Here's the question and as always there are no "gotchas" here:
I understand healing in the Atonement (1 Peter 2:24). However since healing happened before the Atonement, and has continued to happen since the Atonement - Is the Atonement the "linchpin" for all healing?
i would say all healings are intended to point to ultimate healing.
ReplyDeletei think lazarus is a great example. his resurrection points to the glory of the resurrection of the dead, (and even greater, the voice of God being powerful enough to call our deadness into life). however, poor lazarus had to die again...eventually.
so in that sense, all healings today are eventually incomplete...people still die. but they point us to the glorified body we will receive...which is only possible by the atoning work of Christ!
I agree that all healings are temporary because we all face death. But what about healings that took place before the Atonement?
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should re-phrase - does healing ever happen a part from the Atonement?
ReplyDeletedepends on what you mean.
ReplyDeleteare any of the effects of a sin cursed world reversible apart from the atoning work of Christ? i would doubt it. since Christ's death and resurrection serve to redeem all of creation, i would say that no healing is possible apart from the atoning work.
now, if you are asking, "can a person who does not come to know Christ as Lord and Savior receive a physical healing from the Lord?" i have no idea. i wonder if the 10 lepers provides some insight. was the one grateful leper who returned to Jesus the only who actually came to Him?
am i still missing the boat with what you are asking?
as for what about before the atonement, i would say that all of history was pointing toward the cross. God was able to credit righteousness to Abraham because of the work that Christ would do on His behalf. After all, He was slain before the foundations of the earth.
ReplyDeletein that sense, i don't think the timeline of before/after the cross has much effect. (i would say elijah's healings were only possible because of the atoning work of Christ).
why do i get the sneaky feeling this is a set up question?
Oh no - no gotcha's I promise. I'm just wondering if all healing is because of the Atonement - or can healing happen as a gift (gifts of healing, 1 Cor 12) or from the elder anointing in James 5 (because of the elders authority in Christ) or healing by general petitioning prayer from any Christian - or is it all 'by His stripes' that we receive any healing.
ReplyDeleteObviously OT healings happened before the cross - as did most all healings in the gospel. So what was the basis of those healings?
Does this make any sense?
btw, I would only set up Brad ;^) (Love you Brad)
ReplyDelete