds the "image of the Divine." Healing requires healing of the physical, mental, emotional, social and religious facets as well as healing of the spiritual; it requires restoration of the "image of God." Healing occurs only in community, without community healing is incomplete. God gifted His Church with many gifts, including the gifts of healing. He appointed His Church to be Communities of Healing ministering physical, emotional, social, religious and spiritual healing. Churches are to be communities that call (give vocation to) individuals to heal as their ministry.

II.Biblical view of Man

A.Man and woman were created with body, soul and spirit

The Biblical story begins with creation, "In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1[1]). He called His creation "good." It was a garden with light and atmosphere, water and dry land and heavenly bodies that mark time--for whom? Some creatures frolicked in the waters; some cavorted in the air and others on land. God enjoyed His creation and "saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:9,12, 18, 21, 25).

For what purpose had God created all this? Why did He bring it into existence? It was beautiful and watching brought joy much as we enjoy aquariums and zoological and botanical gardens. But why had God made all of this? God culminated His creation on planet Earth with people. "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over" (Genesis 1:26). Obviously, God created Eden for Adam and Eve ("them"). God created physical beauty, He provided nourishment, not just protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals but beautiful food, tasty food, "pleasing to the eye and good for food" (Genesis 2:9). God created a garden, a "biosphere," that would appeal to the physical senses. God "willed" human existence and it wasso (Revelation 4:11).

Most of creation appeared as God spoke, "Let there be . . ." but this was not so for humans. Deliberately God chose to create humans differently. With His hands the LORD God took soil and shaped it, and then "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). Similarly, God formed and shaped Eve. Human life required God's intimate and direct activities, simply speaking was not adequate! God caressed them into shape and "kissed" them to life! Imagine His thoughts during this time! What feelings and emotions did God have? God was pleased with His creation, He exclaimed "very good" (Genesis 1:31).

Why did God create people? What did God want out of this? Clearly God desired fellowship with His new creation; He wanted them to know and love Him. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:4,5). God wanted fellowship that involved heart and soul, all their strength, strength of spirit as well as mind, emotion and will. God wanted them to know and understand Him (Jeremiah 9:23, 24; John 17:3). It included physical strength. These were to be integrated in an intimate communing fellowship with God (Genesis 1:28, 3:9, Isaiah 45:18).

When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. "God created man in His own image" (Genesis 1:27), and it was His purpose that the longer man lived the more fully he should reveal this image--the more fully reflect the glory of the Creator. All his faculties were capable of development; their capacity and vigor were continually to increase.[2]

B.In God's sight, humans have inestimable value--

God did not create as an absentee landlord. God valued His children. He cared passionately about them. God talked face to face with Adam and Eve. Even after the Fall, when they disgraced both their Maker and themselves, God cared passionately. Later, when His chosen people were worshipping false gods, He said,

"For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. . . Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, . . . I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth--everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made" Isaiah 43:3, 4, 6-7.

God's incarnation into human form documents His love for His creation. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). No additional evidence is possible. During His short life, many events document God's love. I am attracted to the words God spoke after Jesus' baptism, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17 NRSV).

The promise that you are accepted in the Beloved comes to you. Hold it with the grip of unyielding faith. God said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This means that through the dark shadow, which Satan has thrown athwart your pathway Christ has cleaved the way for you to the throne of the infinite God. He has laid hold of almighty power, and you are accepted in the Beloved[3].

III.Humans were created in the "image of God"[4] This means we were created for relationships

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." . . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him (Genesis 1:26-27).

A.God created us to have fellowship with Him. This defines our "child-ness

God created people to glorify His Name. This they did with progressive joy and increasing praise. In worshipping Him they fulfilled the deepest passion of their being. "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture" (Psalms 100:3). "For in him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). God purposed that we, His creation, should be holy, "Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2). In close fellowship with God, loving Him, living "in Him, through Him and with Him" we listen to Him. We live obedient lives--we become "holy."

Man, created for fellowship with God, can only in such fellowship find his real life and development. Created to find in God his highest joy, he can find in nothing else that, which can quiet the cravings of the heart, can satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul[5].

God desired that His creation be holy so they would experience the joy and harmony of Heaven, so they would experience God's love. Because they experienced God's love, His people would live joyous and fulfilled lives (1 John 4:16). However, people turned from God. They went their "own ways" (Isaiah 53:6). They sinned against God. They sought gods made in their own image. Even in this despicable plight, while His people debased themselves with idolatrous worship, God's love did not waver. God willed that Israel would experience His love, for it they did, they would turn from their idolatrous ways and would "acknowledge the Lord" (Hosea 2:19-20).

In a world filled with false worship, God wanted His people to be His witnesses, to tell of His goodness and love. God's people document that God's ways are good and in contrast, all else obviously false, impotent, and unable to fulfill human longings. All else destroys humanity spiritually, emotionally, socially as well as physically.

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed--I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God . . . the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise." Isaiah 43:10-12, 21.

B.We were created to relate to others, our "we-ness

God created "them," not individuals, but a couple (Genesis 1:27). First created, Adam soon realized what God knew, "It is not good for the man to be alone." In response to Adam's need, God created "a helper suitable for him" (Genesis 2:18). Created from Adam's side, Eve was Adam's equal, neither superior nor inferior to Him. God created Eve to be Adam's "helper,[6]" neither a position of inferiority nor of superiority.

After experiencing aloneness and unable to identify with any creature in all of creation, Adam sees Eve, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man" (Genesis 2: 23). Adam immediately recognized Eve as God's sublime gift. He received her in her radiant beauty from God's hand. "Who gives this woman to be wife?" God answered, "I do." God created marriage to complete the "image of God" for He self-identified in the pleural, "us," "our" (Genesis 1:26). Marriage included the physical relationship, "they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame" (Genesis 2:24-25). God created marital sexuality to increase intimacy, decrease shame and strengthen the marital bond as well as for procreation.

Though "the fall" occurred before Earth's population increased, clearly God intended that people live as a community, having "common" interests and concerns. Each was to love and serve others, even as God loves and serves His creation. In loving service God's love is completed in us (1 John 4:7-8, 12). This is not a trivial issue only of interest to those fanatical about God's likeness. In a parable told during Passion Week, Christ taught that acts of kindness done for others are done for the King. The King will say to those who neglect the less fortunate, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. . . [For] I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me" (Matthew 25:31-46). God takes seriously our treatment of fellow human beings. He "will give to each person according to what he has done" (Romans 2:5,6) in the treatment of others.

C.We were created to "rule over" and "care for" God's creation, our "stewardship

God created a beautiful earth for Adam and Eve to enjoy. To enjoy they had to "care for" and "rule over" it. They were to enjoy God's creation and by their creative imaginations and physical labor to personalize and modify it. God put them in control, they would want Eden to reflect their maturing esthetic senses. It would always be God's creation reflecting their tastes (Genesis 1:26, 28; 2:15; Psalms 8:6).

God created Adam and Eve out of the Earth. God entrusted Adam and Eve with creativity, the power to procreate. In addition God gave them the ability to transform created objects into beautiful items of value, thus, they had the ability to create wealth. God entrusted them with these gifts as His stewards who would use His creation both in worship and to benefit those less fortunate as well as the general community (Leviticus 23:22; Leviticus 25:25; Luke 12:33). It was God's intention that His people would always give to others. This was a significant part of worship in the New Testament Church (Acts 24:17). Followers of Jesus will be generous. Not only will this bless the recipient but generosity blesses the giver (Proverbs 22:9; 2 Corinthians 9:7).

D.God gave several gifts to Adam and Eve:

Of the many gifts with which God endowed the first couple, I will emphasize only three.

1.The power of choice:

Adam and Eve enjoyed the perfect bodies God created while they explored His flawless creation. They lived in His presence, daily communicated with Him face to face. Experiencing the intimacy God designed in their marriage they explored "knowing" with tenderness and growing love. Their intelligent minds, created to learn everything about His creation, though disciplined by their wills explored all of creation with an exploding curiosity. God gave them the "freedom of choice": He restricted what they could eat. They could choose to obedience or disobedience. Following the fall, humanity never lost its freedom to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15; Romans 6:13,14).

2.The gift of community:

We are individuals in community. If we loose either individuality or community we loose our humanity. Communities provide the story of our origin and the stories of our heritage. In the Old Testament, God related to Israel as a community, not as individuals. Israel was the "people of God" (Judges 20:2). The New Testament reveals God relating to individuals on occasion, but most of His communication was through His Church. Church members realized that they were God's offspring, His beloved children. God miraculously preserved Holy Scripture through His Church. The Church, a called community, bases its ethics and moral decisions on Scripture. Without the Church community, we have minimal basis for experiencing either God's love or fellowship with Him. Without community we decide how to interpret Scripture and create ethics that justify our behaviors. Without the Church community we lack responsibility to others and usually live self-existent lives. We become demigods without service (ministry) to the needs of others. Without community life is meaningless and we experience existential loneliness.

Communities are havens for those less able to provide for themselves, the "widow, orphan and alien" and the disabled. We need "the poor" that we have opportunity to share what "we earned," more properly what God added to our efforts, i.e. our blessings. As we share in the suffering of others, as we open ourselves to their needs we realize how much we have and how little we really need (Deuteronomy 15:10-11).

3.Bodies that are the temple of the Holy Spirit

God promised to "never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5). In their darkest hours Israel's hope was based on this promise, this was the source of their courage: God was with them, He was against their enemies. Immanuel, one of God's names means "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14). In clarifying this relationship, Paul teaches us that our bodies, our physical bodies, are "a temple [presumably a physical structure] of the Holy Spirit, who is in you" (1 Corinthians 6:19). The implications of this fact are awesome. It identifies ownership and stewardship, director and caretaker, who has rights and who has obligations. It speaks about the value of our physical bodies, how attentively we should care for and carefully use our physical bodies.

We are a multifaceted whole, an integrated unity, body, mind and spirit created to fellowship with God and to bring Him glory. "When Adam came from the Creator's hand, he bore, in his physical, mental, and spiritual nature, a likeness to his Maker. 'God created man in His own image' (Genesis 1:27). By disobedience this was forfeited. Through sin the divine likeness was marred, and well-nigh obliterated. Man's physical powers were weakened, his mental capacity was lessened, his spiritual vision dimmed[7]."

IV.Scripture Values The Physical Aspect Of Personhood

For over 1500 years, religion has embraced an attitude from classical Greek thought that demeaned the value of the physical body. This attitude manifests in many practices designed to punish and subdue the physical body. Paul's statement, "I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:27) was used to justify this anti-body attitude. However, this interpretation is not consistent with the rest of scripture.