The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, vol. 79

March 4, 1902

“Combination of the Evangelical and the Medical Missionary Work” Advent Review and Sabbath Herald 79, 9 pp. 130, 131. ¹

A. T. JONES

THE medical missionary work and the evangelical missionary work are the same thing. The preachers are to have all they can possibly get of the principles of health and temperance—the medical missionary work; and the physicians, nurses, etc., are to have all they can possibly get of the gospel—the evangelical work. So now please let every conference worker make an actual study of everything that is presented in this convention, so that he will know what to do when he goes out into the field; for we, as ministers of the gospel, are to teach to the people the gospel of complete health, the complete gospel of health. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.1

Each one of us—each one of the canvassers, wherever he goes; each preacher, each licentiate—who goes out into the field, is to do that. And this phase of the work is to receive its share of consideration in our convention. I cannot make any distinction between health and gospel. In truth, the gospel is health; and true health is the gospel. For this reason, truly the gospel of health is all the gospel there is. I want you to see this. The other day I had an opportunity to trace the meaning of the word “health,” and I do not know that I can do better than to call your attention to it, so that you may see for yourselves that there is nothing but the gospel of health,—that the gospel is health, and that health is the gospel. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.2

The word “health” is an abstract noun, from “whole,” not from “heal.” The real meaning of the word “whole” is “hale, sound, entire, complete.” The original sense of the word “whole” is “hale,” which signifies “in sound health.” This is confirmed by that verse of Scripture: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.3

The original form of the present word “hale” is “hal.” And its descent is “hal, hol, hool, hole, hwole, whole.” Thus the spelling, “h-a-l-e” is only a later Scandinavian form of the word “whole.” The present Norwegian word for “whole” is “hel.” Indeed, the “w” in the word “whole” has been in use only about four hundred years; and the English Philological Society has recommended the dropping of the “w,” so as to restore the word to its connection with its related words, “holy,” “heal,” “health;” etc. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.4

Thus the descent of our word “whole,” in that line, from the original “hal,” shows it to mean “in sound health.” ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.5

This word has another line of descent, which presents an additional and very important idea. It runs thus: hal, hol, hool, hole, holy, hole-ness, holy-ness, holi-ness; for our present word “holy” is “nothing but Middle English ‘hool’ (now spelled w-h-o-l-e), with suffix ‘y.’” The Anglo-Saxon runs the same: “hal,” with suffix “ig,” forming “halig.” This suffix “ig” corresponds exactly to our modern English “y,” so that the Anglo-Saxon “halig” is precisely our modern word “holy.” Corresponding to the Anglo-Saxon “halig” is the German “heilig,” which also corresponds precisely to our present word “holy.” And that German word “heilig” is from the word “heil,” which signifies “health, happiness, safety, salvation.” The descent and family of the word in German is this:— ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.6

Heil, signifying hale, whole, healthy. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.7

Heiland, signifying the Saviour, from “old present participle—the healing or saving One.” ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.8

Heilig, signifying (healthful, bringing the highest welfare; hence) holy, sacred. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.9

Heiligkeit, signifying holiness. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.10

Heiliglich, signifying holy-like, holily, in a holy manner. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.11

Heiligthum, signifying holy place. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.12

Heiligen, signifying to make holy, hallow, sanctify. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.13

Heilsam, signifying wholesome, healing. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.14

The German of Isaiah 12:2 is, “Siehe, Gott ist mein Heil.... Gott der Herr ist meine Stärke und mein Psalm, und ist mein Heil.” ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.15

The Scandinavian languages—indeed, the whole Teutonic family of languages—tell the same story. And that story is that in the true conception of health, both holiness and its resultant—salvation—are comprehended. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.16

Then health is wholeness, and true wholeness is holiness. The preacher cannot teach true holiness without teaching true health; neither can the doctor teach true health without teaching holiness. In what, then, does the work of the preacher differ from that of the doctor? How can the work of the medical missionary be one thing, and that of the minister in the field preaching the gospel be another thing? ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.17

By the way, we have been told that the medical missionary work and the preaching should be combined. How shall they be combined? Shall it be by sending out a preacher and a doctor to work together? Will that truly combine these two things, unless these two things are combined in each of the two men?—Plainly not. Therefore the only true way to combine the medical missionary work with all the other work of the Third Angel’s Message, is to have these all combined in each individual. In the very language in which we speak in our own native and ancestral Anglo-Saxon, this combination already exists. In the words in which we speak on the subject these two things are combined. Then, not to have them combined in our work demonstrates that we do not truly know the language in which we speak, that we do not comprehend the meaning of the very words which we se when we speak on the subject. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.18

The Bible says this same thing. In it, as in our language itself, these two things are combined in a single verse and in the same words. In 2 Corinthians 7:1 we read, “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.19

But what is “holiness”?—Only another form of the word “health.” “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” And health, wholeness, holiness, is salvation. The physician or the nurse who fails to preach salvation, fails to preach true health; and the minister or the Bible worker who fails to preach health, fails to preach true salvation. “Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” Let us read it, “Without health no man shall see the Lord;” for that expresses the same thought. The people who see the Lord while they stand alive on the earth, are going to be holy; they are going to be sound, whole, healthy; they are going to have salvation, holiness; they are going to be sanctified wholly—body, soul, and spirit preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord. And so it is written: “I am the Lord that health thee.” God has yet much truth for you and me on the subject of salvation, holiness, health. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.20

Where our further-back mother tongue says “heil,” our immediate mother tongue says “salvation.” Now our own English Bible says that same thing—that health and salvation are the same thing. In Psalm 67:1, 2, we read: “God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause His face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations.” What kind of health?—Saving. Then what is connected with true health, God’s health?—Salvation. Health means salvation. It means holiness; and salvation because of holiness. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.21

“That thy way may be known upon earth.” What is His “way”?—“Thy saving health;” salvation. Then there is salvation in health, is there? Is there salvation in the health that you preach and teach? And there is health in salvation, is there? Is there health in the salvation that you preach? In studying the Bible, watch the parallels of expression, and catch the thought that is conveyed in the parallel, and you will find worlds upon worlds opening up to you. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.22

“That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health unto all nations.” Turn back to Psalm 42:5: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.” The Hebrew words in English letters says, “For His presence is salvation.” There is salvation in His presence. But what is salvation?—Health. What is the difference between saving health and salvation?—They are the same. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.23

Now the eleventh verse: “I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” The help of His countenance is the health of my countenance. His presence is salvation, and His presence is health. Then by the Scriptures, true salvation is health, and true health is salvation. See also Psalm 43:5. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.24

Now another verse (Isaiah 33:24): “The inhabitant shall not say: I am sick.” Why?—Because “the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” What, then, is the root of sickness?—Iniquity. What is the true way to cure sickness?—Get rid of iniquity. Then if I am a preacher, and a sick person calls me to pray for his recovery, what is to be done for him?—His sin must be forgiven, his iniquity must be put away. But suppose I am a doctor or a medical missionary, not a preacher. A sick person calls me, and wishes me to cure him. How am I to do it?—In the same way. Does not that text apply to the doctor as well as to the preacher? Can it be said that the preacher’s work is to get the people’s sins forgiven, and that he has nothing to do with sickness?—No; for healing and forgiveness are inseparably blended in the Bible. Can it be said that the doctor’s work is to teach the principles of health, and that he has nothing to do with salvation?—Not if he be a Christian; for Christianity is the inseparable blending of these two things. Therefore when the preacher goes out to preach forgiveness of sins, does he do that properly unless he teaches the people that iniquity is the root of sickness, and that forgiveness of iniquity is the way to health? ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.25

When I have told people that iniquity lies at the root of sickness, and that forgiveness of iniquity is the only true way to true health, does it necessarily follow that he who accepts forgiveness of iniquity should expect, or should be expected, to walk off in perfect health without any further thought as to health?—No. Then would it be proper for him, yes, would it be proper to teach him, to make the proper application of those Christianly rational treatments, etc., that might be necessary to help him physically up to health and strength, even after his sins are forgiven, as a way to health?—Yes. Would that be proper for a preacher?—Yes. But suppose I am a doctor. If a person is sick, and I am called to tell him how to get well, and to help him get well, am I doing my duty when I make only the Christianly rational, physical, medicinal applications?—No; for the forgiveness of sins lies at the foundation of the true cure of the sickness that I am treating. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.26

But when the doctor has made the proper Christianly rational applications, is he contradicting himself, undermining his profession, and going contrary to scientific principles, if he says to his patient: “This will relieve you, but you can never have true health until you get rid of sin, the root of all sickness. You have called me in as a physician; but there is a Physician greater than I. It is He who taught me all the medicine that I know. There is a part of your disease that I cannot reach; that is iniquity. But the Great Physician can cure that as well as all the rest. I make these applications; but it is He alone who gives even to these all their virtue; it is He alone who heals. Yet with all this there is still a part of this difficulty that I cannot touch at all; I cannot forgive your sins, and sin is the root of your disease, and of all disease. So if you wish to be truly cured, take from Him the forgiveness of sins just as you are taking from Him the cure of this physical part of your disease”? ARSH March 4, 1902, page 130.27

Possibly the patient might say: “I did not call you to preach to me.” But the true physician can reply: “You called me to prescribe for your disease. I have done it strictly within my profession. If you do not wish to take the medicine, you need not do it; but that is the only way to true health.” Now all will admit that he does not contradict his profession, nor violate scientific principles, when he makes that combination, or rather, when he recognizes the combination which the Lord has already made. Then is the preacher going contrary to his profession? is he undermining all faith, or throwing away the true science of salvation, when he teaches the forgiveness of sins, and then recommends or applies Christianly rational treatments?—No. If the preacher separates these things, he fails to preach true holiness; if the doctor separates them, he does not teach true health. If the preacher separates them, he has not true holiness; if the doctor separates them, he has not true health. So the preacher lacks the very thing that he professes to preach, and the doctor lacks the very thing that he professes to practice, if either separates health and holiness. ARSH March 4, 1902, page 131.1

This is Christianity, and should be possessed by each person. Whether we be preachers, doctors, or only plain Christians, pure, simple Christianity requires that we “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” ARSH March 4, 1902, page 131.2

What is filthiness of the flesh?—It is tobacco using; opium eating; tea, coffee, beer, or whisky drinking; eating unclean and unwholesome food; unclean habits of living. From all such things the Christian cleanses himself. But when that is done, only half of the man is reached. He must also cleanse himself from “all filthiness of the Spirit.” The man must do both to attain to true holiness, haleness, health, salvation. And what God has so joined together, how can any man do well in putting asunder? ARSH March 4, 1902, page 131.3