Healing

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The Spiritual Gifts and the Nature of Medicine
Commissioned by Kate E. Fincher, Future Nurse

Thesis
To show that the spiritual gifts of 1 Cor. 12 & 13 relate to the field of medicine.

Let’s first examine what a gift is.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary online defines a gift as: 1: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment.
2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

Word IQ.com, defines gift as:
GIFT, contracts. The act by which the owner of a thing, voluntarily transfers the title and possession of the same, from himself to another person who accepts it, without any consideration

You can buy or make a present for someone. Yet in all of this, you do this action for someone that you care about, have an emotional attachment to or feelings for.

As a general rule, you don’t go and buy or make a gift for someone that you don’t like or know!

I’m sure that there are some people you might like to put a creepy-crawly thing into a box and give it to them because of something they had done or said that you took offence to!

In reality, we give gifts to those we love and care for. Such is our God!

John 3:16 comes to mind instantly, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” KJV

God gave to us, though we did not deserve His gift, He (Jesus) was still given.

God also gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost!

The apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12 & 13 tells us of the gifts that God gives to His true followers. These are meant to be used to bring glory to God.

The Holy Spirit gives to us these things, they cannot be bought, nor do get to pick from a menu the ones we want!

In verse 1 of chapter 12, Paul tells that he doesn’t want us to be ignorant concerning the spiritual; gifts.

“Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” KJV

My paraphrase of this verse is, “Here are your instructions, any questions?”

In chapter 12: 4- 11, he goes on to give us a short list of the gifts. Here are just a few of them; wisdom, knowledge, faith, teaching, and discernment of the spirits.

I like the picture in verses 12- 26! I envision a body at war with itself. Parts of the body don’t like the role that they have been given!

The kidneys are complaining that they aren’t like the hair, the gall bladder wants to be the heart, and no one wants to be the feet, they stink, so says the nose!

In the commotion, no one can hear the red blood cells and the circulatory system and to make things worse, the pain receptors are out for revenge on the hand!

With all of the divisions amongst the different parts of the body (church denominations), is it any wonder that the body of Christ is in such bad shape in the United States?

Chapter 13 gives us the motivation factors and reasons we are to use our God given gifts.

It is out of love. It is love that is the key that keeps us from getting side tracked from why we are to use the things God has given us.

In reading this chapter, many have rewritten it to fit their needs to make it clearer to the reader, I am no different.

I will alter verse 3 to fit the purpose of this paper without altering the intent of the original author.

“And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” KJV

Rewritten: “And though I sell all of my possessions for a plane ticket to Haiti and though I go there in the service of mankind and die of cholera, if I have not love for the people, I have gained nothing”

It is love for our fellow man that we use our gifts.

Which at last brings me to my next area of thought, how do these principles apply to the medical community?

Is the doctor above the environmental service specialist? Is the billing and coding specialist above the dietary specialist?

In our modern way of thinking, the doctors are at the top of the pyramid and the dish washer and janitors are buried in the third level below the basement!

From my vantage point in medical administration, it is the staff of this area that has been put in their care the patient records and are responsible for their safe keeping, they are the core group of any medical practice, be it your local office or hospital.

Without their care of the patient’s charts and information, the nursing staff would not have a systematic way to note the reason for their visit; the technicians could not perform the required tests to help determine the sickness.

Let’s not forget the doctors and specialists, they are greatly needed!

Yet, as in the body of Christ, all of the separate pieces fit together to form one unit for the Masters use.

Let not the heart valve think that it is irreplaceable, heart valves can be replaced. Let not the pastor or deacon think that a ministry or deaconship is his, God moves people in and out of service at His will.

Let not the physician think himself to be above the admitting clerk, because in the day he does, without the admitting clerk sending him patients, he becomes unemployed!

In closing, the body of Christ and the medical community are much alike. Many areas of service, one motive, to serve and to heal individuals!

The church is to point the hurting people of this world to the Master Physician, Jesus Christ.

The medical community is to heal our physical and mental injuries caused by the sins of our parents Adam and Eve.

May we pray for our medical professionals, the job they do is often a thankless one, but those who are involved in it and enjoy it wouldn’t trade it for the world!

Additional note

After completing this paper, while in Sunday school at my local church, the teacher, Pastor Jerry Smith brought to our attention these verses that help to illustrate the point I made about the gifts given to the local church and its members.

Romans 12:4- 8 shed a different light on the subject of spiritual gifts within the body of Christ.

4: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; 7: Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8: Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
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