Genesis 2:21 – The First Surgery Performed by God Himself
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
Exodus 15:26 – God as Our Healer
saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
Psalms 41:3 – God’s Restoration Through Surgery
The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
Proverbs 3:7-8 – Trust in God, Not Surgery
Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
Isaiah 38:14-16 – God’s Healing Power
Like a swallow or a crane I chirp; I moan like a dove. My eyes are weary with looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed; be my pledge of safety! What shall I say? For he has spoken to me, and he himself has done it. I walk slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit. O restore me to health and make me live!
Jeremiah 30:17 – God’s Promise of Healing
For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Matthew 9:22 – Faith and Healing
Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
Mark 5:34 – Faith and Healing
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Mark 6:13 – Anointing with Oil
And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Mark 9:25 – Jesus Rebuked the Spirit
And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
Luke 4:40 – Jesus Healed Them All
Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.
Luke 8:48 – Faith and Healing
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
Acts 28:8 – God’s Miraculous Healing
It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him.
James 5:14-15 – Anointing with Oil and Prayer
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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Revelation 21:4 – No More Sickness
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Exodus 23:25 – Trust in God for Health
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.
Exodus 15:26 – God as Our Healer
saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
Deuteronomy 7:15 – No Sickness if We Obey
And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.
Psalms 103:2-4 – God’s Benefits
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Isaiah 53:5 – Jesus’ Suffering for Our Healing
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.
Jeremiah 17:14 – Prayer for Healing
Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.
Matthew 11:28-30 – Rest in Jesus’ Healing
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Mark 16:17-18 – Supernatural Signs Follow Believers
And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Luke 5:17 – Jesus’ Healing Power
On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal.
Luke 9:11 – Jesus Received the People and Spoke of the Kingdom of God
When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing.
John 5:8-9 – Jesus Heals without Surgery
Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.
Acts 3:16 – Faith in the Name of Jesus
And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Acts 4:30 – Praying for Healing in Jesus’ Name
while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
Acts 9:34 – Healing in Jesus’ Name
And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.
Acts 14:3 – Signs and Wonders Confirming the Word
So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
James 5:16 – Pray for One Another
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
1 Peter 2:24 – Jesus Bore Our Sins and Sicknesses
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 John 5:14-15 – Confidence in Our Prayers
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Exodus 15:26 – God as Our Healer
saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
Exodus 23:25 – Trust in God for Health
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.
Psalms 41:3 – God’s Restoration Through Surgery
The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.
Psalms 91:10 – Protection from Harm
No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
Psalms 103:2-4 – God’s Benefits
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
Proverbs 4:20-22 – God’s Word as Medicine
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
Jeremiah 30:17 – God’s Promise of Healing
For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the LORD, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’
Matthew 4:23 – Jesus Heals All Kinds of Sickness
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Matthew 8:7 – Jesus’ Healing Authority
And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.”
Matthew 8:16 – Jesus Healed All Who Were Sick
That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
Matthew 9:35 – Jesus Heals Every Disease and Sickness
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.
Matthew 15:30 – Jesus Heals the Multitudes
And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them,
Mark 6:56 – Jesus Healed All Who Touched Him
And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.
James 5:14-15 – Anointing with Oil and Prayer
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. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Revelation 21:4 – No More Sickness
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
What Does the Bible Say About Surgery?
When we turn to the Bible to seek guidance on surgery, we find that the text doesn’t explicitly mention surgery as we understand it in the modern medical sense. However, we can draw relevant principles from its teachings that help inform our perspective on this vital aspect of healthcare.
First, the Bible emphasizes the sanctity of human life and our responsibility to care for our bodies. For instance, in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. This implies that taking measures to preserve and improve our health, including undergoing surgery when necessary, aligns with our duty to honor God with our bodies.
Furthermore, the Bible contains references to healing and the role of physicians. For example, Jesus’ ministry was marked by numerous healing miracles (e.g., Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17), showcasing God’s compassion and the value of restoring health. While these healings were supernatural, they highlight the importance of addressing physical ailments, a principle that extends to contemporary medical practices like surgery.
Moreover, consider the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. The Samaritan goes to great lengths to care for the injured man, using what we might consider rudimentary medical practices of the time. This story reinforces our duty to participate in healing and helping others, potentially encompassing the use of advanced medical interventions such as surgery.
We should also acknowledge the wisdom literature in the Bible. Books like Proverbs encourage us to seek knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 4:7). The advancements in medical science, including surgical techniques, can be viewed as a fulfillment of this pursuit of knowledge, directed towards improving human life and alleviating suffering.
In summary, while the Bible does not specifically address surgery, it provides a framework of principles that support the practice. Preserving life, seeking healing, and valuing the contributions of medical knowledge guide us in accepting surgery as a means of honoring God’s creation and caring for ourselves and others.