Were the disciples and early church anti medicine?

[cubeus19]

Hey all, I was wanting to ask you all this because, I recently heard a story in the news about a Church of Christ or chrismatic Christian family apparently allowing their newborn baby to die by only anointing him with oil and praying for him and not getting medical treatment for the baby.

This isn't the only story I have heard in the past like this. Apparently among many fringe Christian or should I say cult groups tend to take some verses way too far and this I think, is a big example.

But still I'm puzzled, in the new testament it does indeed command believers to lay hands, pray for, and anoint with oil *(I guess, I'm unsure about anointing since I've never done it myself). But unlike the nutjobs I just described, were the apostles and early church anti medicine and anti doctors?

I know that medicine wasn't anything back then like it is today, but did the early church use pre-modern medicine along with prayer sort of like what we do now, or did they only rely on prayer for healing and wellness?

Let me know what you all think.

[cubeus19]

Oh, here is the story that I was referring to.

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/i ... aith-.html

[B. W.]

Were the disciples and early church anti medicine?


The answer is NO...

For example Paul wrote to Timothy this...

1 Timothy 5:23 - "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities." NKJV

Wine was used as medicine in the days Paul wrote this - it was used to purify water, help aliments, etc...

Also Luke was a doctor and traveled with Paul...

It is tragic that well meaning people are taught to deny medical treatment from the bible by really bad and unbalanced teachings on the subject of healing.
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[cubeus19]

Thank you BW, I didn't know about that verse in l Timothy. I did know that Luke was a doctor, but I was unsure whether or not he gave up medicine when he became a disciple. But anyway, thanks again, that helped greatly.

[Silvertusk]

God gave us Doctors and nurses and medicines and all such things. Praying for healing for a definite must - but through people like Doctors and nurses God may well be answering our prayers.

Silvertusk