Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 94:374 (Apr 1937)
Article: Editorials
Author: Rollin Thomas Chafer

BSac 94:374 (Apr 37) p. 129

Editorials

Rollin Thomas Chafer

God and Medicine

In his book written for Christian believers, entitled God Works Through Medicine, the Reverend Victor H. Lukens presents a two-fold thesis, namely: (1) God works through the skilled physician’s employment of surgery, the materia medica, and all accepted natural means; and (2) His direct healing force is available which is as real as the means employed by man. The author sets forth what he terms “the verified conclusions of one who has received help from doctors and from God.” Much is involved in reaching the grounds, including the abandonment of some misconceptions, from which these conclusions are drawn. Many Christians have not thought their way through to these conclusions in this fashion, nevertheless proceed upon a belief in them when stricken with bodily ailments.

There is a growing number of Christian patients who desire the ministrations of physicians that are men of true Christian faith and believers in the efficacy of prayer. Although most of the larger communities of our land number a few such men amongst the profession, many physicians evince little interest in the things of true Christian faith. On another page appears a poem by Colonel Norvelle Wallace Sharp, M.D., dedicated to Christian physicians, in connection with which the author records the following observations: “Of all individuals and of all groups of men, that are brought to accept the divine protocols of redemption, and then and thereafter to hold paramount the policy, practice, and life of Faith, there is none that is confronted with difficulties at all comparable to those that beset Scientists,-which obviously includes scientific Physicians and Surgeons. For all of these men, both by rigorous training, by research, by experimentation, and by current activation inescapably deal with things as they are,-and all of their studies and their research

BSac 94:374 (Apr 37) p. 130

concentrate on the development of truth in things material. Inevitably, therefore, the vast majority of trained Scientists will be found to be materialists. There exists, however, a measurable group that (in kindliness) may be classified as ‘nominal Christians.’ Projected against these two major groups, the group of Scientists who are forthstandingly Christian, and in the truest sense lovers of God and lovers of God’s Book, will be found notably small,-it is, however, in addition, notably fine. The crux of the difficulty presented to the Scientist consists in being obliged to lay aside his highly trained reasoning faculties and methods, and to substitute therefor the entirely different agencies and methods of Faith, in all that pertains to matters spiritual. This revolutionary change is far from being generally properly un...