What does the Bible say about health?

In showing such grace, however, He rightly put them under responsibility, making a statute to the effect that they they should listen to His voice and do what was right in God's estimation. This was accompanied by a definite condition: if they were obedient to His commandments, He would preserve them from the diseases that He inflicted upon Egypt. For the government of God must always be observed, and certainly specially so by those whom He has blessed with the knowledge of redemption. Israel would have been preserved from suffering such physical diseases if they were simply obedient to the Lord, for He is the Lord who heals. In our present dispensation of grace we are not promised exemption from physical diseases on the ground of obedience, but obedience will certainly preserve us from spiritual diseases, and give us spiritual health and strength.

(1) Gaius. The first of the personages named is Gaius - one whose service was mainly that of hospitality. If the same as mentioned by Paul (and there is no reason to doubt it), his service in this respect was universally known, for the apostle terms him, "Mine host, and of the whole Church." Rom. 16:23.) The first thing, however, noted in this epistle is his soul-prosperity. There are but few to whom it could be written, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (v. 2.) With many of us bodily health and comfortable circumstances might rather he the desired standard for our spiritual condition. If Gaius was, as seems probable, but infirm in body, it is clear that he did not urge this as a plea for any relaxation in his service. It may be noted also, as bearing upon a prevalent error, that there is no necessary connection between our spiritual and our bodily condition. It has become widely accepted, that all bodily weakness and disease are symptoms of a bad state of soul; but this inspired prayer for Gaius exposes at once the unscriptural character of this contention.

Truly we have no warrant for believing that the Lord has secured to His own a present exemption from the physical and mental disabilities common to mankind. Neither have we warrant for believing that the power He exercised in New Testament times over the sick bodies of men is continued to His present witnesses. In those miracles of healing He demonstrated once for all His power as the First Cause, dispensing with all material remedies as intermediaries, accomplishing His purpose with a word or touch. He was pleased to use a plaister of figs for the recovery of Hezekiah, but the king knew that it was Jehovah who had healed him, as he said, "He has both spoken unto me, and himself has done it" (Isa. 38:15). And we, encouraged by the personal activities of Jesus recorded in the holy Gospels, may use our medicinal remedies in the assurance of His equal activity today both in sympathy and in power to heal.

The bearing of all this upon human sickness and the use of medicines is simple. The connection of sickness with Satan is through sin, and it is a governmental dealing of God with men calculated to turn them to Him in their need. Medicines are creatures of God, acting according to divinely established laws. To call them works of the devil is the opposite of the truth. Faith therefore can use them, as every other creature of God, with thanksgiving.

Hygienics: As we think of the numberless rules about the laws of health, with all sorts of prescriptions of exercise and diet, we can understand how a sober knowledge of the word of God, with its primary principle that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine," would cast a flood of light upon a valuable and important part of medical practice. How wide-reaching, and simple too, is the direction that we present our "bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God," our "reasonable service"; which, while it does not provide for bodily exercise which profiteth for a little, does secure that treatment of the body which will ensure its most efficient and harmonious activity. Godliness hath "promise of the life which now is and that which is to come."

Unduly rigid persons often forget young men and women have bodies to be cared for and developed in a healthful way. On the other hand, pleasure-lovers forget they have immortal souls, of infinitely more importance than the body in which they dwell. Seek therefore to be a well-balanced Christian, putting first things first; and as to minor matters, ever keeping Christ’s glory in view. And if you are enabled to have a healthy soul in a healthy body, see that you use your strength for Him who for our sakes “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16), and thus you will be enabled to “do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

(1) We have here first the exhortation to obedience; a law given in which is life. Of this naturally there can be no just question. Men's vices are physically their destruction, and rob human life of all that makes it worthy of the name: "My son, forget not My law, but let thine heart keep My commandments: for length of days, and years of life, and peace shall they add to thee. … Fear the Lord, and depart from evil: it shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones" (Prov. 3:1-2, 7, 8). It must of necessity be so, if God be over all, and the "Lord's eyes are over the righteous."

In the same way godliness leads to health of mind and body. Timothy—with his weak stomach and “often infirmities,” abstemious almost to the point of legality—was likely to live longer than a besotted drunkard. The reader can pursue this line of thought almost ad infinitum.

Our bodies are the Lord’s, and they should neither be pampered nor abused. One may push the body to breaking-down point; another may pamper it. Both are wrong, surely.

The Lord said, "They that be whole need not a physician," showing that then, as now, the work of such persons was to cure diseases. In the O.T. the word is rapha, 'to heal,' and in Gen. 50:2 Joseph called upon such to embalm the body of his father, a certain amount of chemical knowledge being needed also for that. The Lord promised to the Israelites that if they obeyed Him He would preserve them from the diseases that were common in Egypt. On the other hand, there are many proofs in scripture that diseases were sent as a punishment for the sins of His people. For any remedy for such, their eyes should have been directed to Him who was disciplining them. Of Asa it is said, "he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians," which probably means those associated with magic. 2 Chr. 16:12.

The Christian should surely be cast upon the Lord in his sicknesses, and be exercised as to why they are sent or allowed, though doubtless he may use the means, without trusting to them apart from the blessing of God upon them. Jehovah Himself was the physician of His people Israel, ready at all times to heal and restore them. Jer. 8:22. Job, in the bitterness of his soul, found his friends to be physicians of no value. They did not understand his case, and only added to his misery. Job 13:4.

In the N.T. ἰατρός signifies 'healer.' The Lord Jesus was the Great Healer not only of the diseases of the body, but of the soul. Luke 4:23. A woman who had spent her all on physicians without relief obtained from Him an immediate cure. Luke 8:43. Luke was called 'the beloved physician,' though there is no information as to his practising this profession. Col. 4:14.