Gospel Light Christian Church Thru-The-Bible Series (32.4)

The General Epistle of James

James Chapter 5:13-15 - Read this Bible passage once through before referring to the notes below.

True religion blessed through prayer, singing, and concern for the erring (vv13-20)

The blessing of prayer and song

v13.     Now James exhorts Christians to care of one another. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.  The suffering need to pray; the cheerful should sing psalms of praise to God.  We can also say the reverse, that the suffering should sing psalms, and the cheerful pray.  Note that James clearly puts the initiative on the person in need when he says, let him pray, let him sing. The problem today is that people are hesitant to pray when they are suffering.  Equally when they are cheerful, they hesitate to sing praises to the Lord.

v14.     James now deals with the sick.  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. This verse, and the verse following, forms the basis of those who believe in health and healing ministry today.  There are people who claim to have the power to heal sickness today.  The question is, if they do indeed possess such healing powers, then why don’t they go to the hospitals, the hospices, the old age homes, the mental institutions, etc, and heal those sick?

Now let’s look at what this verse is actually saying.  James says that if any one is sick, he should call for the elders of the church.  The onus is again on the sick to call the church. And what should the elders do? First they are to pray over him. Notice that James uses the plural elders, and not the singular elder. The prayer of the elders over the sick would be the same as if the whole church is praying.  Thus the church is represented by the elders (which as we learn previously, the term elders include the pastors).  It makes sense that prayer to God should be made for the sick, because God is the creator/maker of man, and He is thus the only one who knows how our bodies work, and how to fix any malfunctioning parts.

But notice that the elders are not just to pray over the sick, but they are also to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. What is the meaning of anointing him with oil?  This anointing with oil has been interpreted as seeking the best medical attention possible for the afflicted (oil massages were considered medicinal).  Those who are involved in the health and healing ministry however, claim that this anointing with oil is an emblem of the Holy Spirit's presence and power.  Which is correct?

In defence of the medicinal anointing, Burdick wrote the following in the New Commentary:

There are a number of reasons for understanding this application of oil as medicinal rather than sacramental. The word aleipsantes ("anoint") is not the usual word for sacramental or ritualistic anointing. James could have used the verb chrio if that had been what he had in mind. The distinction is still observed in modern Greek, with aleipho meaning, "to daub," "to smear," and chrio meaning "to anoint." Furthermore, it is a well-documented fact that oil was one of the most common medicines of biblical times. See Isaiah 1:6 and Luke 10:34. Josephus reports that during his last illness Herod the Greek was given a bath in oil in hopes of effecting a cure. The papyri, Philo, Pliny, and the physician Galen all refer to the medicinal use of oil. Galen described it as "the best of all remedies for paralysis. It is evident, then, that James is prescribing prayer and medicine.

When James says that the elders are to pray over the sick, and to anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, he is not inventing some chant.  The phrase, in the name of the Lord, simply means in the place of the Lord.  In other words, it is something the Lord Himself would have done had He been present now. Some people seem to think that there is something in this phrase, in the name of the Lord, that there is power when it is spoken.  Be careful that this phrase does not become vain repetition in your prayers.  

There are some who believe that this anointing with oil over the sick is a sacrament, which is wrong.  The Lord instituted only 2 sacraments for His Church – the sacrament of baptism and the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.  Those who think that anointing with oil is a sacrament have mutated this verse, and turn it into a proof text for their sacrament of extreme unction, which they apply to those on their deathbeds. It is ironic that this verse, which was meant to heal the sick, has been turned into a preparation for death.

v15.     The first part of this verse says: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick. Ask the self-professed faith healer why the sick man has not been healed, and chances are that he will answer: “Because the sick man has no faith”.  But notice here that James says specifically that the prayer of faith shall save the sick.  Whose faith?  The people who pray, not the sick man’s own prayer.  If therefore the faith healer says there is a lack of faith, then it is his own lack of faith!  But you will never get the faith healer to admit this.

Notice also that James does not say that it is the oil that will save the sick.  This further supports   the belief that the anointing with oil is a reference to the taking of medicines and not a sacrament.

Is James here providing a guarantee that every prayer of faith will heal the sick?  Not really.  The context here is that if anything will save the sick, it is not the oil but the prayer of the elders in faith. God does not grant immediate healing for every prayer of faith; yet many are not healed simply because there is no prayer of faith offered up.  The best approach in praying for the sick is to pray with humble confidence that they will be healed, unless God clearly and sovereignly has made it clear that this is not His will.  After the prayer of faith, leave the matter to God.

Interestingly, sometimes Christians are afraid to pray the prayer of faith out of concern for God's reputation if there should be no healing.  That should not be our concern.  God is big and powerful enough to handle His own reputation.

Lest there be any misunderstanding, it should be noted that we should not restrict God today.  God can and does heal, even today, but the healing is through the prayers of faith by the church, represented by the elders.  It is not through the so-called self-professed faith healers that we see so often today.  It is the Lord that heals, not the faith healer, not the anointing with oil, and not the elders: and the Lord shall raise him up.  This is important to note, for we should then ensure that all glory go to the Lord for the healing, and to no one else.

If he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. If the sickness is caused by sins (note that not all sickness are caused by sins), then the healing signifies that the sin that caused the sickness has been forgiven.  The connection between sickness and sin is indicated in the Bible, for example: And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee (Matt 9:2). The next time you are sick and in pain, instead of praying for God to ease the pain and to heal you, trying praying to God to pardon your sins.