By George Kulp
Since the publication of the lectures to the students of the Bible School on Divine Health. I have received many letters from north, south, east and west. all showing such a prayerful interest. and asking for prayers in their behalf, and also revealing such a lack of knowledge of the plain teaching of God's Word on the part of some, that I am led to add some further thoughts that I believe will be helpful to the suffering ones who are seeking to know the mind of God.
John Wesley, that wonderful expounder of the Scriptures, said the fifth chapter of James was the entire, materia medica of the early Church, and the only dependence was Divine healing until faith failed and the scriptural ministry of healing was lost: "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another that ye may be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit."
Dr. J. S. Martin, health officer in a Western city, says, "The Bible is the best textbook on sanitation, on the cause and treatment of disease and how to maintain constantly good health." He testifies that he finds in the Bible 275 verses which speak of contagious diseases and how to treat them: 108 verses on the disposal of filth; 57 verses on quarantine; 16 verses on gluttony and disease resulting from it, with their penalties; licentious uncleanness, 27 verses; defilement and how to treat it, 123 verses; ablutions or washings, 65 verses; purifications, 60 verses, and rest enjoined, 39 verses. He further declares, "I find 285 verses in the Old Testament and 240 in the New relating to disease, sickness and their causes, treatment and prevention." He is reported as saying that "God never created a direct law of man's nature that would necessarily produce sickness under any circumstances in life."
Here we have testimony from a student of the Word and from a professional man that corroborates the position assumed in these published lectures, that all sickness is the result of sin somewhere.
God made provision for the health of His children and in the New Testament He gives us the best for His children -- healing in the atonement. Dr. Adam Clarke says the watchword for every one and forever is "According to your faith be it unto you." To the Word of God every time and all the time. God means just exactly what He says, and as we believe and practice the word, we will have victory, soul and body.
"Back to the Bible" should be the motto of every child of God. He is pledged to heal every one of His people where He finds faith, and as He did in the early days of the Church, so He will do today. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen!
