What does "by His stripes we were healed" mean?
There are at least two school of thoughts on the meaning of the phrase above. Some believe that being healed by His stripes speaks of our salvation alone, nothing to do with physical healing. Others believe that the phrase above is just about our physical healing without thinking salvation. What does being healed by His stripes really mean then? It means salvation and physical healing is part of that salvation.
In Mark 5 the woman with the issue of blood sought Jesus Christ. Mark 5:25-34
[25]And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
[26]And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
[27]When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
[28]For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
[29]And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
[30]And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
[31]And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
[32]And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
[33]But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
[34]And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
This woman had been to many physicians for a solution to her ailment without any tangible result. Now the root word for "physician" in the text above is the Greek word "aiomai" which means to make whole, to free from errors and sin and to bring about one's salvation. Remember the woman had been to many physicians but they could not heal her. Why could they not? Based on the root word for physicians above, there is something only Jesus do that no physician can ever do. That is, forgiveness of sins or salvation from sins. Only Jesus Christ can free us from our errors and sins and He did.
When the woman received her healing, it was the same Greek word "aiomai" that was translated healed in verse 29 of our text.
There is one other thing common to both Jesus and the woman in our text. In verse 28, we have the woman
28]For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
And in verse 34 we have Jesus
34]And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
The word "whole" in verse 28 used by the woman and the first use of the same word in verse 34 by Jesus is one Greek word which is "sozo" meaning to save. So the woman saw salvation as also healing and Jesus Christ affirmed that salvation also means healing.
There is no salvation that is devoid of healing. They go hand in hand. Beloved, be no longer swayed on whether "by His stripes we were healed" means just salvation or just healing, it encompasses both salvation and healing. They are two sides of the same coin that are inseparable.