Refusing medical treatment

[JonF]

My step-brother has been recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The doctors tell him with out treatment he will die. He is claiming “If it’s God’s will, God will heal him” and so he thinks he doesn’t need any treatment. Can anyone help me find verses to show him that refusing medical treatment isn’t scriptural? I mean wasn’t Luke a doctor? And there certainly aren’t any verses saying you should refuse treatment. I know this isn’t probably the right place to post this, but you guys seem to know your way around the bible pretty well.

 

[JonF]

Here is what i've found so far:

Ezekiel 34:1-5 1T he word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals

Mathew 25 34-36 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after
me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Luke 5:31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick

 

[eoe]

Who does he think he is that he can dictate to God that he can not use a doctor to work a miracle?

You might approach it from that angle... If God wants to use a Doctor to heal you then that is his business.

Remember the joke about the guy stuck on the roof during a flood? A guy in a canoe pulls by and the guy says "God will save me!!!", then another boat comes by... "God will save me!!!" Finally a helicopter comes by and he rejects them too.. "God will save me!!!"

In heaven he asks "God why didn't you save me?!?" God says "What do you mean? I sent a canoe, a boat and a helicopter!".

Maybe you can help him realize that God works through ordinary people even more than through big miracles.


On a side note: I am sorry to hear that your brother is ill. If you will post his first name I will put him on my prayer list.

Lord have mercy.

 

[Tractor1]

I pray your step-brother sees the truth in the story above.

In Christ,
Tracey

 

[SnowLover]

I you have the one that matters. Think it says it all. If Jesus approved of doctors caring for the sick. Kinda negates any argument to the opposite.


On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Jon what bible version did you find that with? I found it in matthew 9:12 new international version

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

 

[Ave Maria]

He sure must have strong faith but the fact is, he needs treatment. Pray for him.

 

[Tonks]

I you have the one that matters. Think it says it all. If Jesus approved of doctors caring for the sick. Kinda negates any argument to the opposite.


On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

Jon what bible version did you find that with? I found it in matthew 9:12 new international version

On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

And the Church, as a hospital for sinners, is a great place to find one. The passage is, after all, a parable.

But I would suggest finding a medical doctor too.

(sorry for the below multiple posts. a bit buggy tonite methinks....)

 

[Tonks]

ugh

 

[Tonks]

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[Tonks]

ugh

 

[Tonks]

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[Tonks]

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[Tonks]

ugh

 

[bliz]

All healing is from God - thorugh prayer, medicine, surgury, the laying on of hands - it is all of God.

Having said that, however, I do not think that anyone MUST avail themselves of all medical treatments. I don't think there is anything unchirstian about refusing a treatment.

My guess is that there is a reason why your brother does not want to try and survive this cancer. To hope to survive, and then not to survive is a great loss. It may seem easier to him to declare that he is leaving it in God's hands. Almost like saying "I don't care what you think of me!" when you care a whole lot. Fighting for something is not cool. It is embarassing, often humiliating and has little dignity in it. You sweat and cry and vomit and there is no glory in it and in the end, you can still die.

By contrast, it seems to be easier and less painful to just up and die.

The irony is that no matter what he does, treatment or no treatment, his life remains in God's hands.

Pray for him. Pray that he will decide that at age 22, no matter what the outcome, it is worth the fight.

 

[chilehed]

My step-brother has been recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The doctors tell him with out treatment he will die. He is claiming “If it’s God’s will, God will heal him” and so he thinks he doesn’t need any treatment. Can anyone help me find verses to show him that refusing medical treatment isn’t scriptural? I mean wasn’t Luke a doctor? And there certainly aren’t any verses saying you should refuse treatment. I know this isn’t probably the right place to post this, but you guys seem to know your way around the bible pretty well.

So there aren't any verses that say one should refuse treatment. There also aren't any that say one must accept it, either. So you won't make any headway with that argument.

I'd say it depends on his particular situation. If the difficulties of the treatment (side effects, cost, etc, etc.) are relatively minor and the odds of success and long term survival are high, if other people greatly depend on him for their survival (wife, young children, no life insurance, etc),... you get the pucture - then he may well be under a serious moral obligation to pursue the treatment.

On the other hand, if the treatments are greatly burdensome in comparison to the odds of success, if the best scenario is that he still only lives a short period of time, if the kids are all grown and he's managed to provide an adequate means of support for his wife after he passes..then maybe he's NOT under such a moral obligation.

You may want to remind him of Matthew 4:6-7, and suggest that discovering and making use of these good medical treatments may be part of what God meant by "working out our salvation". Christ the healer, the great physician, allowing us an opportunity to grow in His likeness by healing each other and allowing ourselves to be healed, by His grace and to the glory of His name.

You're both in my prayers.

 

[£amb]

ugh

Need some Pepto-Bismol?...

 

[Peaceful Dove]

I don't know of a single scripture that applies here.
When I had my lung cancer, it never entered my mind.
When a desease like this comes about, it is usually unexpected. Mine was.
I am a Charismatic Catholic and believe very deeply that God heals. I also know that God uses doctors to heal.
I could have refused to have a portion of my lung taken out and I surely could have refused being burned to a crisp with Radiation therapy. It might have been easier on me. But these deseases do not just hit the person with the illness but the entire family and community.
The family deserves better than that.
Please don't get in my face, I have been there. I have seen the eyes of my dear ones, my husband, my sons and daughter in law and my grandson who had lost far too many folks that he loved, in his 14 years.
This wasn't just about me. It really wasn't. It was about me and everyone who loved me.
I had to fight with every gift and tool God had provided. One of those gifts were my doctors and WE WON!
Have your brother ask his Oncologist, how many folks survive stage 2 lung cancer.

Tell him to stop the stupidity and take treatments. And if he don't believe you, tell him to contact me.

Tell him not to put God to the test. Silly silly man!

He won't talk to me like he talks to the rest of you because he knows I have been there.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

My step-brother has been recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The doctors tell him with out treatment he will die. He is claiming “If it’s God’s will, God will heal him” and so he thinks he doesn’t need any treatment. Can anyone help me find verses to show him that refusing medical treatment isn’t scriptural? I mean wasn’t Luke a doctor? And there certainly aren’t any verses saying you should refuse treatment. I know this isn’t probably the right place to post this, but you guys seem to know your way around the bible pretty well.

for help finding doctors or clinics that attend lkmea without using cut slash or burn pm me. over 100 doctors the last 120 years have very successfully done so without drgs, withoutkmo, and without srgry.

or , just google and read a lot (be certain to avoid anything contrary to Scripture, such as new age etc)...

your sb can do more for himself than he is aware of, and no worries about toxicity and other hrmful effects.

 

[Strong in Him]

My step-brother has been recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. The doctors tell him with out treatment he will die. He is claiming “If it’s God’s will, God will heal him” and so he thinks he doesn’t need any treatment. Can anyone help me find verses to show him that refusing medical treatment isn’t scriptural? I mean wasn’t Luke a doctor? And there certainly aren’t any verses saying you should refuse treatment. I know this isn’t probably the right place to post this, but you guys seem to know your way around the bible pretty well.

There aren't any verses in Scripture that say that refusing medical treatment is against Scripture! But my immediate thoughts on this are:

1/ Paul's travelling companion, Luke, was a doctor (Colossians 4:14).
2/ Paul and some of his other co workers sometimes got sick, (Galatians 4:13; 1 Timothy 5:23; Philippians 2:26-27). We are not told that Luke treated them, but we are not told that he didn't.
3/ I would not want to restrict God by telling him that he can't heal through the medical profession. There are doctors, nurses, technicians, physios etc who are Christians and they do their best to serve God with the gifts that he has given them, just as much as anyone else does. Your brother may meet some, if he decides to have treatment. Or he might meet other people who are being treated who do not know God, and this will be a chance to share his faith with them.
4/ If receiving medical treatment was wrong or anti Scriptural, I do not think there would be any Christians working in this area - especially not hospital chaplains - and no Christian leader would ever have been to the doctor's for anything. But this is not the case. I understand that Joyce Meyer has had breast cancer which was treated with surgery.

It could be that your brother is in denial, and saying "oh, God will sort it out" is easier than facing it/asking questions/dealing with his emotions. If it were me, I think I would pray, commit the matter to God and then go ahead with treatment until or unless he told me otherwise.

Praying for both of you.

 

[WarriorAngel]

I shall pray!

Also remember man is not above God...so all technology for the good of man was given through God to help man.

The miracles today are that we do know how to treat these problems, whereas in the past they did not know.

Hospitals and doctors are a miracle.
Thank goodness we dont use blood letting and leeches.

od ave this to man...it is our gift for the sick. Evidently He knows we need it. Therefore, b4 your brother asked, God already answered him...by ensuring treatement be available.

Jesus is our spiritual doctor... but He understood we need doctors. So the verses above give us an understanding that doctors are for the sick.