3 minutes
What is the Biblical Promise of Being Healed by His Stripes?
The Kings James Version tells us, “with His stripes we are healed.” Most modern versions replace the word “stripes” with “wounds” so that, “with His wounds we are healed.” In either case, the point is that the wounds, or stripes, suffered by Jesus were sufficient to bring healing.
However, to understand what this phrase means, we need to read it in context. To take verses out of context is dangerous and will usually lead to an incorrect understanding of what God is actually trying to say to us. We find Satan (Genesis 3:1, Matthew 4:5-6) doing this in the Bible and throughout History. False teachers often follow his lead (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).
The Context
In an effort to find Truth, let’s look at the two places we find this phrase:
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. – 1 Peter 2:24
The first time we come across this phrase is in Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Suffering Servant. As Isaiah describes the suffering of the Messiah, he writes about the reasons for His suffering: he was pierced for our transgressions (sins) and crushed for our iniquities (sins). Isaiah was pointing out that our sins required something more than the blood of the animal sacrifices being performed constantly at the Temple. Our sins needed the blood of the Messiah.
Isaiah writes in the typical Hebrew poetic form called Parallelism. While English poetry looks to rhyme the final words of each line, Hebrew poetry looks to repeat lines. Throughout the book of Psalms you will find examples of Parallelism.
Here, we see Isaiah using Parallelism. The first two lines of the verse repeat the idea that Messiah would bleed for our sins. The second two lines of the verse repeat the concept that these punishments against Messiah would bring the cure, restoration, alleviation. The question that needs to be asked here is: cure for what? Obviously, for our sin problem.
Our Sin Problem or Our Physical Problems?
What is noteworthy here is that nowhere does Isaiah speak of any physical problems that would be cured by Messiah. It is clearly for our transgressions and our iniquities that He is bringing healing.
One of the greatest false teachings of today’s Evangelical Church is that we are healed physically by His stripes, i.e.: His work on the cross. Look through Isaiah 53:5 and you will not see one mention of any physical problem. Look at Isaiah 53:4. Review Isaiah 53:6. You will find no mention of being physically healed by the work of Messiah.
Our second verse in 1 Peter 2:24 is no different. Peter writes about the work of Jesus on the cross. He explains that Jesus bore our sins on the cross. He teaches that this was done so that we could live righteously. Again, there is no mention of being physically healed by his work on the cross.
I have heard so many people take this phrase out of context and use it either in prayer or as an explanation for why sick or injured people should be confident of healing. Heather’s in the hospital? “Lord, by your stripes she is healed.” Bob’s back went out? “Don’t worry Bob, by His stripes you are healed.” This is not only unbiblical but also foolish. No one is healed physically by the work of Jesus on the cross.
All are healed spiritually by His crucifixion.
The work of Jesus on the cross heals every single person of their sin problem.
(BTW – that’s an example of parallelism)
Incorrectly Dividing the Word of God
Just this week, I heard someone change the entire verse. In their new translation, they quoted, “by His stripes we are healed physically, spiritually and emotionally.” That is nowhere in scripture. Twisting scripture like this is exactly how cults begin. It is what false teachers do. It is what Satan does.
I pray that those of you who have used this phrase to mean we are healed physically will recognize the harm you are doing to the word of God. Can God bring physical healing? Of course! Does He always? Absolutely not. Not even the Apostle Paul and his friends experienced or expected this (1 Timothy 5:23, Philippians 2:25-27, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9).
Pray for God’s healing. Encourage those in pain with the Gospel. Comfort them with reminders of what God has done in the past (i.e.: the healing miracles performed by Jesus). But do not give false hope, for this only destroys the faith of the weak and is a poor witness to the unbeliever when God decides that His Grace is sufficient and physical healing is not going to happen.
Instead, rejoice that spiritual healing is available and it is given to all who receive Christ’s work on the cross. Because of this work, we have eternal life (John 3:16). Because of this work, our suffering now is but for a moment (John 16:33, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Peter 4:12). By His stripes we are healed!
So good to see this fallacy addressed with Truth. I agree that God does still heal physically, but Isaiah 53:5 has been misunderstood by many, myself included, for a long time as the enemy would have it to keep those that seek healing from receiving it. It is also important to keep our priorities when we go to God in prayer, i.e. Is it more important to be physically healed which will only last while we are on the earth or for our sins to be healed which grants us eternal Life? At times Jesus healed physical infirmities to prove who He was to those that lacked faith and especially to the religious leaders of the time as found in Matthew 9:1-7
So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. 2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”
3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”
4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 7 And he arose and departed to his house.
Thanks for this. Our current Church culture of looking to the present rather than the future has resulted in many people looking for immediate results rather than God’s eternal plan. God is more concerned with our eternal situation than our present one. Thank God He has given us Jesus to take care of eternal things and not as much the current one. Spot-on example with the paralytic. God bless!
I agree with you 100%
But Matthew 8:17 links healing with these verses.
That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
Matthew 8:16-17 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/mat.8.16-17.ESV
Hi Jeremiah. I love that you have brought up the Matthew passage. It shows you are a Berean who studies the scripture to know what is true and what is not. Great job!
Matthew is quoting Isaiah 53:4. There, it says that “he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” Note that Jesus is healing these people before the crucifixion. It is not by his stripes they were healed. It cannot be! Matthew is saying that it is by Jesus’ compassion they are healed. He has not simply healed them but has taken their grieves and sorrows upon himself. No wonder Isaiah also called him a man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3)! Thanks for the comment…God bless!
The word of God Says Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. If he healed physically before, He heals physically today. He took it all to the cross. He left nothing out. Our sins keep us sick.
Hi Glenda. Thanks for your comment. You’ve written 5 sentences and all of them are correct – 100%. But here is my point: I can take any of them out of context. For instance, you point out that “he healed physically before, he heals physically today.” But if my loved one just died of cancer and you said that to me, I would tell you that you don’t know what you are talking about. It wouldn’t be because you are wrong, but because your context is wrong. Another example: Jesus says “whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” (Matt 5:22). It’s true, but I can take that out of context. When we say we are physically healed by his stripes, we are taking the scripture out of context. It doesn’t mean Jesus doesn’t heal. It means we cannot use this scripture to prove that. God bless.
David,
I appreciate your clarity on this. We have many in our church and most notably of prayer ministry who use these scriptures, particularly 1 Peter 2:24, out of context as an absolute on physical healing. I love that Jesus still heals today and I believe that faith and trust in Jesus is important but the scriptures do not tie the work on the cross to physical healing. I have brought this to our leadership but I do not believe anyone quite agrees. Nevertheless, we are called to discern. Thank you for your insight. It matters!
Thanks for your comments, Don…I really appreciate them! I pray that you stand firm in your discernment and wisdom. While most around us will continue to take scriptures out of context, I pray that Christians such as yourself continue to read the word in context and remind those around us, in humility and grace, the truth of what God’s word is saying. God bless! David.
I have continued to think about this idea. One of the things that is mentioned is that it is past tense healed. Or that this is what Jesus did and does.
But if we apply that idea to setting the captives free… We run into a problem when John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus asking if he is the Messiah.
Jesus responds… Tell him what you see. The lame walk the poor have the Gospel preached to them… The blind see, the deff hear …. And where he should say the captives are set free he instead says, blessed are those who do not stumble on account of me.
Jesus is concerned first with the healing of our soul. He may effect our circumstances, but the Gospel is that we have the blessed life despite our circumstances because he has given us himself and does not count our sin against us. As stated in Psalm 32.