Does God Heal Through Doctors?

The thought that God heals through doctors prevails today. But we should be careful about this doctrine because the Bible says rough things in Revelation 22:18-19 about anyone who adds to the word or takes away from the word.

In Genesis 50:2 we read that Joseph called a physician to embalm his father.

In 2 Chronicles 16:12 we read that Asa “was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.”

In Luke 8:43, we read that “a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any.” The account in Mark 5 also says that there were “many physicians” and that she “rather grew worse.”

In Colossians 4:14 we read that Luke was a physician. But in Luke’s account of the visit to Melita in Acts 28:8-9 it was Paul who ministered healing. “And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:”

Where is a there any scriptural basis that God heals through doctors? Did someone receive a special revelation that God had a new plan?

When Eve was approached in the garden she saw (Genesis 3:6) “that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,”  The serpent convinced Eve that God must want her to eat it or it would not have been there.

Just because something seems right does not make it right. The Bibles says (Proverbs 14:12) that “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

The medical profession seems to be the right thing. Not a week goes by that we do not hear of some new drug or some new procedure. Does that mean that the medical profession is God at work? Let’s see if the medical profession has the characteristics of God.

God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). But the medical profession is a respecter of persons. If you are a white American male with private health insurance or if you are  wealthy you can have the best treatments available.

God’s gifts cannot be purchased. In Acts 8:20, Peter said, “Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.”  The Bible says in Revelation 22:17 that “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” But medical care takes money. And the more money you have the better off you are.

God’s gifts are appropriated through faith. But doctors are selected by sight for their reputation. The Bible says “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). A common church dinner conversation involves people bragging about the excellent coverage they have on their medical plans.

God does not take away a gift. In Romans 11:29 we read “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. Then why do Christians complain when some treatment is no longer covered by their plan?

God calls his ministers through his gospel (Ephesians 3:6-12.) Medical practitioners are often unbelievers. The Bible says in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” Are these unbelievers also his sheep?

God set gifts of healings in the church (I Cor 12:28).  Medical profession healings are licensed by the government and often paid for by taxes collected by the government or by tax subsidies and deductions allowed by the government. If you’ll watch your newspaper almost daily, medical profession deficiencies are dealt with by the Congress and the Legislature and not by prayer.

God does not change. But medical care keeps changing. In Malachi 3:6 we read “For I am the Lord, I change not.” In Hebrews 13:8 we read “Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” In Ecclesiastes 3:14 we read “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken away from it:”

If you believe that God heals through doctors and if you have had your life extended through medical procedures then when you give your testimony you should be sure to thank God that you are a white American and not like those such and such people in some country. You should thank God for noting how worthy you are to be able to afford such good surgeons who you believe are the ministers of God.

In Matthew 8 when Jesus was making some comments about how the Centurion was more of a believer than the church people, Jesus said “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Read the Bible and you’ll see that he was talking about church people who don’t believe in healing by God’s ways.

The Bible says in Psalms 103:3, “who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.” If God now heals through heathen doctors maybe he now saves through some heathen practice. Maybe salvation is now of works.

If you run to your doctor when you’re sick maybe you’re closer to him than you are to Dr. Jesus. Maybe you don’t really believe in eternal salvation either. 

David Sneed