The Bible does not explicitly prohibit or command Christians to go to doctors. However, there are principles and examples that can guide Christians in making wise decisions about healthcare. Ultimately, each Christian must prayerfully evaluate their situation and follow their conscience as they seek to glorify God.
On the one hand, the Bible teaches that God is the supreme healer and the source of all health and healing. Passages like Exodus 15:26 and Psalm 103:2-3 declare that God forgives sins and heals diseases. James 5:14-15 instructs Christians who are sick to call upon church elders to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. God sometimes chooses to miraculously heal people as they pray. So Christians should always pray first and seek God’s supernatural healing when they are sick.
Additionally, several verses urge Christians to rely on and trust in God rather than human wisdom or strength. For example, Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust in the Lord rather than your own understanding. And 2 Chronicles 16:12 says that Asa was diseased in his feet because “he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians.” So some Christians interpret these verses to mean they should avoid doctors and rely on spiritual means alone.
On the other hand, the Bible nowhere states that visiting doctors is inherently wrong or sinful. God gifted doctors with knowledge and wisdom to treat illness and injury. Several scriptural figures were physicians, like Luke the author of the gospel of Luke. The principle of seeking wise counsel from experts is seen in passages like Proverbs 12:15 and 15:22. Additionally, Jesus said the sick need a physician in Mark 2:17. So it is not unbiblical to seek sound medical advice and treatment.
Furthermore, doctors can be viewed as instruments of God’s healing. Exodus 21:19 says “shall cause him to be thoroughly healed” referring to care received from a physician. The corporeal methods doctors use for healing can work alongside the spiritual methods God uses. Healing can come through both natural and supernatural means. So it’s reasonable for Christians to seek medical care in addition to praying for supernatural healing.
The Bible also encourages taking care of our physical bodies since they are temples of the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. So getting medical treatment can be a way to steward our bodies well. Passages like Matthew 25:36, 40 also talk about caring for the sick as if caring for Christ himself. Visiting doctors is a way we can show this Christlike compassion to our own bodies.
Additionally, several examples of godly people in the Bible demonstrate it is acceptable at times to seek medical attention. In Matthew 9:12 Jesus affirms that, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Paul urged Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23 to use wine as medicine for his stomach ailments. Luke the physician traveled with Paul on missionary journeys to provide medical care like healing Publius’ father in Acts 28:7-8.
Given these Scriptural principles and examples, here are some guidelines faithful Christians can consider when deciding about healthcare:
- Pray first and ask God to heal supernaturally as James 5 instructs. Trust God fully with the outcome.
- Check motives and make sure seeking medical care does not reflect lack of faith in God’s power and goodness.
- See doctors as God’s instruments through whom He may work providentially to heal.
- Use medicine as a way to properly steward our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit.
- Get check-ups and treatment to show Christlike compassion to our own bodies.
- Seek counsel and care from experts to make wise, informed healthcare choices.
- Aim to glorify God in all healthcare decisions, not trying to prove a point or make a statement.
In summary, the Bible does not definitively prohibit or command the use of doctors and medicine. Each Christian must follow their Spirit-guided conscience. Wise believers can develop biblically-sound principles to help them make healthcare choices that glorify the Lord.
Some common questions about Christians and doctors include:
Don’t Bible verses tell us to only pray and trust God for healing?
Some Christians point to verses like James 5:14-15, Exodus 15:26 and Psalm 103:2-3 as evidence we should only pray for healing and avoid doctors. However, these verses do not expressly forbid medical treatment. They assure us God hears our prayers and heals supernaturally at times. But nowhere do they prohibit also seeking help from competent physicians as part of good stewardship of our bodies.
Isn’t relying on doctors a lack of faith in God’s power to heal?
Motives matter greatly. If we seek doctors because we doubt God’s ability or willingness to heal, then yes, we are demonstrating lack of faith. However, if we prayerfully seek medical counsel while trusting fully in God’s sovereignty, then doctors can be viewed as resources God provides. As long as we don’t replace faith in God’s healing with faith in medicine alone, visiting doctors does not necessarily show lack of faith.
But didn’t Asa’s disease come from only seeking physicians and not the Lord?
2 Chronicles 16:12 does associate Asa’s sole reliance on doctors as the reason for his diseased feet. However, this verse should not be over-interpreted as a blanket statement against all medical treatment. Asa specifically did not seek the Lord at all and only trusted in physicians. The problem was his heart’s motivation of forgetting about God. Visiting doctors while still praying and trusting God is not the same situation as Asa’s.
Can’t God heal miraculously without human doctors?
Yes, absolutely God can and does still heal supernaturally in response to prayer alone! God’s healing power is not limited by lack of medical care. However, this does not mean God cannot also work through earthly physicians to facilitate healing. Limiting ourselves to only spiritual methods could be presumptuously testing God when medical treatment is readily available.
But wasn’t Timothy just drinking some wine? Does that mean taking medicine is ok?
It’s true that Paul only told Timothy to drink some wine for his stomach issues in 1 Timothy 5:23. However, wine was a common medicinal treatment in that day. Paul was essentially telling Timothy to take his “medicine.” This shows it’s acceptable to treat illnesses using the best resources available.
Can’t allowing some medical treatment lead to compromising our trust in God alone?
It definitely can if we are not careful! This concern underscores the importance of checking our motivations and keeping faith in God’s healing central no matter what. Wise believers consider medical options without putting ultimate faith in them. We use healthcare wisely, but ultimately trust the Great Physician for health outcomes.
Shouldn’t Christians only use natural remedies and alternative medicine?
Some Christians believe mainstream medicine is worldly or unnatural and prefer alternative approaches. However, the Bible does not require this stance. Natural medicine can be helpful and wise. But avoiding mainstream healthcare altogether could demonstrate lack of appropriate concern for our bodies’ welfare that God has blessed doctors to promote.
Don’t Christians often recover from illnesses without needing doctors?
Absolutely! The Lord mercifully heals believers every day in response to prayer alone. But the fact that God sometimes heals supernaturally does not mean medical treatment should be avoided. God can work through multitude of means, including both spiritual intervention and physical medicine.
What if someone has a condition that’s terminal even with doctors?
When facing terminal or incurable conditions, medical efforts often reach their limits. Prayer and faith in God’s grace take on greater importance. Yet even palliative and hospice care can help provide comfort in terminal cases. Doctors have wisdom to offer patients even when illnesses exceed medical cure. Their guidance can help honor God while finishing well.
How can Christians choose healthcare wisely and in line with Scripture?
Here are a few tips for making healthcare decisions that align with biblical principles:
- See physicians as God’s instruments, while keeping faith in God’s power and love.
- Aim for excellence in caring for your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.
- Pursue healthcare for obedient stewardship, not for selfish motives.
- Prayerfully consider medical options and weigh them against scriptural principles.
- Involve wise, spiritually mature counsel when making major healthcare choices.
- Consider conscience issues like reproductive healthcare that may involve ethical dilemmas.
- Allow flexibility for others in Christ’s body to have different convictions.
In conclusion, Scripture allows room for Christians to prayerfully seek medical help from doctors or utilize alternatives like natural medicine as the Lord leads. Biblical principles paired with Spirit-guided wisdom help us glorify God with healthcare choices.