BIBLICAL HEALTHCARE (3)
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Church providing healthcare
a) During the Old Testament times, the priests were also responsible for the healthcare of God's people. The priests served as health inspectors; examining all the different sick members and determining their sicknesses and pronouncing them to be clean or unclean. Those who were unclean needed to be quarantined (see Leviticus 13-15).
b) Therefore, this priestly responsibility is now transferred to the priestly ministry of the New Testament days. The New Testament has prescribed this responsibility to the eldership of the local church.
i) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:14-16 NIV)
c) The word "anointing" here ("aleipho") refers to rubbing with oil or ointment. It does suggest some form of medical and healthcare treatments. It is a different word from the anointing into ministry or Christian service. "To anoint" (chrio) where the word Christ is derived ("the Anointed One").
d) In James 5:14, the elders of the church have a responsibility to care and minister to the sick in the church. The elders' main role in the church is prayer, ministry of the word, teaching, counseling and here includes the healthcare of God's people.
e) We can't delegate to the business world or the government, because biblical healthcare is governed by many godly and sound biblical health principles which the world do not adhere to or even understand. Therefore, it is right for the church to implement a healthcare department which is to be headed by church elders.
f) How is it to be administrated can be worked out by the wisdom God will direct. However, this calls upon all elders (leaders and pastors) of the church to study and understand biblical healthcare, nutrition, medical science etc. This is to be done so that we can fulfill God's calling to make God's people healthy and live up to the years (120!) God has given each one of us and thus fulfilling all the work God has called us to do.
The End ...
1. Church providing healthcarea) During the Old Testament times, the priests were also responsible for the healthcare of God's people. The priests served as health inspectors; examining all the different sick members and determining their sicknesses and pronouncing them to be clean or unclean. Those who were unclean needed to be quarantined (see Leviticus 13-15).
b) Therefore, this priestly responsibility is now transferred to the priestly ministry of the New Testament days. The New Testament has prescribed this responsibility to the eldership of the local church.
i) 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:14-16 NIV)
c) The word "anointing" here ("aleipho") refers to rubbing with oil or ointment. It does suggest some form of medical and healthcare treatments. It is a different word from the anointing into ministry or Christian service. "To anoint" (chrio) where the word Christ is derived ("the Anointed One").
d) In James 5:14, the elders of the church have a responsibility to care and minister to the sick in the church. The elders' main role in the church is prayer, ministry of the word, teaching, counseling and here includes the healthcare of God's people.
e) We can't delegate to the business world or the government, because biblical healthcare is governed by many godly and sound biblical health principles which the world do not adhere to or even understand. Therefore, it is right for the church to implement a healthcare department which is to be headed by church elders.
f) How is it to be administrated can be worked out by the wisdom God will direct. However, this calls upon all elders (leaders and pastors) of the church to study and understand biblical healthcare, nutrition, medical science etc. This is to be done so that we can fulfill God's calling to make God's people healthy and live up to the years (120!) God has given each one of us and thus fulfilling all the work God has called us to do.
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