As I begin to earnestly study the Bible, in 1986, I found myself coming into contact with believers, who were much further along in their understanding of the scriptures than I was in my understanding of the scriptures. Some of these believers were also operating in the power of God in the areas of physical healings, at least to some degree. At that time, this was all new to me, but I did however come to learn from the scriptures that physical healings are part of the teachings and operations of the Lord Jesus Christ and also the early church.
Many times, while observing other believers working in the area of healings, I would hear the usage of the scripture, “by his stripes you were healed”. That scripture seemed to be the authority, by which one would pray over or command a physical healing on behalf of those who are in need of a physical healing. “by his stripes you were healed” sounds great.
After I begin to learn and understand more of the scriptures, I found that the phrase “by his stripes you were healed” was the last part of a verse used by Peter in his writings.
1 Pet 2:24 Who his own self (Jesus) bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed,
As I observed and listened to those believers, working in the area of healings, I heard them explain to other people why we now have a right to believe for a physical healing. This instruction would always include the stripes on the back of Jesus. I have heard it explained this way: “you were healed some 2000 years ago, when Jesus received the stripes on his back for your physical healing, and because of those stripes, you can now receive a healing in your physical body today”.
Since those explanations and the healings excited my interest, I begin to study those scriptures for myself. I found that Peter was using an Old Testament prophesy from Isaiah 53. So many of the wonderful things, which Jesus did for us, are listed in Isaiah 53, and “his stripes” is found in vs. 5.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Were the stripes of Jesus for physical healing?
I heard a well known teacher draw information from the medical field and state that, medical science has determined that there are only 39 root causes to all sickness and all disease known to mankind. Every sickness and every disease can be traced back to one of those 39 roots. Jesus no doubt took one stripe for each root. That sounded mighty good to me! That will preach!
As I continued to study the scriptures, I also learned that the words “sorrows” and “griefs” in Isaiah 53:4 also had something to do with sickness, disease and pain. However, we must get that information from the Hebrew words and not the English translation.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
griefs is #2483 choliy (khol-ee'); from 2470; malady, anxiety, calamity:
mal·a·dy 1. A disease, a disorder, or an ailment. 2. An unwholesome condition.
anx·i·e·ty 1.a. A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
ca·lam·i·ty 1. An event that brings terrible loss, lasting distress, or severe affliction; a disaster.
When I inserted this # 2483 into the Englishman’s Concordance Bible program, I found it to be translated 13 times as “disease” and 14 times as “sickness” and only 4 times as “griefs”.
On the other hand, the word “sorrows” in the Hebrew Dictionary is #4341.
Sorrows is #4341 mak'ob (mak-obe'); anguish or (figuratively) affliction:
an·guish 1. Agonizing physical or mental pain; torment
af·flic·tion 1. A condition of pain, suffering, or distress. 2. A cause of pain, suffering, or distress.
When I inserted this #4341 into the Englishman’s Concordance, I found it to be translated, in the KJV Bible, 13 times as “sorrow” and 2 times as “pain” and 2 times as “grief”
From these definitions and searching the scriptures, it appears more likely that “physical healing” was dealt with, here in verse 4 of Isaiah 53, and not verse 5. Again, here is verse 5.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
wounded is #2490 chalal (khaw-lal'); a primitive root; properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word),
bruised is #1792 daka' (daw-kaw'); a primitive root; to crumble; transitively, to bruise (literally or figuratively):
chastisement is #4148 muwcar (moo-sawr'); from 3256; properly, chastisement; figuratively, reproof, warning or instruction; also restraint:
3256 yacar (yaw-sar'); a primitive root; to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct:
stripes is #2250 chabbuwrah (khab-boo-raw'); properly, bound (with stripes), i.e. a weal (or black-and-blue mark itself):
healed is #7495 rapha' (raw-faw'); a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure:
Listening to teachings and being around my Christian friends, I have heard the term “Jehovah Rapha”, and I have learned that to mean; The Lord our Healer, and that is correct as per Exodus 15.
Exod 15:26b: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Lord is #3068 Yehovah (yeh-ho-vaw'); (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:
healeth is #7495 rapha' (raw-faw'); a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure:
To better understand this word, #7495 “rapha”, I went to the English Dictionary to get a better understanding of “mend” and “cure”, and I was surprised to see that the meanings of both of these words have definitions pertaining to the physical body and to the physical realm.
mend 1. To make repairs or restoration to; fix. 2. To reform or correct. 1.a. To improve in health or condition.
cure (ky‹r) n. 1. Restoration of health; recovery from disease. 4. Something that corrects or relieves a harmful or disturbing situation.
Many times, I am amazed at myself, when I think that I know what a word means, however, when I study that word, I find that I may not know all that is contained in the meaning of that word. This was the case with “rapha”! I thought it only, meant physical healing. Again I went to the Englishman’s Concordance to learn if “rapha” might be used in areas other than physical healing in the scriptures.
IKing 18:30b And he repaired (rapha) the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
II Ki 2:21 Thus saith the LORD, I have healed (rapha) these waters;
2 Chr 7:14 then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal (rapha) their land.
Ps 60:2 heal (rapha) the breaches thereof; for it shaketh.
Jer 3:22 Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal (rapha) your backslidings.
Jer 51:9 We would have healed (rapha) Babylon, but she is not healed:
Zech 11:16 nor heal (rapha) that which is broken,
After learning that Jehovah Rapha is the healer of much more than just the physical body, I went back to 1st Peter 2 to study the context of his teaching around the 24th verse. I found that there is no mention of “physical healings” surrounding Peter’s quote of; “by whose strips you were healed”!
What I find, in context, surrounding that statement is all pertaining to relationships of different types.
1st Peter 2:7-11 is dealing with the relationship between believers and nonbelievers.
1st Peter 2:12 is dealing with the relationship between Jews and Gentiles.
1st Peter 2:13-16 is dealing with the relationship between governments and subjects.
1st Peter 2:17 is dealing with the relationship between all men, the brotherhood, God and the king.
1st Peter 2:18-23 is dealing with relationships between employees and employers.
After the instructions pertaining to what has just been listed, Peter gives credit to Jesus for what he did for us on the cross, but then inserts: “by whose stripes ye were healed”, which is the quote from Isaiah 53:5. Then in verse 25, he tells us why Jesus had to do what he did!
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
Chapter three starts right back into relationships.
1st Peter 3:1-7 is dealing with the relationships between husbands and wives.
1st Peter 3:8-16 is dealing with relationships between believers and believers.
The context surrounding “by whose stripes ye were healed” are all instructions about relationships. Not once is physical healing mentioned. Having learned that healings (rapha) can refer to other things besides physical healing, I went to the scriptures to learn what the “stripes” on the back of Jesus, had to do with prophecy, and how those “stripes” pertain to us here and now.
Matt 5:17-18 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Since Jesus was in a process of fulfilling all of the law, therefore the “stripes” must be connected with some part of the Law of Moses. Thank the Lord that we have many study tools available to us today. Once again typing “stripes” into the Strong’s Concordance, I could see that Deuteronomy 25 is the only part of the Law of Moses, which contains the word “stripes”.
Deut 25:1 If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.
2 And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.
3 Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
This is the Law of the controversy between men. Jesus fulfilled this law at His trial with the stripes on His back. He who had no controversy with men was judged guilty and received the full punishment of the Law and much, much more.
The authority to pray and believe for the removal of any controversy between men, and the bringing that situation into the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ, is the stripes on the back of Jesus, which was administered to him at his mock trial. The prophecy of Jesus fulfilling this law is found in Isa 53:5
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
We know that Jesus, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. In like manner, Jesus, who had no controversy with men, was judged guilty, by men and given the full extent of the chastisement of the law, so that we could have peace with all men, in every situation! The chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
At His trial, Jesus fulfilled the law of the controversy between men, so that he could nail it to His cross and take it out of the way! Therefore, as an heir of God, our inheritance on the earth is peace with our fellowman. That peace was earned for us by the “stripes” on the back of the Lord Jesus Christ and then freely given to us through inheritance as a Son of God.
When Jesus was placed on the cross, he was holy, pure, innocent and without sin in his physical body. Jesus chose to take upon himself the law of sin and death, for every man, who had ever lived or ever would live on the earth. The law of sin and death includes all sin, sickness, disease, deformity, poverty and death for all of mankind. While Jesus was on the cross, is the time and place, when Jesus took into Him self the whole Law of sin and death and conformed to every damnable thing, which had come upon mankind, at the fall of Adam, which then passed to all men through his seed.
In Matthew chapter 8, Matthew quotes Isaiah 53 however let’s looks at what was taking place before he gives the quote.
Matt 8:1-4 Jesus heals a leper.
Matt 8:5-13 Jesus heals the centurion’s servant who was sick of the palsy and grievously tormented.
Matt 8:14-15 Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law who was sick of a fever.
Matt 8:16 Jesus cast out the evil spirits with His word of those brought unto him, and healed all that were sick:
After listing these accounts of the life of Jesus, which Matthew witnessed, he then quotes Isaiah 53, however look at the part he quotes.
Matt 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4 in reference to physical healings and also the casting out of evil spirits.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
On the cross is where Jesus purchased for us our physical healing. However, in contrast, at the trial of Jesus, with the stripes on his back, He purchased for us “peace” and made peace available to us in every situation with our fellowman. "Peace" has been made available to us for every situation of controversy between men, so we should use it wisely. It stands to reason that the stripes on the back of Jesus should be the authority with which we should use in prayer over any controversy between men and not for physical healing for the body.
Grace and Peace multiplied in the name of Jesus. Compiled by Jerry Thomas 5/27/2002
All scripture references are (KJV) unless otherwise denoted. jtministriesinfo@gmail.com
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