Sickness and Suffering

This paper will attempt to correct a common categorical fallacy committed when discussing the subject of divine healing. The confusing of the categories occurs when sickness is confused with suffering. This happens because not all suffering is cause by sickness. We can suffer when we lose a job, but that is not suffering due to sickness. We can suffer afflictions that are due to persecutions when our friends reject what we tell them about God.

When the Bible uses the term "suffer" the context of the passage must be checked to identify what type of suffering is being discussed.

In his booklet titled "Sickness...", Elliot Miller of the Christian Research Institute attempts to show that sickness is God's will for the believer. Quoting Scriptures that have to do with suffering persecution for the sake of preaching of the word, Miller, commits the categorical error that was discussed above.


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Last Updated 11-24-96

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