posted by steve | on Gospel & Theology
We live in a world under the curse of Genesis 3. We, even as Christians, are not excluded from that curse, as long as we are in this world. In Romans 8:18-24, we are told:
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
Paul speaks of his — and our — sufferings in v18. He says in v23, “we ourselves” are waiting for “the redemption of our bodies.” The point of v24 is that we do not yet have the fulfillment of all God has promised. There is more to come. Christians are not excluded from the effects of the Fall as long as we live in this world. God tells us that “outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). We groan while living in our earthly bodies, longing to be clothed with our “building from God” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4). Only after our resurrection from the dead will we receive our imperishable, uncorrupted bodies (1 Corinthians 15:42-54).
Paul says to Timothy, “Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23). Timothy was frequently sick. Paul does not rebuke him for a lack of faith. He does not tell him that he would not get sick if he only had more faith. He told him to drink wine for his sickness. They didn’t have the same medicines we have today, but they knew that wine somehow helped fight off certain stomach sicknesses and other illness. Dr. Harvey Finkel, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Boston University Medical Center, says, “Wine has been demonstrated to be an effective inhibitor of a trio of fearsome bacteria, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella, [common] causes of ‘traveler’s diarrhea.’ [Wine can also help prevent] typhoid and related diseases, and bacillary dysentery.” That’s not all. He goes on to say, “The bacterium Helicobacter pylori … causes much chronic gastritis, a large majority of peptic ulcers, and a substantial proportion of cancers of the stomach … Drinking wine appears to help eliminate this bacteria.” Paul was essentially telling Timothy to take medicine when he got sick.
The Bible often talks about God miraculously healing people. We should not hesitate to ask him to do the same today. But the Bible also tells us people got sick, and God did not always heal them miraculously — neither of which were because of a lack of faith. Paul says, “…but I left Trophimus sick in Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:20). Paul was unable to heal Trophimus, and had to leave him behind, still sick. Paul doesn’t say that he just couldn’t muster up enough faith to heal his coworker. He doesn’t say that Trophimus remained sick because of his unbelief. God just chose not to heal him. In Philippians 2, Paul talks about his friend Epaphroditus that battled a prolonged sickness and almost died. Why didn’t Paul just heal him when he first got sick? And when he did get well, it never says that God healed him miraculously. Also, why did Jesus not heal all who were gathered around the pool of Bethesda? Why did he heal only one man (John 5:1-14)?
In the time between Genesis 3 and Revelation 21, sickness and death will be part of life in this world, even for Christians. And the Bible expresses so well what is in our hearts, that we long for the day, after we depart this life, when we will be finally and fully redeemed from the curse of Genesis 3. Only Christians have this hope and assurance.
