From: Ron or Susan <shokan517@home.com>

Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2000 02:06:55

To: WalterMartin@mail.serve.com

Subject: Re: WM: Trials and tribulations

Dave,

You wrote:

"Paul's thorn in the flesh was not sickness. You may accept that...but that is not true. It was a messenger of satan that came to harrass Paul. Does not God's Word promise healing? Mark 16:18; II Peter 2:24? What about Matthew 8:16-17? So if God does not heal everyone, does this mean He shows favoritism? Please explain...but be brief. Thanks!"

I set aside Mark 16 as a rule of thumb for the entire chapter is questioned by some scholars. Biblical truths which lead to a systematic theology for Christendom will find numerous Scriptural references anyway, if Mark 16 is disputed or not. Note also that snake handling Pentecostals justify their insane acts on Mark 16. That by itself causes me to distance myself from this chapter as much as possible (by the way, have they not read the commandment in Dt. "You will not tempt the Lord thy God"). But even if we DID accept Mark 16 (with a grain of salt or otherwise), it still does not support your case that God will heal ALL people.

My own Bible does not have II Peter 2:24 so I don't know what you are implying here. As for Matthew 8:16-17... so what? This was a healing performed by none less than Jesus Christ. This is one of many such healings performed by Jesus. Nevertheless, even the people Jesus healed ultimately became sick and died anyhow. The idea was not healing here as much as the idea was the authority of Christ's testimony (evidenced by healing).

Even Paul’s frequency of healing declined with the passing of time:

Galatians 4:13-15...........Paul was ill

2 Corinthians 12:7-10...... Paul was afflicted

Philippians 2:25-30........ Epaphroditus was ill (A.D. 60)

1 Timothy 5:23............. Timothy was ill (A.D. 62-3)

2 Timothy 4:20............. Trophimus was ill (A.D. 64)

God may permit suffering so we learn to respond to problems in a biblical way. Scripture tells us that Jesus "learned obedience from what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8, NIV). Our goal should be not merely relief from suffering but rather learning to please God by being responsive and obedient to Him and to His Word (see Romans 12:1, 2).

Sometimes God permits us to suffer to teach us that pain is a part of life. Nowhere does the Bible say that the Christian will not suffer adversity! Paul points out in Philippians 1:29, KJV, that it is "given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake." Adversity can be a gift from God. Christ did not evade the Cross to escape suffering. Hebrews 12:2 says he "endured the cross, despising the shame." Why? "For the joy that was set before him." He knew that the final word was not crucifixion (suffering); it was resurrection (victory).

We may suffer briefly, or all our lives. But let us not give up hope or engage in self-pity or bitterness. The end-result is what we all look forward to. Being with the Lord in heaven will put all things into perspective! God may permit suffering for our well-being. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, NIV). We must accept this by faith and pray that God’s highest good will come as a result of our suffering. Only through adversity are some of the deeper lessons of life learned. Trust God to work out His own will and purpose in us so that we might be more Christlike (see Romans 8:29).

There is no redemptive merit in our suffering as there was in that of Jesus, but if we are faithful under adversity we may be able to share in "the fellowship of his suffferings" (Philippians 3:10, KJV). Sometimes God permits suffering to speak through our life and testimony to comfort others. Jesus said that the sufferings of the blind man in John 9 were so "that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (NIV). God might work in your life through suffering to inspire others by your example in adversity. Those who endure adversity can sympathize and identify more effectively with others in their sufferings. We comfort others in the way we are comforted. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God" (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4, (NIV).

In Christ,

Ron