With his Stripes we are Healed- the shepherd of our soul

“With his stripes we are healed!!!” Have you ever heard a preacher shout these words? Perhaps while laying hands on your sick body?

Such preachers use Isaiah 53:5 to support the notion that Jesus died not only for our salvation but for our physical healing.

They say we can have perfect physical health, if only we believe.

Have you ever considered that maybe, they’ve misinterpreted that verse? That maybe Isaiah was not talking about physical healing, rather spiritual healing?

In this post I’m going to dissect Isaiah 53 and similar scriptures, to find out the true meaning of that popular phrase “with his stripes we are healed”.

Isaiah 53

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

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.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him -- the iniquity of us all.

Notice in these verses how “with his stripes we are healed” is connected to “all we like sheep have gone astray”?

Peter quoted this portion of Isaiah in his first epistle.

1 Peter 2:24&25

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.

Notice here how being “healed” is connected to lost sheep returning to the shepherd of their souls? 

We are “healed” when we RETURN to Jesus, the shepherd of our soul.

Hosea 6

1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 

Ezekiel explains how a good shepherd, seeks out lost sheep and binds up that which was broken.

Ezekiel 34:16

16 I will seek -- that which was lost, and bring again -- that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen -- that which was sick…

Bind up H2280. חָבַשׁ ḥāḇaš is often used to describe binding wounds with the result that healing occurs.

When a wounded, wandering sheep returns to its shepherd, that shepherd binds up its wounds that they may heal.

The prophet Isaiah made it clear that Jesus is the “good shepherd”, sent to bind up the broken hearted.

Isaiah 61:1

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed -- me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Hence when Isaiah 53:5 says 

…with his stripes we are healed…

He was NOT talking about physical healing. 

He was alluding to how a shepherd binds up the broken limbs of his sheep and how Jesus, the good shepherd, binds up the broken HEARTED when they RETURN to him.

Now let’s go back to 1 Peter 2:24…

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…

Compare that to…

Galatians 6:1&2

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We fulfil the law of Christ when we get along side those overtaken in a fault. 

When we put ourselves in their shoes. When we take on their burden as though it were our own, in order to RESTORE them.

Back to Isaiah once more…

Isaiah 1:18

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Jesus “took on” a flesh body. He put himself in our shoes. He got along side us and bore our sin AS THOUGH it were his own, so to REASON with us and RESTORE our soul.

Yet restoration is only possible when WE reason TOGETHER with him. 

How do we reason with him? Through REPENTANCE.

Yes, Jesus bore our sins but the only way our sins can be made “white as snow” is if we die WITH him (Gal. 2:20) through repentance.

1 Peter 2:24

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.

This verse is a picture of us reasoning TOGETHER with God. 

Jesus bare our sins that WE being dead to sins should live unto righteousness.

This is US returning to the shepherd of our soul and reasoning with him through repentance. 

This is how he binds-up our broken heart, restores and strengthens our sin-sick soul. 

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul…

In conclusion,

It is very easy to take a verse out of context and apply our own private interpretation to it.

…with his stripes we are healed… is no exception.

This verse is NOT about physical healing! It’s about spiritual healing!

Just as a shepherd binds up the broken limbs of his sheep, Jesus binds up our broken heart when we RETURN to him, the shepherd and bishop of our soul.

What’s so bad about misinterpreting Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 to say Jesus died for our physical healing?

Doing so, shifts the focus away from spiritual healing which is the true miracle and only possible through repentance proven by deeds. 

When we reason together with God through repentance, he restores our soul.

1 Thessalonians 2- a pure heart motive

In this article I share my thoughts on 1 Thessalonians 2, which is all about having a a pure heart motive.

3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor -- a cloak of covetousness; God is witness:

6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

When Paul and Silas spoke, their focus was on pleasing God who tries the hearts. What pleases God? A pure heart motive. Hence their encouragement of the Thessalonians was not for the purpose of deception. At no point did they use “flattering words” as a “cloak of covertness”. They was not trying to get money out of them. Neither were they seeking glory for themselves.

On the contrary, Paul said…

7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:

Nurse means “nourish” and cherish means to “make warm” thus we have here the image of a nursing mother, holding her child close.

Now let’s look at Galatians 4

26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29 …born after the Spirit…

Here we see that “Jerusalem which is above” is “mother" to all those “born after the spirit”.

Hebrews 12 sheds light on Galatians 4, by connecting “heavenly Jerusalem” to “the church of the first born”.

Hebrews 12

22 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn…

Thus “the church” is a loving mother who gently nurses and cherishes her children. 

I nursed my own child till she was 3 1/2. 

I know a lot of woman struggle with breastfeeding for a variety of reasons. 

For one thing it’s VERY time consuming. You’re on baby time. 

Breast fed babies also wake up frequently at night. Its hard getting out of a nice warm bed in winter every few hours to sit in a chair and breastfeed your baby back to sleep.

Breast feeding can also be painful, straining your back and arms. 

Then there’s the physical closeness which is just too much for some woman.

However physical touch and eye contact are essential for a babies development. They learn that relationships are good. 

They develop a neural pathway between their limbic system and pre frontal cortex that enables them to regulate their emotions. 

Through breastfeeding both mother and baby release oxytocin known as the love hormone, that cements their bond. 

The milk itself is extremely nourishing, changing according to the child’s needs and preparing their stomach to digest solid food.

1 Peter 2

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Babes in Christ need to be nursed with sincere words, foundational truths that nourish their inner-man.

Back in 1 Thessalonians 2, notice the warmth in these verses…

8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.

9 For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.

Paul and Silas not only wished to impart the gospel to the Thessalonians but their own souls. 

Like a nursing mother they laboured “night and day”, imparting the gospel from a pure heart.

Let’s jump ahead to 1 Thessalonians 5 where Paul said…

14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Then in Ephesians 4 we see similar words… 

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Forbearing 

430. ἀνέχω anéchō;…to bear up.

Like a nurse “makes warm” her children, “the church” bears up babes in Christ, nourishing them with the sincere milk of the word.

The church “mothers”, not for any selfish reason, but for the purpose of preparing her children to digest solid food and feed themselves.

1 Corinthians 13 

11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

We all have access to the bible and if born-again, the holy spirit to guide us into all truth thus there is no excuse to remain perpetual babes in Christ. 

We need to graduate from milk to meat. Learn to feed ourselves and eventually others.

In conclusion,

The “mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26”), is the “church of the firstborn” (Hebrews  12:23).

Thus the “church” is a loving mother who “bears up”, nurses and cherishes her children until they’re able to digest solid food and feed themselves. The church mothers from a pure heart motive.

1 Thessalonians 1- the power of example

In this article I want to examine 1 Thessalonians 1, which is all about being an EXAMPLE. 

However, let’s start by looking at Acts 17 for some background information, as to how the church in Thessalonica got started and what their circumstances were, when Paul wrote this epistle.

Acts 17

1 …they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures,

4 And some of them believed…

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy…

6 …drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

10 And the brethren immediately sent away -- Paul and Silas by night unto Berea…

Antagonistic Jews brought Thessalonian believers before the rulers of the city and accused them of having treasonous ideas, which began a wave of persecution, forcing Paul and Silas to flee.

Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was written from Corinth between 50 and 52AD, after having sent Timothy to check up on them.

Let’s dive into chapter one…

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;

3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Here we see that despite Paul and Silas no longer being with them and despite persecution, the Thessalonians worked hard for God’s kingdom, fuelled by faith, love and hope.

5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

Paul and Silas, had brought the gospel to the Thessalonians not only in “word" but in “power”

They not only spoke the word but they lived it. Their conduct and character reflected the gospel, hence their EXAMPLE was the power behind the words.

6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:

7 So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.

8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

The Thessalonians “sounded out the word” to such a degree that “in every place” their faith towards God was “spread abroad”. The fact that they’d received the word in “much affliction” yet preached it with such boldness, made them examples to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

So we see here the domino effect. Paul and Silas were examples to the Thessalonians and in turn the Thessalonians were examples to other believers in their area.

9 For they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

The Thessalonians had done such a great job in evangelising, there was nothing left for Paul, Silas and Timothy to say. When they did speak to people, they found that they already knew “what manner of men” they were. Their reputation preceded them. They also knew how the Thessalonians had turned away from idols.

Idol worship is just as prevalent today as it was back then, though the idols may look different.

Do people in your area know how you turned from idols to serve the living God? Are you boldly sounding out the word despite persecution? Is the Word reflected in your character and conduct? 

Leading by example is how the kingdom of God works. Jesus himself led by example.

1 Peter 2:21

…Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

Don’t underestimate the power of your EXAMPLE to touch, inspire and motivate others into action.