Expert: Scott Talbot - 1/7/2011

Question
QUESTION: Scott,
I really do hope that you can help me. I just became a Christian recently. But my spirit, of recent, has been
extremely troubled. I am wondering where in the Bible it states that Christians cannot use medication for
illnesses or physical conditions/ailments, where in the Bible does it state that Christians cannot visit the doctors
or seek medical attention in the case of an emergency.
You see I attend this Pentecostal church and they have a really strict stance on divine healing (and other things
to say the least). But it scares me because they tell us (the ministers tell us); they point to the Scriptures where
Jesus did not take the gall and wine before Hee got crucified because this would have lessened the pain for him,
and would have made his death useless. They say that the gall and wine was like a sedative ---- so he was able
to ‘deny’ himself, and suffer the pain. They also say that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and that this
includes not taking medication ---- and that the Holy Spirit cannot reside in a body that receives medication.
One minister said that he had a revelation that Christians who take medication will not get raptured because
they are defiling their bodies. In addition the ministers also state that Jesus had the Holy Spirit in Him from his
baptism so we need to emulate Him at all costs since we have the Holy Spirit. I know that we are supposed to
emulate Jesus in every which way, but isn’t this taking Scriptures a little too far?
What exactly was the reason behind Jesus not receiving the gall and wine that they gave to Him before he was
crucified, but He took the vinegar (later) before He declared “It is finished.” The ministers never bring up the
vinegar part or explain this part of the Scriptures….but they only focus ONLY on the fact that he did not take
the sedative (gall and wine) so we as Christians should not count on science for healing, but only trust in God.
They also quote 1 Peter 2: 24 all the time: ‘by his stripes we are healed.’ But see, I don’t know how to
explain…it’s almost like a course syllabus in college ---- the church doctrine specifically states that members
are forbidden from taking medication because Jesus is the Healer. It’s more of like they are hammering that in
the church members’ mind or something, so that you will be so scared to take even an aspirin.…like you are
unable to make a decision for myself whether taking medication is good or bad as a Christian and whether you
can still pray to God for healing and visit the doctor. IT IS an absolute must not to take medication because
‘Jesus is the Healer’.
Well this is where I am extremely troubled, and things have gotten a little hairy for me. I have been in this
church for a little over a year now and am starting to question things. You see Scott each time I turn around, I
hear that someone in the church has died. Some of them were extremely sick, and the died from the progression
of a physical condition that evidently they refused to treat because of the church mandates on divine healing. I
have witnessed ministers go to people’s homes and pray for the loved one that’s sick, that they may be healed,
but they are already to the point of almost dying, in utter pain, and they refuse for the members to receive
medical treatment for the loved one.
Okay, this gets serious because I know that this church preaches perfection; that the believer should be perfect
and sanctified body, soul, and spirit. This is what the ministers emphasize to us ---- PERFECTION. To make
the long story short, I know a beautiful family from another assembly of this denomination her husband just
passed away. She is 5 months pregnant, and they have 2 kids. He has been sick for the past 2 months, and they
said that…..okay Scott I am scared ---- if u really want to know, I am scared and I don’t know what kind of
church is this or fellowship that I am involved in. Her husband died from what it seems to be a heart attack
because they told me that before he felt his heart stop that he felt a sharp pain in his chest. I am in the medical
field so I am suspecting that he did die from a heart attack because that sharp pain that he felt in his chest is
what is called angina pectoris, and happens when insufficient oxygen is not delivered to the muscle cells of the
heart. So when he felt this sharp pain in this chest he called the minister and asked for prayer. The minister
asked him what the Lord was telling him. His response was that the Lord was telling him to stay faithful. The
minister was satisfied with the answer, and let him go.
When they forwarded me via e-mail the funeral program and testimony I read something which pricked my
heart and is the reason (including all what I have stated above) why I am writing to you. This is what I read:

In the last couple months of his life John became sick. He had some breathing difficulties and swelling in his feet but he kept on
praising God and trusting Him. As he endured this affliction, others saw how his life was being changed into the character of Christ.
He was listening to a series of messages on the life of Joseph and the truths he learned were transforming him.

Scott, what is going on here…is this…..don’t tell me that this area of perfection that I hear the ministers preach
has to do with why they teach us that we must not take medicine, and have a strict stance on divine healing. Do
we suffer sickness to be changed into the character of Christ??? Don’t we develop the character of Christ only through fruits of the Spirit??? What truths do we learn as Christians from the life of Joseph? DIDN’T Joseph suffer because it was in God’s divine plan, and because he was mistreated by his brothers? What truths are they
talking about ?????
My hands are literally shaking as I am typing this. I need to know right away because you seem to be a good pastor (I read your profile) whether I am involved with a real Christian group or not. I am writing to 2 other panel experts as well to see what they will say. I am scared because I think that I am involved in something that is not right, and is not pleasing to God. I need to know right away because I have not been able to sleep the past few nights.
Please thank you for your help. I am sincerely grateful.
Keisha

ANSWER: Dear Keisha,

I feel so bad for you, because you are obviously suffering from the effects of false doctrine. The things your church is teaching you about the "dangers" of taking medicine are absolutely false, and, in fact, most Christians do not adhere to this sort of teaching.

They teach in faith healing, and encourage others to simply trust Christ for healing. And yet, despite their "faith," they are still plagued with sickness and even death.

Let's look at a few of the points you brought up.

Q:  I am wondering where in the Bible it states that Christians cannot use medication for
illnesses or physical conditions/ailments, where in the Bible does it state that Christians cannot visit the doctors or seek medical attention in the case of an emergency.

A:  Nowhere in the Bible is one forbidden from seeking medical attention. In fact, the oil applied by the elders in James 5:14 and the wine Paul recommended to Timothy in I Timothy 5:23 are thought by many to be medicinal treatments.

Does God heal by faith? Sometimes He does. And ultimately our faith should be in Him, the Great Physician. But this does not mean that God will necessarily heal us apart from common sense, or our own personal sense of responsibility. God has given us the science of medicine to help us. Sometimes, this is the method He chooses to provide the healing.

Do you have faith that God would keep a little child safe in the front yard while playing near traffic? Perhaps. But would you be foolish enough to let that child play unattended near traffic without supervision? Of course not.

Do you wear a seatbelt while riding in a car? I hope so. If you were in an accident, God could spare you. But there is a better chance that He would do so if you took personal responsibility and wore a seat belt.

In Matthew 4, we read about the tempation of Christ by Satan in the wilderness. In verses 3-7, Satan tells Jesus to jump from a precipice and trust God to save Him. Satan even quotes Scripture and assures Jesus that God will care for us. Jesus' response is that one should not put God to the test. This would not be faith, but rather a lack of faith. Forcing God to prove Himself in the face of deliberate irresponsible action is not faith, but a test of God that demonstrates a lack of faith.

What this passage teaches us is that we must trust God to do His part, but we should also be responsible to do our part. In the case of physical health, this can include taking any necessary medication or utilizing medical care for healing.

(What do your church teach in the case of a broken bone? Do they forbid one to have the bone set and placed in a cast?)

Q:  They also say that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and that this includes not taking medication ---- and that the Holy Spirit cannot reside in a body that receives medication.

A:  This is illogical thinking. Taking medication does not violate the presence of the Holy Spirit any more than eating a pepperoni pizza.

Q:  What exactly was the reason behind Jesus not receiving the gall and wine that they gave to Him before he was crucified, but He took the vinegar (later) before He declared “It is finished.”

A:  I'm not sure, but perhaps He made a personal choice to experience the pain of the cross fully for our sins. The gall and wine would not have healed Him. He was going to die either way. And, while He had His reasons for denying the gall and wine, at no time did He stipulate that there was anything wrong with this.

Q:  They also quote 1 Peter 2: 24 all the time: ‘by his stripes we are healed.’ But the church doctrine specifically states that members are forbidden from taking medication because Jesus is the Healer.

A:  Yes, Jesus is the Healer, and someday we will be delivered from the curse of sin, and from the sickness and death that plague our human bodies. But we will never be fully removed from the effects of the Fall until we leave this life and receive our perfect resurrection bodies, at which time we will experience complete healing and deliverance from all death and corruption. Until then, as members of your church are clearly experiencing, sickness and death are inevitable.

Q:  Okay, this gets serious because I know that this church preaches perfection; that the believer should be perfect and sanctified body, soul, and spirit. This is what the ministers emphasize to us ---- PERFECTION.

A:  Yes, perfection is certainly a goal. But we will never fully realize perfection in this life. Until we enter the next life, it will be a constant growth process to work towards that goal, allowing God to mold us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. But be careful that those who define "perfection" do not twist the Scriptures to their liking and, in doing so, guilt you for something that is perfectly acceptable in God's eyes.

Keisha, church is extremely important. Jesus invented the concept of church, and we all as Christians should be involved in a solid local church where we can grow, worship, serve, and support one another. But my recommendation to you is that you look for another church--one that does not focus on man-made doctrine that causes unnecessary guilt and worry, but rather one that faithfully teaches the Scriptures.

Please feel free to write back. I pray that God will give you wisdom, insight, and peace about this matter.

Scott



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I really need to leave this church then. I want somewhere where I can grow to love God like I used to when I was younger (I am 23 now0, and have a relationship with Jesus Christ our Savior. It's just that ever since I've been in this church I get freaked out because it's like I'm living my life under a hole in the limelight of the ministers. It's like I have to do everything centered around what they teach, and it makes me feel quite uncomfortable. Like for example, I feel like a hypocrite when I go to church and have to take off my earrings, and go there with no make-up. I feel horrible because those people don't know that I wear earrings and make-up outside of work. It's like a big joke. I'm pretty much dressing to impress everybody that I am 'holier than thou'. Everybody is doing the same things --- everything the ministers say we do because God commands it in the Bible. But I have seen no passage in the Bible so far in the New Testament about not wearing makeup. I thought that a Christian woman was supposed to be glorious! Then when I read 1 Peter that the church uses for Christian women not wearing jewelry, I get convicted because I think that they are misinterpreting it, or like you said, twisting the Scripture. I can't live for myself, and I am burnt out, and I don't like that. I thought that salvation was about a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ to grow into a good Christian. I am not happy at all in this church Scott. I feel weighted down. I am not connecting with God like I see other believers do. So maybe I should move on.
I will just start probably reading up on doctrines so that I can know exactly what is being taught from the Bible. I need to be in a Bible-believing church....where I can know and love God again, and be able to relay those foundations that I once had, without fearing anything, or man.
Thanks Scott. In tears, Keisha

Answer
Keisha,

When you just don't feel comfortable, that should be a clue that something is wrong.

I understand how you feel. I grew up in a legalistic church where it was all about following the rules, most of which were man-made and could not be clearly seen in Scriptures.

By contrast, we love the church we're currently attending. While they still believe that godly living is the ideal for which we should all strive, they also teach grace, kindness, forgiveness, love, and mercy. It's a church where we can learn, grow, be encouraged, serve, and feel accepted.

I hope you will be able to find a church like that.

Write back any time.

Scott