Medical advancements can sometimes prolong life, but they also can result in ethical dilemmas,

particularly for those who are responsible for making end-of-life decisions for themselves or a loved

one. Does the Bible offer any guidance in these situations? Stay tuned for Dr. David K. Bernard's

answer to this important question. Welcome to Apostolic Life in the 21st

century, a podcast dedicated to helping modern day believers live out the teachings of the first century

church. This podcast is part of the teaching ministry of Dr. David K. Bernard. Dr. Bernard is

dedicated his life to studying the Bible and helping believers apply

its message to their daily lives. Thank you for joining us for this episode.

So medical advances have been sort of a double-edged sword because they've successfully

prolonged life, which we're very thankful for. But at the same time, we have seen people who have, you know,

science is able to keep them alive, but they've suffered horribly from terminal illnesses,

cancers as the disease progresses. So in some situations, there's a, there is a practice known

as medical aid in dying in which a terminally ill, mentally capable adult who has a

prognosis of six months or less to live can request a prescription for medication that can be

self-ingested. So it's not prescribed by or not administered by a physician that will cause them to

die peacefully in their sleep. This is legal in 10 states here in the United States and the District of Columbia. But then, of course, there are situations where the patient's not

mentally capable of making their own health care decisions. So then family members are forced

into a tough choice about end-of-life care. What considerations do you feel like should guide a

believer in making these types of decisions.

Is it biblically acceptable to prematurely shorten your life or a loved one's life,

even by only a few days or weeks even, to avoid inevitable suffering?

End of life decisions can be very complex. And each situation is different. And obviously in those cases,

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