You're of course entitled to your opinion, but IMO if medical practice was a bad thing the Bible would have said something more direct and more explicit about it, rather then requiring some obscure meaning to be gathered from scattered verses. Surely this subject would have come up in some of Paul's letters to the churches.
2 Chronicles 16:12-13
New King James Version (NKJV)
<sup class="versenum">12 </sup>And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.
<sup class="versenum">13 </sup>So Asa rested with his fathers; he died in the forty-first year of his reign.
Jeremiah 17:5-6New King James Version (NKJV)
<sup class="versenum">5 </sup>Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed
is the man who trusts in man
And makes flesh his strength,
Whose heart departs from the Lord.
<sup class="versenum">6 </sup>For he shall be like a shrub in the desert,
And shall not see when good comes,
But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness,
In a salt land
which is not inhabited.
Mark 5:25-26New King James Version (NKJV)
<sup class="versenum">25 </sup>Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, <sup class="versenum">26 </sup>and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.
The medical system primarily uses drugs to treat people. Here is what the Bible says about drugs and those that are involved in using them:
http://www.naturalnews.com/031584_Bible_drug_use.html
"Strong's exhaustive concordance of the Bible, which lists every word in the
Bible, lists the word "sorcery" as word #5332 and tells us that it is translated from the original Greek word "pharmakon." It gives the definition as: a drug i.e. a spell-giving potion, a druggist or pharmacist, a poisoner."
"A pharmacist today has the same Greek title that he had at the time the New Testament was written 2000 years ago, and he is still doing the same thing: dealing in poisonous
drugs!"
"The Bible says that "sorcery", or the use of poisonous drugs, has deceived all nations. "For by thy sorceries (pharmacea) were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth". (Rev. 18:23,24)"
"All nations practice sorcery through the use of drugs, but they are deceived into thinking that it's right. God condemns the merchandising and use of poisonous drugs along with murder and idolatry. Read it in your own Bible. Study it for yourself. If you don't own a concordance, borrow one from your library and see it with your own eyes."
"Look in Webster's 2nd Collegiate Dictionary published in 1980 under the word "pharmaceutical." The definition reads: "pharmaceutical" the practice of witchcraft or the use of poison."
ALL drugs harm the human body in ANY amount and cause drug induced disease which the system treats with guess what!
Here is the ONLY direction given in the Bible for believers who are sick: James 5:14-15.
Jesus' miracles I was always taught were done mainly to prove that He is who He said He was--especially since the Jews were a people who required signs to believe.
True, but that was only one purpose. He demonstrated the will of God to heal and deliver by doing it to ALL who came to Him including sinners, those who had no idea who He was, a few dead ones, and one actively seeking healing from pagan/demonic means when Jesus healed him. Jesus has not changed Hebrews 13:8 and still heals all that come to Him in faith. He clearly says "those who believe" and have "freely received' can and will do the same and even greater works John 14:12.
I'm not saying that God can't heal people directly, as I've heard numerous accounts of it happening in this day and age. My church has this thing where if someone requests we'll lay hands on them, anoint them with oil, and pray over them. But they also believe that hospitals have their place.
No, you do not believe Jesus is the same now as He ALWAYS was. No elder can pray the prayer of faith believing Jesus gives His bride the alternative of medical science. It is a simple case of being double minded. If they cannot pray as James 5:14-15 states seeing people healed they are NOT qualified to be an elder in Jesus' church.
And the medical practice certainly isn't anywhere near perfect, but they are learning more all the time. (There are instances where I might think it better to seek alternative medicine.)
If it is not perfect then it is NOT given to the bride of Jesus as a gift for healing James 1:16-17. It is the #3 cause of death in the US and all those deaths were PREVENTABLE!
I was always taught that science was a beautiful thing created by God, medical science included. God made all of the materials on earth, so I don't see what's wrong with doing research to see if they can't be used to help when needed.
