Big Healing Book - 1 Peter 2:25 Proves That 1 Peter 2:24 Just Means That You’re

Objection: 1 Peter 2:25 Proves That 1 Peter 2:24 Just Means That You’re Forgiven

According to this line of reasoning, 1 Peter 2:25 (“For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls”) proves that 1 Peter 2:24 only refers to being forgiven by turning to Christ (“by whose stripes ye were healed”) and not to being physically healed.

First, this makes no more sense than to assert that 1 Peter 2:20-23 refers to not reviling those who revile, so therefore 1 Peter 2:24 must be talking about not being reviled as opposed to being physically healed or forgiven.

Second, the Greek word iaomai translated healed in 1 Peter 2:24 refers to physical healing when it is used elsewhere in the New Testament. (See “Healed” Defined to verify this for yourself by seeing everywhere else that iaomai is used.) It cannot just refer to forgiveness because of the Greek word that was used in the text.

Third, Peter quotes Isaiah, who was definitely talking about divine healing, as the Bible itself proves based on how Isaiah 53:4 is quoted in Matthew 8:17.

There are other good reasons mentioned elsewhere in this book that 1 Peter 2:24 cannot refer to spiritual healing of any kind but must be talking of physical healing.

But the objector will emphasize the word “for” at the beginning of 1 Peter 2:25 and assert that this proves a connection between “for ye were as sheep going astray” and “by whose stripes ye were healed.” Thus, according to that “logic,” 1 Peter 2:24 merely asserts that you were forgiven for going astray and it has nothing to do with healing.

And there IS indeed a strong connection, but that link only serves to torpedo the objection!

To the objector, the subject could not change from divine healing to sheep going astray in the next verse. Why would Peter suddenly start talking about sheep going astray when he had just been talking about divine healing? Because that’s exactly what Isaiah did! This is just further proof that Peter is quoting Isaiah when he said the following (Isaiah 53:4-6):

[This verse is quoted by Matthew with regard to physical healing:] Surely he hath borne our griefs [literally sicknesses], and carried our sorrows [literally pains]: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace [Hebrew shalom, well-being in every area, including physical] was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

So the fact that 1 Peter 2:25 speaks of sheep going astray only underscores that Peter was quoting Isaiah’s prophecy that included healing! “By whose stripes you were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray…” The reference to Isaiah’s prophetic passage in which Jesus bore our sicknesses and carried our pains should be beyond dispute.