Disease

General and specific examples of disease

General references

Mt 8:17; Mk 3:10

See also Ex 15:26; Dt 7:15; 2 Ch 16:12; Jn 5:3; Ac 28:9

Blindness

John 9:1 NKJV

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

Insanity

1 Sa 21:13; Da 4:33–35

Leprosy

Nu 12:10; 2 Ch 26:21; Mt 11:5; Lk 17:11–19

Paralysis

Mt 4:24; Mt 8:6; Mt 9:2; Lk 13:11; Ac 3:2; Ac 8:7; Ac 9:33

Sunstroke

2 Ki 4:18–19; Ps 121:5–6; Is 49:10; Jon 4:8

Tumours

Dt 28:27; 1 Sa 5:6

Voluntary starvation

1 Sa 1:7; 1 Sa 28:20; Ps 102:4; Ps 107:18

Wasting

Le 26:16; Dt 28:22

Boils and sores

Ex 9:9; Job 2:7; Is 38:21; Lk 16:20

Depression

Proverbs 13:12 NKJV

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.

Dropsy

See also Lk 14:2

Dysentery

Acts 28:8 NKJV

And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and dysentery. Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him.

Epilepsy

Matthew 17:15 NKJV

“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

See also Mt 4:24; Mk 9:17–18

Fever

Job 30:30 NKJV

My skin grows black and falls from me; My bones burn with fever.

See also Mt 8:14; Ac 28:8

Haemorrhaging

Matthew 9:20 NKJV

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.

Inflammation

Deuteronomy 28:22 NKJV

The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.

Even the righteous suffer disease

Job 2:3 NKJV

Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

See also Ps 38:2–3; Ps 41:7–8

Examples of the righteous suffering

2 Ki 20:1; Da 8:27; Lk 7:2; Jn 11:1; Ac 9:36–37; Ga 4:13; Php 2:25–27; 1 Ti 5:23; 2 Ti 4:20

Causes of disease

John 9:2 NKJV

And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Original sin

Genesis 3:16–17 NKJV

16 To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

Accident

See also 2 Ki 4:39–40

Judgment

Psalm 107:17–18 NKJV

Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.

See also Ex 9:8–10; Le 26:14–16; Nu 16:41–49; 2 Ki 5:27; Je 14:12; 1 Co 11:29–30

Testing

Job 2:5 NKJV

But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”

Response to sickness and disease

The compassion of God

Mark 1:32–34 NKJV

At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

See also Ps 41:3; Mt 8:17

Compassion

Eze 34:4; Mt 25:36; Lk 9:2; Lk 10:30–37

Humble submission

Job 13:15 NKJV

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

See also 2 Co 12:8–10

Prayer

James 5:14 NKJV

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

See also Ge 20:17; 2 Co 12:8

Spiritual disease

Isaiah 1:5–6 NKJV

Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints. From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.

See also Je 8:22; Je 30:12; Mic 1:9; Mt 9:12–13

Salvation and healing from disease

Salvation achieved through the cross of Jesus Christ

Isaiah 53:4–5 NKJV

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Salvation made perfect in heaven

Revelation 22:1–3 NKJV

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

See also Eze 47:12; Re 7:17; Re 21:1–4