The Global Pandemic
Rapid responses to a new situation
April, 2020
Clearly, the news on everyone's mind right now is the global pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus, causing a condition known as Covid-19. It's what people are asking about, worrying about, and struggling with on a large scale. That makes it important to establish a solid biblical view of what's happening. Is the coronavirus pandemic a punishment from God? Is this part of the end times?
Sickness and disease have been part of the world ever since the fall. This is not the first or worst worldwide illness to face humanity. Bubonic plague killed somewhere around half the population of Europe in the 14th century. The influenza epidemic of 1918 killed some 50 million people worldwide. That's not to say the current coronavirus isn't serious. Still, it's not as potent as other outbreaks in human history.
Environmental disasters are not necessarily punishments from God. God allows natural cause and effect to govern most of our lives, so contagious diseases are especially tied to human choices. No country or person must commit any particular sin in order to be stricken with a virus (John 9:1–5).
It's true that Scripture predicts death, war, disease, and famine as part of the end-times tribulation (Revelation 18:8). While it's possible the current pandemic is one of the plagues of Revelation, we must be extremely cautious about making such a claim. Most likely, COVID-19 is just another tragic aspect of living in a mortal world.
Will God protect Christians from the virus?
Nowhere in the Bible are individual believers promised health, wealth, or prosperity (John 16:33). The idea that God immunizes Christians, to anything, if they simply have enough faith is flatly unbiblical. The "prosperity gospel" is an unfortunately common superstition, and one which ministries such as ours have consistently condemned. Followers of Jesus Christ cannot expect—let alone demand—that God will supernaturally keep them from contracting the coronavirus.
Believers ought to trust God's protection and provision, but not to the extent of being foolish (Matthew 4:5–7). Medicine, hygiene, and common sense still apply. Even in the Old Testament, when God literally led Israel as a cloud or column of fire, He still commanded sanitation and quarantine to combat disease (Leviticus 13:45–59). Mainstream Judeo-Christianity has always taught that medical science and faith are not contradictory—they are interconnected parts of the same truth.
If my country prays enough, will the virus disappear?
In moments of national crisis, some Christians turn to 2 Chronicles 7:14: "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." However, there is a clear context to this passage. This verse does not promise that corporate prayer and repentance will remove hardship.
The context of that verse does not imply a promise for all people in all times. This was a specific message for Israel, speaking of their cycles of faith and idolatry. No other nation has such a covenant relationship with God. While corporate prayer and repentance are certainly good, and can have positive effects on health, God does not promise to take away natural disease in response to revival.
Should Christians obey government restrictions like curfews, stay-at-home orders, or lockdowns?
Human government suffers from human sin, but it serves an important purpose. God's overall use for earthly government is to "rein in" sin and evil. Responses to a health crisis like the coronavirus are part of that. By coordinating a region's response to the illness, government can drastically reduce the impact of a pandemic disease. For practical reasons, alone, there are good reasons for people to work together under a common leadership.
Spiritually speaking, this is not merely a suggestion. It's a command (Romans 13:1–7). Unless a government command explicitly involves sin (Acts 5:29), believers are obligated to submit and cooperate (1 Peter 2:13). Whether specific citizens feel government restrictions are appropriate is a separate question, becoming a political debate, rather than a spiritual one.
What about meeting for church services? Should Christians still congregate for worship?
This is probably the most emotionally-charged issue among believers during the current pandemic. Some feel commands like Hebrews 10:25 mean believers ought to meet no matter what. Others feel health and safety are valid reasons to temporarily stop meeting (1 Corinthians 12:25). One side feels that failure to congregate expresses fear and disobedience. The other thinks stubbornly ignoring a pandemic hurts people not only physically, but spiritually by weakening the witness of the church (1 Peter 2:12).
Each Christian, and each congregation, must decide for themselves what is best. That being said, it's crucial that believers remember "the church" is not a building, or a location. Born-again Christians can still act as salt and light in the world, serving others and continuing to teach the Word of God, even if they're not meeting in large groups. The technology of our era provides unique tools to allow this to happen. Outreach, personal discipleship, and charity can thrive in this situation.
It's also worth mentioning that many churches suspend services when faced with extreme snowfall, dangerous storms, and so forth. Rarely are such decisions condemned as faithless. They're typically seen as good leadership: sensibly keeping fellow believers from subjecting themselves to unnecessary harm. Choosing not to meet in close quarters during a viral epidemic is not significantly different, in a spiritual sense.
How should Christians respond to the coronavirus / COVID-19 pandemic?
The coronavirus pandemic has created many challenges. It has also opened unique opportunities for believers to serve God by serving others (Matthew 5:13–16). Christians ought to be confident, hopeful, and faithful during difficult times (Romans 12:12). We should demonstrate our trust in God by rejecting panic, fear, selfishness, and apathy (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Rather than seeing this as a burden we're forced to bear, followers of Christ should look to see how God wants us to continue to be His hands and feet in the world (Isaiah 6:8–9).
As this month's spotlight verse reminds us, assurance for Christian believers comes mostly from knowing that God is in control—even if we don't have all the details.
