(Isaiah 41:10) Prayful application of Gods provisions preserves our life and protects others from being harmed. And when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. Some Christians believe if they get the vaccine, they will be marked for hell, but some pastors are trying to stop those rumors. When I studied the beautifully written book of Job, I heard Gods answer to Jobs misery over losses in health, property, and family. Applying this thinking to vaccination, we can see that this product, a result of capacities God has given to humans to think and be creative, is a life-saving product. The evidence of science is transparently clear: vaccines save lives. Some people argue getting injected with a foreign substance such as a vaccine would defile their bodies, which they say is sinful. While viruses are created to protect our health, a number of Christians have been against COVID-19 vaccinations. In the 16th century, Martin Luther and other Protestant reformers translated the Bible from an already existing Greek text into the languages of common people. W December 02, 2021 9:34 AM Vaccine Debates Are Responsible for 2021's Fastest-Growing Bible Search Term: Sorcery December 03, 2020 6:00 AM 2020's Most-Read Bible Verse: 'Do Not Fear' Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.. As Jesus said in Luke 12:31, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things will be added unto you. For he is God's servant for your good. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. These activities point to vaccination when there is a need for it and it is available. Moses grew and was educated as a noble among Egyptians (1022). Allowed are activities that are congruent with Gods revelation, though not directly mentioned in the Bible. However, it is not easy to understand Gods Word. G In the same way, it would be presumptuous and arrogant on our part to ask God to give us good health while we neglect health principles, and remain unwilling to study and apply the results of modern medicine that He has enabled us to discover for helping suffering humanity. And, his angels shall protect you. E The word vaccination does not occur in the Bible, as is the case with many other important health terms like vitamins, transfusion, high blood pressure, kidney transplant, injection, pills, and so on. The passage reads: "Then he said unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: Abd great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. Here are 10 Bible Verses about Fear and Anxiety to help combat feelings of helplessness and worry amid the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. You shall serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you. The Catholic Church concluded, in a 2005 statement, that those who. We are rational beings, and our Creator gives us the ability to think and know what works best for our health. Lectures and studies in this line will prove of the highest value. Vaccination is about preventing a potentially deadly virus from spreading within us or through us to others. Being vaccinated will give glory to God by helping us and others to have a safer life. Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. So glorify God in your body. 6:19, 20, NIV; cf. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Prayers for knowledge are not enough to bring success. May He graciously grant us discernment and power to act unselfishly according to His will so that we can be blessed by Him and be a blessing to others. However, the Scriptures teaches that there are natural remedies to various illnesses. Therefore honor God with your bodies.1 Corinthians 6:19-20, It is an honor to have a body that is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And this is a new approach where instead of giving that tiny little part, instead, we just give the instructions to our own bodies to make that tiny little part and then our natural immune system . Y But when he heard it, he said, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. God could have miraculously and instantaneously healed the dying King Hezekiah by His power, but instead He chose to heal him through the remedy of a fig poultice (2 Kings 20:5-7; Isa. The Bible calls the human body "a temple of the Holy Spirit." The New Testament makes multiple references likening the human body to a temple. Without a church hierarchy to reign them in, these evangelical pied pipers had little accountability. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Ellen White wisely advises: God's miracles do not always bear the outward semblance of miracles. 7. The same sound rule must be applied to vaccinations: what is not prohibited is acceptable when it is in harmony with Gods revealed health principles. Assn., 1871), 2:377. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. One interpretation of this verse could be that vaccinations serve the common good. In other words, he distanced himself from that kind of ethical stance. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Scientific and traditional medicine can be beneficial. by Clarence Haynes Jr.). Job has a whole new perspective on misfortune in his life. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. COVID-19 vaccines "have nothing to do with" the term "mark of the beast," according to pastors and experts. Often they are brought about in a way which looks like the natural course of events. We ask to be kept from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, that is stalking with such power through the world; we are then to cooperate with God, observing the laws of health and life. After studying Job, I read the book of the weeping prophet Jeremiah, who stated, Heal me and I shall be healed(Jeremiah 17:4). The most common side effects are mild, such as redness and swelling where the shot was given. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. V Vaccine-induced immunity is acquired through the introduction of a killed or weakened form of the disease organism through vaccination. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. One can argue that it may be recommended or even required when health or life is to be preserved. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the Lord, he shall be holy. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. I stay close to God through prayer and reflection. The Prophet wrote about our human temple of God with the words of Psalm 139:14: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Those bearing the seal of God love, honor, and give Him glory as their Creator and Savior. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? I care for the work of Gods hands(Isaiah 64:8) as a steward to my small part of creation. Why a 19th-century Russian anarchist is relevant to the mask and vaccinedebate. When I ask those evangelicals who oppose vaccines how they come to their conclusions, they all seem to cite the same sources: Fox News, or a host of fringe media personalities whom they watch on cable television or Facebook. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. They are complementary. We could create a much longer list of such good practices not verbally addressed in the Holy Scriptures. If anyone destroys Gods temple, God will destroy that person; for Gods temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. BabylonBee.com. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. The messengers returned to the king, and he said to them, Why have you returned? And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 3:16, 17; 2 Cor. These so-called Bible riots revealed the deep tensions between the individualistic and common-sensical approach to biblical interpretation common among Protestants and a Catholic view of reading the Bible that was always filtered through the historic teachings of the Church and its theologians. Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. A segment of the states society protested vigorously. The New York archdiocese, meanwhile, has warned priests against granting religious vaccine exemptions for Catholics. Q Information on statistics, affected populations, government interventions, health system exhaustion, and concerned citizen protests have become part of our media landscape and conversations for the past two years. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Vaccine. God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. He lived among the tombs. Check out her blog atBetty by Elizabeth Dunning and her website,www.elizabethdunning-wix.com. If our bodies are not our own, and we are accountable to God for how we care for them, and if God will require an account of our love toward our neighbor,then caring for our own health as well as for that of our neighbor is a must. But if you need some extra convincing, check out these incredibly powerful . John Fea does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1923), 142. How Is Harry Potter a Literary Christ Figure? It Is So Painful to Care: How Do I Conquer Apathy? You must, by federal law, allow people their legal right to a religious exemption to the vaccine. There is some portion of the population who will not receive the vaccine for religious reasons. And he was preaching the word to them. Job could not understand why a good person like him was punished with so much misfortune. In other words, forbidden is (1) whatever contradicts Gods explicit command, and/or (2) is in opposition to general principles of life expressed in Gods Word. C. ARE . Jesus replied, addressing this topic of putting questionable agents into our bodies: "Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, 'Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Nothing new to your ears, right? Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain (Ps. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom. And Esther said, If it please the king, let the king and Haman come today to a feast that I have prepared for the king. Then the king said, Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther has asked. So the king and Haman came to the feast that Esther had prepared. Immediately after Jesus sacrifice on the cross, the curtain in Solomons temple in Jerusalem tore in two, signifying that we were no longer separated from Gods holiness by our sins. Let's take for example the sickness of King Hezekiah. All rights reserved. JiMoskala is dean of the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and professor of Old Testament Exegesis and Theology at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, United States. Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Their experience of continuous restoration to Gods image is seen in their character and lifestyle. "I have a . This highly contagious, steadily mutating virus is a pandemica threat to world health. Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? And Jesus answered them, See that no one leads you astray. Two groups that have been particularly hesitant about getting vaccinated are. There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. The COVID-19 vaccine has been scientifically proved to save lives, but for a select group of people in the religious realm, a more important matter is at stake - eternal salvation.. As the delta variant of the coronavirus spreads, many Americans resist COVID-19 vaccines, some citing the uncertainty of long-term side effects, others lacking trust in the medical field. All such were included in the general statement of freedom to eat from any tree in the garden. However, the specific prohibition had to be stated explicitly. The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you all. H Medical science and faith work closely together and must be applied hand in hand. The mark of the beast is a false religious system that opposes God, His people, and His law. So if you get sick, it's because you don't have faith in God and that you're not living a holy life, so God isn't able to protect you." In addition to spreading anti-vaccine ideology in America, this belief in the supreme authority of God has also affected vaccine efforts abroad. J In the Bible there are no Mothers Against Drunk Driving groups, anti-smoking campaigns, instructions on gym classes or breathing fresh air, drinking 68 glasses of water every day, washing your hands before each meal, brushing your teeth, and so on. On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace. Vaccines save lives by stopping the spread of disease, but waiting too long has often made it too late. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. And the king said to her, What is it, Queen Esther? As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.Philippians 4:6, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? Due to medical studies, there have been enormous advances in healing; however, many medical procedures and medicines come with a high-risk factor. 2013;31 . Then they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Amid this flux of ideas, what hasnt changed is the Bibles advice regarding the care of our bodies. For the life of a creature is in the blood, Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine, If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself,. Z. The review of possible adverse effects of vaccines found convincing evidence of 14 health outcomesincluding seizures, inflammation of the brain, and faintingthat can be caused by certain vaccines, although these outcomes occur rarely. 3.First time Moderna has brought any product to market. And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Yet there are many people claiming religious exceptions to COVID-19 vaccination mandates: Two weeks after Biden announced an employer vaccine mandate, The New York Times reported that the. In a poll of its members, the . 100 Bible Verses about Vaccinations 1 Corinthians 6:19-20ESV / 1,155 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? We need to work diligently under Gods guidance and blessing: Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. "Taking the vaccine involves registering oneself and being given a number. And he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. He became well again, and his life was prolonged for another 15 years. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com. When the Bible is placed in the hands of the people, void of any kind of authoritative religious community to guide them in their proper understanding of the text, the people can make it say anything they want it to say. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. God answered Job with a lengthy speech on His creation. 1 6 Some of us have children who have suffered vaccine reactions. TopicalBible Hindu Texts S-2 Table 1B. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Perhaps more time in prayer, less time reacting in fear and anger would help bring peace in this difficult, pandemic time. And he answered them, Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? Geocoding Perhaps you keep up with news about the COVID pandemic, shifting daily. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. 12:4). On the contrary, based on the biblical material, we strongly recommend the practice to people who have no specific serious health preconditions. The ability to work for a living and play for recreation is diminished. A devout evangelical Christian friend of mine recently texted to explain why he was not getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The author is NOT a scientist, nor does she claim . Christianity.com is a member of the Salem Web Network of sites including: Copyright 2023, Christianity.com. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. My faith became stronger due to praying and searching for an answer to this popular question. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. The result may serve missiological objectives: If they [unbelievers] see that we are intelligent with regard to health, they will be more ready to believe that we are sound in Bible doctrines. On the other hand, she clearly warns: But when men advocate reform, and carry the matter to extremes, and are inconsistent in their course of action, people are not to blame if they do become disgusted with the health reform. These men are doing a work which Satan loves to see go on., Covid fatigue can be overcome with God. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. With science and scripture, a pastor fights Covid-19 vaccine skepticism Health With science and scripture, a Baltimore pastor is fighting Covid-19 vaccine skepticism By Amy Sokolow Reprints. Neither God nor we always need a thus says the Lord to know what to do or not to do, because He can show, and we can see, the benefits or disadvantages of many of our decisions and actions. Paul plainly states, Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? Like they did in the 19th century, evangelicals who refuse to get vaccinated today tend to follow the spiritual leaders who have built followings by baptizing political or cultural propaganda in a sea of Bible verses. Derek Rota, Nov 16, 2022 During the 1,500-year period that the Bible was written, it did not mention anything about vaccinations because synthetic medicine has not yet been discovered yet. Their side effects are mostly minor and short-term. Prayerfully consider the following principles: 1. Humans also need to apply common sense to lifes problems. Though it was true an emperor would be deified after he died, many Greeks living in various cities throughout the eastern parts of the empire jumped the gun; they would worship the Roman emperor while he was still alive. 4 The city of Pergamum, too, had long been a hotbed for imperial worship. OpenBible.info Their evil . In some instances, plaintiffs have cited specific Bible verses to support their opposition to the vaccine, such as I Corinthians 6:19, Psalm 139:13 and Isaiah 49:1. This verse told, more than 3,000 years ago, to stay away from vaccine practices. This story that St. Luke tells in his gospel (17:11-19) is not the only Bible verse I have seen and heard evangelical Christians use to justify anti-vaccine convictions. Various religious doctrines direct people to take care of their bodies. Why Did Pharaoh Tell Joseph to Enjoy the 'Fat of the Land'? And who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 7:15; 28:60; Ps. Megachurch pastors, televangelists, conservative media commentators and social media influencers have far more power over ordinary evangelical Christians than those local pastors who encourage their congregations to consider that God works through science. If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1905), 231, 232. Activities like conducting Sabbath School or participating in potlucks on Sabbath; celebrating the Lords Supper every quarter; building schools and hospitals, organizing the church structure with conferences, unions, and so on. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. Protestant denominations formed around such interpretations. So, health advice for the common good should hardly be construed as antagonistic to God. Social media allows these evangelical conspiracy theorists to become influential through their anti-vaccine rants. Biblical teaching can help to counter mis- and dis-information on health issues, even though it is not a medical textbook on health. 8. God is the only Healer, the true Physician, who can heal all our diseases (Deut. All you inhabitants of the world, you who dwell on the earth, when a signal is raised on the mountains, look! See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 2.Firstto use mRNA vaccine technology against an infectious agent. My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. Vaccines preserve health and stop the spread of disease, and It is no denial of faith to use rational remedies judiciously.. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. While the Bible may not use the word "vaccine," it gives clear principles about medicine and handling disputes with other Christians. They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Vaccination, nothing magical, must be supported by other intelligent choices in life such as prayerful, devotional living, a healthy lifestyle, spiritual witnessing, and trust in God. Our inflexible stands and outrage over whether to vaccinate or not break hearts, and pits people against each other and government health agencies. 16). Vaccination: A Biblical and Theological Reflection. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. BIBLE prophecy speaks of a time before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ when people will be branded with the ominous 'Mark of the Beast'. There is still much to creation we cant control in the present time. In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the Lord. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? The Bible does not instruct us as to whether or not one should receive a vaccine, but it is clear when it comes to the doctrine of the liberty of conscience. D And the tempter came and said to him, If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. But he answered, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.