Topical Encyclopedia
In the biblical context, the concept of a "cure" encompasses both physical healing and spiritual restoration. The Bible presents God as the ultimate source of healing, emphasizing faith, prayer, and divine intervention as key components in the process of being cured.
Old Testament ReferencesThe Old Testament frequently attributes healing to God's power and mercy. In
Exodus 15:26, God declares to the Israelites, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you." This passage highlights the conditional nature of divine healing, linked to obedience and faithfulness.
The account of Naaman in
2 Kings 5 illustrates a miraculous cure through obedience to God's prophet, Elisha. Naaman, a Syrian commander afflicted with leprosy, is instructed to wash in the Jordan River seven times. Despite initial reluctance, Naaman complies and is healed, demonstrating the power of God working through His prophets and the importance of humility and obedience.
New Testament ReferencesThe New Testament expands on the theme of healing through the ministry of Jesus Christ, who is portrayed as the Great Physician. Jesus' healing miracles are numerous and varied, including the curing of physical ailments, casting out demons, and even raising the dead. In
Matthew 9:35, it is recorded, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness."
Faith is a recurring element in the accounts of Jesus' healings. In
Mark 5:34, Jesus tells a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding disorder, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." This underscores the belief that faith in Jesus' power and authority is integral to receiving a cure.
The apostles also performed healings in Jesus' name, as seen in
Acts 3:6-8, where Peter heals a lame man at the temple gate. Peter declares, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk," and the man is immediately cured. This event emphasizes the continuation of Jesus' healing ministry through His followers and the power of His name.
Spiritual HealingBeyond physical cures, the Bible emphasizes spiritual healing and restoration. Sin is often depicted as a spiritual ailment requiring divine intervention. In
Psalm 103:2-3, David praises God, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases." This passage links forgiveness of sins with healing, suggesting that spiritual restoration is a form of cure.
The ultimate cure for sin and spiritual death is found in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 53:5 prophesies, "But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed." This verse is often interpreted as referring to the spiritual healing and salvation available through Christ's sacrifice.
Prayer and AnointingThe New Testament encourages believers to seek healing through prayer and anointing.
James 5:14-15 instructs, "Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven." This passage highlights the communal aspect of seeking a cure, involving the faith community in prayer and intercession.
In summary, the biblical concept of a cure encompasses both physical and spiritual dimensions, with God as the ultimate healer. Through faith, prayer, and obedience, believers are encouraged to seek divine intervention for healing and restoration.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) Care, heed, or attention.
2. (n.) Spiritual charge; care of soul; the office of a parish priest or of a curate; hence, that which is committed to the charge of a parish priest or of a curate; a curacy; as, to resign a cure; to obtain a cure.
3. (n.) Medical or hygienic care; remedial treatment of disease; a method of medical treatment; as, to use the water cure.
4. (n.) Act of healing or state of being healed; restoration to health from disease, or to soundness after injury.
5. (n.) Means of the removal of disease or evil; that which heals; a remedy; a restorative.
6. (v. t.) To heal; to restore to health, soundness, or sanity; to make well; -- said of a patient.
7. (v. t.) To subdue or remove by remedial means; to remedy; to remove; to heal; -- said of a malady.
8. (v. t.) To set free from (something injurious or blameworthy), as from a bad habit.
9. (v. t.) To prepare for preservation or permanent keeping; to preserve, as by drying, salting, etc.; as, to cure beef or fish; to cure hay.
10. (v. i.) To pay heed; to care; to give attention.
11. (v. i.) To restore health; to effect a cure.
12. (v. i.) To become healed.
13. (n.) A curate; a pardon.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
CURE; CURESkur: Represents the words gahah, marpe', raphdh; therapeuo, iasis. Gahah inProverbs 17:22 translated "medicine" means properly the removal of a bandage from a healed wound, and, is used figuratively inHosea 5:13; marpe', "healing," is used in the sense of deliverance of the city inJeremiah 33:6; with a negative particle in2 Chronicles 21:18 it is used to describe the bowel disease of Jehoram as incurable. The Greek words are used of physical cures (iasis inLuke 13:32) as contradistinguished from the casting out of demons asMatthew 17:16Luke 7:21John 5:10. Cure is only used in the New Testament in the sense of physical healing; in the Old Testament usually in the sense of spiritual or national deliverance from danger.
Alex. Macalister
Greek
2323. therapeuo -- to serve,cure... to serve,
cure. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: therapeuo Phonetic Spelling:
(ther-ap-yoo'-o) Short Definition: I care for, attend, serve, heal Definition
...2392. iasis -- a healing
... a healing. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: iasis Phonetic Spelling:
(ee'-as-is) Short Definition: acure, healing Definition: acure, healing....
2386. iama -- a healing
... Word Origin from iaomai Definition a healing NASB Word Usage healing (1), healings
(2). healing. From iaomai; acure (the effect) -- healing. see GREEK iaomai....
2390. iaomai -- to heal
... heal, make whole. Middle voice of apparently a primary verb; tocure (literally
or figuratively) -- heal, make whole. (iatheis) -- 1 Occurrence....
2394. Iason -- Jason, the name of one, perhaps two, Christian
... Jason. Future active participle masculine of iaomai; about tocure; Jason, a
Christian -- Jason. see GREEK iaomai. (iasona) -- 1 Occurrence....
2322. therapeia -- attention, medical service
... healing, household. From therapeuo; attendance (specially, medical, ieCure);
figuratively and collectively, domestics -- healing, household....
1295. diasozo -- to bring safely through (a danger), to save...
... escape safely, heal, make perfectly whole, save. From dia and sozo; to save thoroughly,
ie (by implication or analogy) tocure, preserve, rescue, etc....
Strong's Hebrew
4832. marpe -- a healing,cure, health... 4831, 4832. marpe. 4833 . a healing,
cure, health. Transliteration: marpe
Phonetic Spelling: (mar-pay') Short Definition: healing.
...1456. gehah -- a healing,cure
... gehah. 1457 . a healing,cure. Transliteration: gehah Phonetic Spelling:
(gay-haw') Short Definition: medicine.... medicine. From gahah; acure -- medicine....
1455. gahah -- to depart, be cured or healed
... 1454, 1455. gahah. 1456 . to depart, be cured or healed. Transliteration: gahah
Phonetic Spelling: (gaw-haw') Short Definition:cure. Word Origin a prim....cure...
7495. rapha -- to heal
...cure, cause to heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole. Or raphah
{raw-faw'}; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching...
2388. chazaq -- to be or grow firm or strong, strengthen
... A primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous,
causatively strengthen,cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind...
622. asaph -- to gather, remove
... 9), assembled (12), assembling (1), attached (1), bring (1), brought (2), brought
together (1), collect (1), collected (2), collects (1),cure (4), destroy (1...
3545. kehah -- lessening, alleviation
... healing. Feminine of keheh; properly, a weakening; figuratively, alleviation, ie
Cure -- healing. see HEBREW keheh. 3544, 3545. kehah. 3546 . Strong's Numbers
7500. riphuth -- a healing
... Word Origin from rapha Definition a healing NASB Word Usage healing (1). health.
From rapha'; acure -- health. see HEBREW rapha'. 7499, 7500. riphuth. 7501...
Library
Wesley on Electricity as aCure
... Chapter 10. Retirement in Paddington; Wesley Slandered; Premonitions; A
Dream Wesley on Electricity as aCure. Tuesday, November...
SabbathCure at Bethesda.
... XII. SABBATHCURE AT BETHESDA. "After... will. It is legitimate, therefore,
to see in thiscure the embodiment of spiritual truth....
A Threefold Disease and a TwofoldCure.
... A THREEFOLD DISEASE AND A TWOFOLDCURE.... Let experience answer. Did you ever try to
cure yourself of some little trick of gesture, or manner, or speech?...
The Cause andCure of a Wounded Spirit
... The Cause andCure of a Wounded Spirit.... So much then for the prevention which is
better then acure. God help us all to make good use of it! IV....
Of theCure of a Lame Man which the Same Saint Wrought.
... The Conferences of John Cassian. Chapter V. Of thecure of a lame man which
the same saint wrought. Or when the same man as he went...
Pardon andCure. July 29.
... Pardon andCure. July 29. After the forgiveness of sin must come thecure of sin.
And thatcure, like most cures, is a long and a painful process....
The Second visit to Cana -Cure of the Nobleman's' Son at...
... CHAPTER IX. THE SECOND VISIT TO CANA -CURE OF THE NOBLEMAN'S' SON AT CAPERNAUM.
(Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14; Luke 4:14, 15; John 4:43-54.)...
TheCure of Evil-Speaking
... First Series Sermon 49 TheCure of Evil-speaking. "If... speaking. This rule
is either an infallible preventive, or a certaincure of it....
Cure of the Blind Man at Bethsaida. --Peter's Second Confession....
... Section 180.Cure of the Blind Man at Bethsaida."Peter's Second
Confession."The Power of the Keys. (Mark, viii.; Matt., xvi.)....
The Cause andCure of Earthquakes
... Fourth Series Sermon 129 The Cause andCure of Earthquakes. "O come hither, and
behold the works of the Lord; what destruction he hath brought upon the earth!"...
Thesaurus
Cure (28 Occurrences)... of a parish priest or of a curate; hence, that which is committed to the charge
of a parish priest or of a curate; a curacy; as, to resign a
cure; to obtain a
...Exorcism
... God come upon you." In Luke 9:1 the terms "authority" and "power" are used in such
a way as to show the belief of the evangelists that tocure demon-possession...
Physician (6 Occurrences)
... The "physicians" were those who "practised heathen arts of magic, disavowing recognized
methods ofcure, and dissociating the healing art from dependence on...
Exorcist (1 Occurrence)
... God come upon you." In Luke 9:1 the terms "authority" and "power" are used in such
a way as to show the belief of the evangelists that tocure demon-possession...
Naaman (19 Occurrences)
... He was afflicted with leprosy; and when the little Hebrew slave-girl that waited
on his wife told her of a prophet in Samaria who couldcure her master, he...
Drive (132 Occurrences)
... Matthew 10:1 Then He called to Him His twelve disciples and gave them authority
over foul spirits, to drive them out; and tocure every kind of disease and...
Leper (34 Occurrences)
... raw flesh." This disease in an especial manner rendered its victims unclean; even
contact with a leper defiled whoever touched him, so while thecure of other...
Diseases (38 Occurrences)
... Luke 9:1 He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all
demons, and tocure diseases.... Have all ability tocure diseases?...
Remedy (6 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) That which corrects or counteracts an evil of any kind; a corrective; a
counteractive; reparation;cure; -- followed by for or against, formerly by to....
Medicine (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The science which relates to the prevention,
cure, or alleviation of disease. 2. (n.) Any substance...
Resources
Copy it Right'The cure for Christian plagiarism | GotQuestions.orgHow should a Christian view homeopathic medicine? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Naaman in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgCure: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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