Is “By His Stripes We Are Healed” A Promise To Heal Everyone?

Is Isaiah 53:5 a promise of healing for all who claim it?

Paul’s Ordeal

If anyone was close to God in the first century church, it was the Apostle Paul. Paul even said that the Lord Himself stood by Him (2nd Pet 4:17), but whether that was literally or in his spirit, only he knew this, but Paul trusted in God’s sovereignty and trusted it enough to know that whatever happened to Him, nothing could separate him from God (Rom 8:35), and that everything that was happening to him was going to work out for his ultimate best (Rom 8:28). He understood that his suffering today was no comparison to what’s coming (Rom 8:18), and I think that kept him content. Paul had a problem and it was a thorn in the flesh, and even though he prayed three times to have it removed, God’s answer was “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2nd Cor 12:9). But why didn’t Paul claim, “with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5d)? We know he believed the Scriptures, because that’s what most of the Book of Roman’s contained, so he must have known Isaiah 53:5 and understood what it meant, but the silence of this verse being used for healing in the New Testament is evidence that the context was not about having someone physically, although we cannot limit God, but this verse is not an unlimited promise for God to heal everyone who believes it. It is much more than that. In fact, I would say, it’s infinitely more than that (John 3:16).

Paul’s Thorn

Since Paul was an Apostle and had a thorn in the flesh, why didn’t Peter or one of the other Apostle’s come lay their hands on him and heal him? Earlier we read that even some in Peter’s shadow were healed, so did Peter lose his touch (Acts 5:12-16)? I think God explains why Paul was never healed and maybe gives us a possible clue as to why he doesn’t heal everyone. Paul writes, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2nd Cor 12:8-9), with God’s point being, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2nd Cor 12:10b). If Paul was strong in himself, he’d actually be weak, but in his chronic “thorn,” he could be strong in Christ (Phil 4:13). Besides, suffering is never wasted (John 3:16). God uses suffering to refine us just like gold passes through the fire and the dross is removed. We don’t know what Paul’s thorn was. Some say it was his eyesight and others believe it was the constant hounding of the Jews who followed him and persecuted him wherever he went. Some even say it was gout or some other health problem, but Paul trusted God. He knew what He was doing. He was slowly being conformed into the image of Christ and sharing in His sufferings (Rom 8:17; 1st Pet 4:12-19), and the truth is, “if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”(Rom 8:17).

Scriptural Context

If we take one text out of context it can become a pretext, and I believe that’s what happens with Isaiah 53:5. Most leave out the fact that this chapter mentions our “transgressions” and “iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5a), but nowhere in this chapter does it refer to the context as being a claim for physical healing for all who claim it. It says Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities” and with these wounds He incurred, “we can be healed,” but not from a common cold. I don’t think that’s what the author was thinking about when he wrote, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6), and so we cannot claim healing from this verse, unless you are talking about eternal healing in the sense of having your sins removed by the blood of Christ upon repentance and faith. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted” and led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7), but not so that your aunt can feel better. Of course, you can pray for her healing and God sometimes choses to answer that prayer, but He knows what He’s doing (Rom 8:28). We cannot comprehend God’s ways! Being content in our suffering is very pleasing to God, and that may be part of what He’s doing in us. And think about this: If God had healed Paul of his thorn in the flesh, and his life was a life of comfort where he never knew suffering, then how could he have ever learned contentment or come to know Christ by sharing in His sufferings? Paul suffered a lot at the hands of the Romans and the Jews, so he had lots of practice for being content and he had the marks of his beatings and lashings to prove it because his body bore the marks of his missions (Gal 6:17), but God wanted him to remain humble, and suffering does that. Paul writes, “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need” (Phil 4:12). That’s hard for me and others in our culture to learn. We’re easily angered if someone jumps ahead of us and takes our parking spot, but what about hunger, need, thirst, want cold, heat, beatings, and so on? Few of us know what these are like and being content with the many things we have is hard enough at times.

Conclusion

I remember talking to an Orthodox Jew in mall once and we talked about Isaiah 53 (and really, Isaiah 52:13-15) and he said many Jews believe it was written about the them and not about one person, like Christians who believe it was referring to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. This Jewish man could not explain the verse where it says, “with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 55:3d). I asked him, “How are we healed by the Jewish people?” He couldn’t answer, but in an ironic way, the ultimate double-quick cure to what ails us is the blood of Jesus Christ. That is the infinite healing, because even if God chooses to heal someone, they will die again, but if they’re born again, their death opens the door to eternal life. Nothing less will do if we are to be saved. Jesus didn’t bleed and died to cure our colds, although God can do what God wants to do, but Jesus’ first presentation of the gospel included the need for repentance and belief (Mark 1:14-15), and even if you’re healed, “unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3b).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is host of Spiritual Fitness and also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.