What does the Bible say about healthcare / health care?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible was penned centuries before healthcare became an industry, but it provides some guidelines for our view of that issue. The only time in human history that people were not concerned with their health was in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 1—2). But from the moment sin entered into the world, death and disease became realities for the human race (Genesis 2:16–17; Romans 5:12). People during biblical times had physicians and medicines. Jeremiah references a "balm in Gilead,"and Paul advises Timothy to drink some wine for his stomach and other ailments (1 Timothy 5:23). The ultimate Healer was Jesus, who spent much of His three-year ministry healing physical ailments), which served as a tool to validate that He was the Messiah and to show people His compassion. Believers from New Testament times on are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, making our bodies the temple of the Holy Spirit. Thus, though our bodies will eventually wear out and die, believers’ “inner self is being renewed day by day."

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Bible refers to some diseases as a curse God brought on His enemies (Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 7:15), and under the Old Covenant there was a direct link between a person's health and his or her relationship with God (Leviticus 26:39).
• Scripture doesn’t generally link health to personal righteousness (see Job 1:8-12; John 9:1-3). But at times, God did bless His people with good health (Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 7:15) or curse them with poor health, depending on their obedience (Exodus 15:26; Leviticus 26:39; Deuteronomy 28:59-60).
• People in Bible times had healthcare services in that they had physicians and medicines. Jeremiah 8:22 and 46:11 reference a "balm in Gilead." This balm was a high-quality ointment with healing properties made from the resin of a flowering plant in the Middle East.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• When Jesus came, He spent much of His three years of ministry healing physical ailments (Matthew 4:23). Healthcare was not the reason He came; it was merely a tool Jesus used to demonstrate that He was the Messiah and to show people how much God cares (John 10:10; Mark 1:38).
• Luke, the writer of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, was a medical doctor, and his writing contains technical medical terminology. Many scholars assert that, as Luke traveled with Paul, he served as Paul's personal physician (Colossians 4:14).
• When we surrender our lives to the lordship of Jesus, our bodies become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). In light of this, healthcare takes on a spiritual element. We must care for our bodies because they are the temple of the Lord. That involves making wise decisions regarding our way of life, seeking good healthcare and offering it to others as a way of serving them and showing them Christ’s love.
• No matter what level of medical care we get, our bodies will eventually wear out and die. Spiritual healthcare should always be a higher priority than physical healthcare, as the apostle Paul noted in his second letter to Corinthian believers: "Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day" (2 Corinthians 4:16).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

“Growing old is hard” —you’ve likely heard that from someone who is experiencing the health problems that come with old age. But we’re all aging at the same rate, and no matter how many multivitamins we take, how healthy we eat, and how many marathons we train for, we’ll all eventually get sick and die. With that eventuality in mind, how should believers think of healthcare?

As temples of the Holy Spirit, our bodies should be cared for, and we should be concerned about others’ health as well. At the same time, we shouldn’t obsess about the physical. Someone who regularly misses church to go to the gym or whose mind is occupied with extreme eating or exercise regimes is putting too much focus on the physical over the spiritual.

Ultimately, the great Healer will one day restore us to perfect health, with an imperishable, glorious bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:42-43).

UNDERSTAND

• Sin brought sickness and death, but Christ offers spiritual renewal and eternal life.
• The Bible recognizes physical healthcare and Jesus’ healing ministry.
• Caring for our bodies matters, but spiritual health is the ultimate priority.

REFLECT

• How do you balance caring for your physical health with nurturing your spiritual well-being?
• How do you see your body as a temple of the Holy Spirit in your choices about health?
• How has your understanding of God as the ultimate Healer affected how you respond to illness or aging?

ENGAGE

• How can Christians support each other in prioritizing spiritual health alongside physical healthcare in a culture focused on the body?
• What role should faith play when making decisions about medical treatment and self-care?
• How do biblical examples of healing shape our view of God’s compassion and power in modern healthcare?