Healing In the Atonement, part 6 of 16

B. Paul was not sick at all.

This is the minority view for obvious reasons. First of all, this view is highly speculative. Second, practically all Greek scholars agree that Paul was physically ill, which is why all the Bible translations translate Galatians 4:13 as, "illness," (NIV, NCV) "bodily illness," (NAS) "infirmity of the flesh," (ASV, KJV, YLT) "sickness," (NLT) or, "physical infirmity," (NRSV). The two major reasons for this are (1) the Greek of the passage , and (2) the internal evidence.

1. The Greek of the passage.

The word used for Paul's illness is "astheneian," which literally means "weakness." This is the most commonly used word in Greek to refer to physical illness, though it is sometimes used figuratively to mean inadequacy, impotence, etc.

"769. [My original article used Greek fonts, but I don't know how to do that in HTML, so I'll just bracket these off and use the transliterations.] astheneia; gen. astheneias, fem. noun from asthenes (772), weak, sick. Weakness, sickness. In the NT, this word and related words, asthenes (772), weak, sick, and astheneo (770), to be sick or weak, are the most common expressions for illness and are used in the comprehensive sense of the whole man. However, it can also refer to a special form of bodily weakness or sickness. Figuratively, astheneia can mean general impotence, weakness (Rom. 8:26)." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, (Chattanooga, TN: AMG International, Inc.) 1992)

"NT. Disease is normally described by the Gk. nouns astheneia (weakness), malakia (misfortune)-used three times in Mt. only, or the Verbs astheneo` (to weaken) or kako`s echein (lit. 'to have badly') and once (Jas. 5:15) kamno` (to be ill, to ail)." (The New Bible Dictionary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1962.)

In a footnote, I have gone through all the uses of "astheneia" and its variant forms in the New Testament to see how it is used. [See Part 16.] Although "astheneia" is used to refer to inadequacy, imperfection, corruptibility, and actual sickness, it most often refers to physical illness. Nevertheless, it should be defined by the context in which it is used, which is different from place to place.

In Galatians, Paul tells us the specific kind of astheneia he was suffering from. He uses the phrase, "astheneian tes sarkos," which literally means "weakness of the flesh." So it was a physical weakness, which again is why the NAS calls it a "bodily illness," and why just about every other translation calls it a sickness, an infirmity of the flesh, or some kind of phrase implying that there was something physically wrong with Paul.

2. Internal evidence

One of the reasons people have differences in opinion over the meaning of certain scriptures is because certain words or phrases can be used in different ways, and people disagree on the way it's used in a particular passage because they insist on using it in the same way it's used in a different passage. The best way to determine how a certain word or phrase is being used in a particular passage is to consider the immediate context. In Galatians 4:13-14, Paul says,

"As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me."

As I said before, the last sentence has caused some to speculate that there was something wrong with Paul's eyes. That may be possible, but I do not believe it's necessarily true. There are a few things to note about this passage:

(1) Paul's astheneia was the reason he first preached to the Galatians.

(2) Paul's astheneia was a burden to the Galatians.

(3) Paul was welcomed with open arms in spite of his astheneia.

(4) Paul's astheneia was temporary.

All of this leads us to the inescapable conclusion that there was something physically wrong with Paul. His astheneia (in this context) was not mere mortality, because it was temporary. His astheneia was not opposition because he was welcomed with open arms. Just as the apostles wrongly assumed a man born blind was so because of sin, so also most people during those days believed that any kind of physical malady was the result of sin. It is for that reason Paul acknowledged that they did not treat him with contempt or scorn. They might have rejected his message due to their assumption that he was a sinner, but they didn't. He likely got stuck in Galatia because he couldn't travel due to his sickness, and that's how his sickness became the reason he first preached the gospel to the Galatians. His sickness was a burden to them because they had to nurse him back to health and take care of him. Paul usually worked with his hands when he was in any town so that he wouldn't be a burden to anybody (1 Thessalonians 2:9). He was unable to do so in Galatia because he was sick.

God has often used sickness to manifest his Glory. This was the case with Tabitha.

"In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, 'Please come at once!' Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, 'Tabitha, get up.' She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord." (Acts 9:36-42)

Just as God used blindness to manifest his glory in one person's life (John 9:3), and he used sickness and death to manifest his glory in another person's life (John 11:4), God also used Paul's sickness as an opportunity to spread the gospel. Likewise, God continues to use sickness to draw people to him today.

Continue to Part 7.