Hebrew Bible is Not the Gospel of Jesus

The Hebrew Bible is not the Gospel of Jesus. Also known as the Old Testament, it provides historical narrative and spiritual direction for the Hebrew People. The New Testament provides historical narrative and spiritual direction for Christians as presented by Jesus of Nazareth.

St. Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 4 and verse 23 reveals, “Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” The gospel preached by Jesus establishes the foundation framework for the apostolic envoys.

This model and example establishes New Testament preaching content. However, a chorus of ‘buts’ from apologist practitioners, who invest significant amounts of their preaching time from the Hebrew Bible Old Testament texts exists and can be heard.

Christians follow the life, example, and direction of the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the apostolic envoys. Paul, the apostolic envoy to people not born in the lineages of Hebrew bloodlines wrote 13 books and 30 per cent of New Testament.

His work includes the texts of Galatians 3:13, 22 – 25. They report, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree: But the scripture hath concluded all under sin; that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. However, before faith came, we were under the law, shut up unto the faith later revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. However, after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”

2nd Corinthian 5 shares all in Christ are new creations. Old things are dead. All is new. The chapter concludes in agreement with the Galatians proposition that Jesus took on the curse so his followers would not find it necessary. Verse 21 of 2nd Corinthians 5underwrites the “No Buts Gospel,” when it says, “God made him (Jesus) to be sin for us (followers of the gospel Jesus preached) who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The Hebrew Bible is not the gospel. Therefore, the Old Testament is not available preaching content for preaching among the people. The law it contains is cursed. Galatians 3 makes the report.

To take on the mission of preaching a curse is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus. Jesus came preaching the gospel of the kingdom. The preaching mission of contemporary ministers of the gospel and so should the minsters of the gospel to the church. The Hebrew Bible Old Testament is not the gospel of Jesus.

"Why Christian Healing Not for Every Body Every Where Every Time"

Why Christian healing is not for everybody everywhere, every time has nothing to do God; Jesus, the Son of God, or the written Word of God, the Bible.  It has everything to do with the Christian perception of a blank check signed in Jesus’ blood for healing who can pray or say the appropriate biblical quote. 

What is Healing?

Healing is restoration, recovery, and repair to health and wholeness from conditions of sickness and disease.  Healing is cure from what ails.

Humans challenged by sickness and disease for which no healing is forthcoming seek out doctors, ministers, holistic healers, indigenous healers, practitioners of different and dark arts holding any hope for cure. Few instantly heal.  Some improve.  Others do not.  Many suffer and die. 

Are these differences in healing results matters of incorrect applications of faith in the written Word of God, the Bible; or something more?  Christian healing is not for everybody, everywhere every time.

Jesus and Healing

The Christian Belief in divine healing of sickness and disease has origin in the written Word of God, the Bible.  Acts of God in the Hebrew Bible Old Testament demonstrated God an occasional healer of sickness and disease.  Acts of Jesus in Christian New Testament demonstrated Jesus an occasional healer of sickness and disease.  Acts of the Apostles (the chosen) of Jesus demonstrated the Apostles occasional healers of sickness and disease. 

The biblical writings of the Apostles recorded in Greek and translated into English form the basis for the Christian perception of healing.  This prompts many Christians to believe that saying what the Bible says on healing guarantees personal healing for everybody everywhere every time. 

Examples of their writing include, “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 (1 Peter 2:24).  This text prompts the belief a blank check for healing signed in Jesus’ blood guarantees personal healing.  Does this mean every sickness from our sore throats, influenza, HIV and Cancer, or something else?

Others include, “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark 11:24)” Is this an implied guarantee because it is written.  Was that the purpose of the inspiration of the Apostle’s biblical writings?”

Another says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).  If this is a guarantee, does it mean people are not saying the words right? Might there be another explanation when 100 sick and diseased Christians pray the same prayer for healing and few heal?

Preacher and Pastor Teaching

Preachers and pastors who teach healing is for all Christians everywhere all the time say more than they are able to prove.  When they teach it God’s will to pray the words that guarantee healing because they are the written in the Bible encourage a placebo of hope. Their words the equivalent of snake oil pharmaceuticals of the old west as cure for everything.

When Christians die who have followed the healing teachings of their preacher pastors as the will of God, families receive subsequent messages their loved one’s death is the will of God and their time to die.  Which was the will of God, to pray for healing as believed written or to die because it is their time?  Are these diametrically opposed perspectives reconcilable?  Is an answer available?

The question is one of faith.  Christian faith established on evidence is contrary to the apostolic writing of Hebrews 11 that says, “Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Where knowledge exists, faith is unnecessary.

Is it possible to know the will of God?  Is it simply arrogant presumption for humans to believe the will of the divine available to human understanding?  Is faith in the unknown the key to the answer?  Whatever the answer really is Christian healing is not for everybody everywhere every time.

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