Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science myth. Mrs. Eddy gave the world her so called
"Science Health, with Key to the Scriptures." All cult groups depend upon a new
revelation to support their ungodly doctrines since they certainly find no support or
comfort in the Bible. They argue that aside from their "key," one cannot possibly
understand the Scriptures. However God's Words were carefully chosen and clearly
given. If we are willing to "consider" what He has said in His word, He promised to
give us all an "understanding" of the Book (II Tim 2:7; 15). Further, the Holy Spirit
claims we are "throughly furnished unto all good works" by the "all Scripture" (II Tim
3:15-17). We are warned not to follow anybody's so called "key."
Mrs. Eddy wrote "life, truth and love constitute the triune God, or Triple divine
principle." She ignores such texts as Matthew 28:19 and I John 5:7. Thus the Bible
brands her and her kind as follows. "If they speak not according to this word it is
because there is no light in them" (Isa 8:20).
Her principle doctrine is called "healing through knowledge." This theory makes God
"pure spirit" with no essence or actual being. It also states that only what they
define as "spiritual good" is real.
Into this category Christian Science places all matter, all human flesh, all evil,
iniquity, sin and all disease. There really is no sin. It is merely an imagination of
the mind. One does not really suffer from pain or illness. These are "merely figments
of a regrettable illusion."
This classifies the thirst, weariness and fatigue of Christ in John 4:6-8, as well as
the His sufferings in the garden and on Calvary as "figments of His uniformed
illusion." If He had possessed a copy of Mary's "Key to the Scriptures" He would have
realized that all of those experiences were only in His mind. How utterly blasphemous!
What about faith healing? Many men profess themselves to be "faith healers." They are
not.
Never-the-less, faith healing is a Bible concept. First, what is faith? Paul defines
it in Hebrews 11:1. Clearly he differentiates between faith and fantasy or presumption.
Faith is composed of two ingredients, substance and evidence, and it is never blind or
unintelligent. Faith requires both substance and evidence, both of which are freely
and abundantly provided in the Bible.
Faith is not an emotion but rather a right response or reaction to a particular
promise or truth. For example, we read of Abraham "who against hope believed in hope,"
the promise of God (Rm 4:18). "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own
body now dead," in the sense of fathering a child, "nor yet the deadness of Sarah's
womb: he staggered not at the promise of God," the evidence that gave substance to his
faith, "through unbelief; but was strong in faith . . . . being fully persuaded that
what he had promised he was able also to perform" (Mr 4:19-21).
The value and importance of faith is stated in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is
impossible to please him." Or, in Hebrews 11:3, "through faith we understand." In the
understanding and belief of, or the acceptance of "the record God gave of his Son" (I
Jn 5:10) one is-as Abraham was-"reckoned or counted righteous" (Rm 4:1-16). In every
case where "faith" is associated with obtaining eternal life, there are no degrees by
which such faith is measured.
Yet there are degrees of faith exercised by redeemed men in the doing of those things
God requires. Note once more the following descriptions of the degrees of faith as
dealing with those already in possession of eternal life. There are those with "no
faith" (Mk 4:40; "little faith" (Mt 17:8); "growing faith" (II Thess 1:3); "strong
faith" (Rm 4:20); "great faith" (Jn 6:46-59); "full faith" (Acts 6:8); and "faith made
perfect' (Jas 2:22) just to mention a few.
Now, note the text of James 5:13-20, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick."
Everyone who has turned from following after the Lord and who is this caught up "in
the snare of the devil" (II Tim 2:26) and as a result is afflicted and chastened by
the Lord; never-the-less has recourse to God's abundant resources for restoration to
fellowship. Note the case in I Corinthians 11:27-32.
James outlines the method for their recovery. They must "call for the elders of the
church" as in I Cor 5:1-13. As the brother who is now afflicted had brought reproach
upon the church and its testimony, he must now "confess his faults" to them. They then
are able to pray for him claiming God's promises to heal one who does this. This,
nothing more or less, is the "prayer of faith." (Read in order I Jn 1:7; 9; I Jn
2:1-2; Mt 18:18)
"The prayer of faith" then depends-not on some miracle power for healing-abut on God's
promised plan to restore one under chastening. Clearly the cause of the illness was
sinful rebellion, which if confessed and corrected, would be removed. If this plan is
not followed, then "sin when it is finished bringeth forth death" (Jas 1:15). God
chastens "for our profit" but if we ignore it, we may find ourselves committing "a sin
unto death" (I Jn 5:16). Whence a brother is under God's chastening and refuses to
confess his sins, John wrote "ye should not pray for it" (for recovery, that is).
This is Bible sanctioned faith healing. It is "God" Who "shall raise him up" and not
"the elders." Yet the sin being publicly committed, the confession must also be public
to the elders. Then they, being in the will of God, pray the prayer of faith and God
raises him up.
Importantly, not all sickness is caused by rebellion and chastening. Upon hearing of
Job's illness, his friend Eliphaz said, "happy is the man whom God correcteth;
therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty" (Job 5:17).
Job argued that "to him that is afflicted pi8ty should be shewed from his friend" (Job
1:14) and declared that, in the case of the redeemed man, "is not my help in me?" (Job
6:13), not in some imaginary healer. That help was the Word of God.
Job also observed that all who propose remedies other than the ones divinely
prescribed are all "forgers of lies and physicians of no value" (Job 13:4).
Men content that all sickness is chastening and failure to be healed is a sign of a
lack of faith. However they have great difficulty explaining Paul's failure to
persuade God to remove his infirmity (II Cor 12:8-9). Also it is most embarrassing to
their synthetic system to hear Paul say, "I take pleasure in infirmity." Then too
their falsifications of facts falls flat when exposed to the light of inspired
Scripture regarding Timothy who was "an example of believers in Spirit and in faith"
(I Tim 4:12) yet he was sickly and often ill, yet never healed.
Medicine and faith must cooperate. Thus Paul, by the Holy Spirit, told Timothy to "use
a little wine for thy stomach's sake and oft infirmities" (I Tim 5:23). Christ Himself
used "oil and wine," poured on the "wounds" of the man in Luke 10:33-34. James advised
the use of "oil" as a medicine along with "the prayer of faith" (Jas 5:14). Christ
said, "they that are sick need a physician" (Mt 9:12; Mk 2:19; Lk 5:21). Christ did
not say they need a healer. JM
"Science Health, with Key to the Scriptures." All cult groups depend upon a new
revelation to support their ungodly doctrines since they certainly find no support or
comfort in the Bible. They argue that aside from their "key," one cannot possibly
understand the Scriptures. However God's Words were carefully chosen and clearly
given. If we are willing to "consider" what He has said in His word, He promised to
give us all an "understanding" of the Book (II Tim 2:7; 15). Further, the Holy Spirit
claims we are "throughly furnished unto all good works" by the "all Scripture" (II Tim
3:15-17). We are warned not to follow anybody's so called "key."
Mrs. Eddy wrote "life, truth and love constitute the triune God, or Triple divine
principle." She ignores such texts as Matthew 28:19 and I John 5:7. Thus the Bible
brands her and her kind as follows. "If they speak not according to this word it is
because there is no light in them" (Isa 8:20).
Her principle doctrine is called "healing through knowledge." This theory makes God
"pure spirit" with no essence or actual being. It also states that only what they
define as "spiritual good" is real.
Into this category Christian Science places all matter, all human flesh, all evil,
iniquity, sin and all disease. There really is no sin. It is merely an imagination of
the mind. One does not really suffer from pain or illness. These are "merely figments
of a regrettable illusion."
This classifies the thirst, weariness and fatigue of Christ in John 4:6-8, as well as
the His sufferings in the garden and on Calvary as "figments of His uniformed
illusion." If He had possessed a copy of Mary's "Key to the Scriptures" He would have
realized that all of those experiences were only in His mind. How utterly blasphemous!
What about faith healing? Many men profess themselves to be "faith healers." They are
not.
Never-the-less, faith healing is a Bible concept. First, what is faith? Paul defines
it in Hebrews 11:1. Clearly he differentiates between faith and fantasy or presumption.
Faith is composed of two ingredients, substance and evidence, and it is never blind or
unintelligent. Faith requires both substance and evidence, both of which are freely
and abundantly provided in the Bible.
Faith is not an emotion but rather a right response or reaction to a particular
promise or truth. For example, we read of Abraham "who against hope believed in hope,"
the promise of God (Rm 4:18). "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own
body now dead," in the sense of fathering a child, "nor yet the deadness of Sarah's
womb: he staggered not at the promise of God," the evidence that gave substance to his
faith, "through unbelief; but was strong in faith . . . . being fully persuaded that
what he had promised he was able also to perform" (Mr 4:19-21).
The value and importance of faith is stated in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is
impossible to please him." Or, in Hebrews 11:3, "through faith we understand." In the
understanding and belief of, or the acceptance of "the record God gave of his Son" (I
Jn 5:10) one is-as Abraham was-"reckoned or counted righteous" (Rm 4:1-16). In every
case where "faith" is associated with obtaining eternal life, there are no degrees by
which such faith is measured.
Yet there are degrees of faith exercised by redeemed men in the doing of those things
God requires. Note once more the following descriptions of the degrees of faith as
dealing with those already in possession of eternal life. There are those with "no
faith" (Mk 4:40; "little faith" (Mt 17:8); "growing faith" (II Thess 1:3); "strong
faith" (Rm 4:20); "great faith" (Jn 6:46-59); "full faith" (Acts 6:8); and "faith made
perfect' (Jas 2:22) just to mention a few.
Now, note the text of James 5:13-20, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick."
Everyone who has turned from following after the Lord and who is this caught up "in
the snare of the devil" (II Tim 2:26) and as a result is afflicted and chastened by
the Lord; never-the-less has recourse to God's abundant resources for restoration to
fellowship. Note the case in I Corinthians 11:27-32.
James outlines the method for their recovery. They must "call for the elders of the
church" as in I Cor 5:1-13. As the brother who is now afflicted had brought reproach
upon the church and its testimony, he must now "confess his faults" to them. They then
are able to pray for him claiming God's promises to heal one who does this. This,
nothing more or less, is the "prayer of faith." (Read in order I Jn 1:7; 9; I Jn
2:1-2; Mt 18:18)
"The prayer of faith" then depends-not on some miracle power for healing-abut on God's
promised plan to restore one under chastening. Clearly the cause of the illness was
sinful rebellion, which if confessed and corrected, would be removed. If this plan is
not followed, then "sin when it is finished bringeth forth death" (Jas 1:15). God
chastens "for our profit" but if we ignore it, we may find ourselves committing "a sin
unto death" (I Jn 5:16). Whence a brother is under God's chastening and refuses to
confess his sins, John wrote "ye should not pray for it" (for recovery, that is).
This is Bible sanctioned faith healing. It is "God" Who "shall raise him up" and not
"the elders." Yet the sin being publicly committed, the confession must also be public
to the elders. Then they, being in the will of God, pray the prayer of faith and God
raises him up.
Importantly, not all sickness is caused by rebellion and chastening. Upon hearing of
Job's illness, his friend Eliphaz said, "happy is the man whom God correcteth;
therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty" (Job 5:17).
Job argued that "to him that is afflicted pi8ty should be shewed from his friend" (Job
1:14) and declared that, in the case of the redeemed man, "is not my help in me?" (Job
6:13), not in some imaginary healer. That help was the Word of God.
Job also observed that all who propose remedies other than the ones divinely
prescribed are all "forgers of lies and physicians of no value" (Job 13:4).
Men content that all sickness is chastening and failure to be healed is a sign of a
lack of faith. However they have great difficulty explaining Paul's failure to
persuade God to remove his infirmity (II Cor 12:8-9). Also it is most embarrassing to
their synthetic system to hear Paul say, "I take pleasure in infirmity." Then too
their falsifications of facts falls flat when exposed to the light of inspired
Scripture regarding Timothy who was "an example of believers in Spirit and in faith"
(I Tim 4:12) yet he was sickly and often ill, yet never healed.
Medicine and faith must cooperate. Thus Paul, by the Holy Spirit, told Timothy to "use
a little wine for thy stomach's sake and oft infirmities" (I Tim 5:23). Christ Himself
used "oil and wine," poured on the "wounds" of the man in Luke 10:33-34. James advised
the use of "oil" as a medicine along with "the prayer of faith" (Jas 5:14). Christ
said, "they that are sick need a physician" (Mt 9:12; Mk 2:19; Lk 5:21). Christ did
not say they need a healer. JM
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| Healing #2 James 5:13-20 CHAPTER 31 By John C. Morgan |