In James 5:14-1514Is 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: 15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:14‑15), we read, “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: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” This verse has caused difficulty with some, as it seems, at first glance, like a “blanket statement” that covers illness of any kind, at any time, and with a positive assurance of the Lord’s healing, in response to the prayer of faith. Yet it is also obvious from Scripture that the sign gifts were temporary, such as healing and tongues, and that after the foundations of the church were laid, they ceased. More than this, we read of several in apostolic times who were sick, and some who were evidently seriously ill, and yet this provision was not resorted to, nor was the gift of healing exercised. How then do we understand these verses?
The Gift of Healing
First of all, we must understand the difference between the gift of healing and the prayer of faith, as given to us in James 5:1515And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:15). The gift of healing, like the gift of tongues, was mainly as a sign for unbelievers and was rarely used on believers. The case of Dorcas in Acts 915But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: (Acts 9:15) is one exception, but although she was a believer, the testimony rendered by her being raised back to life was mainly to unbelievers. In the case mentioned in James 515And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (James 5:15), there was no special gift of healing, but rather the prayer of faith by responsible elders in a local assembly, believing that the Lord would answer their prayer.
Also, when the gift of healing was exercised, there was no question of conduct on the part of the one to be healed. All were healed, as a sign of God’s grace and goodness to man. But if a believer called for the elders, to have them pray for his healing, the question of his state of soul and his past conduct were brought into the picture. If he had committed sins, they would be forgiven. This was, no doubt, governmental forgiveness by the Lord, and the sickness which was allowed of God was taken away. We note, however, that sin need not be involved; it says, “If he have committed sins.”
The Epistle to Earthly People
We must remember too that in James we are involved with an epistle written to Jews of all 12 tribes, some of whom were truly saved, while others were mere professors. All were evidently still going on with many of the customs and rituals of Judaism, even to the point of meeting in synagogues. The epistle is not addressed to the assembly, although when elders are called, of course, the assembly must be in view. However, the link between God and His earthly people had not been broken as yet.
The question of the use of anointing oil is also connected with the link between God and His earthly people. Israel was accustomed to anointing with oil, and in the Old Testament this was a type of the power of the Holy Spirit. While it may be done today, we must remember that we are not living in the days of “types and shadows,” but in the reality. It was the prayer of faith that effected the healing, not the anointing with oil.
The Diseases of Egypt
In the case of sickness, Israel as a nation in the Old Testament was promised freedom from the diseases of Egypt, if they were obedient. Here in the epistle of James a similar principle is before us — a principle that applies to our practical walk in any dispensation. Sickness is not always associated with a careless walk, for we know that in the believer’s life, the Lord may allow ill health for a number of reasons. But in His family, God often chastens His children with bodily illness, and here the sickness is connected with God’s discipline.
The Dispensation of Grace
But in Christianity, and under the dispensation of grace, God acted, not by law in condemnation, but rather by that grace by which He is now characterized. The elders of the assembly are involved — godly men who, by virtue of their own character and walk, were able to discern the state of soul of the individual and act with wisdom in the matter. It was their prayer of faith (although the one who was sick might well join in the prayer) that saved and through which healing took place. Nor was the sin, of which he might have been guilty, a barrier to the healing. When the sin was owned, it was forgiven, and he was raised up to health.
This brings us to the point of how, and when, this verse might be applied. Elders in apostolic days were appointed either by apostles or apostolic delegates, and thus we have no such thing as official elders now. Yet the Lord can and surely does raise up those who may well act in that capacity today. But in these last days, there are not always those who, having wisdom and discernment, may be appealed to in a case of sickness. More than this, the state of the assembly is also a factor, and in these days of spiritual weakness, sometimes we are not collectively in a spiritual state to exercise discernment of this kind.
Sicknesses Not Healed
Also, as we have already noted, there are cases of illness recorded in the early church where no intervention of any kind is mentioned, except for prayer. For example, Paul could refer to Timothy’s “often infirmities” (1 Tim. 5:2323Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. (1 Timothy 5:23)). He could also mention Epaphroditus, who was “sick nigh unto death” (Phil. 2:2727For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. (Philippians 2:27)), as well as Trophimus, whom Paul had “left at Miletum sick” (2 Tim. 4:2020Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. (2 Timothy 4:20)). In none of these cases was any healing offered, either by virtue of Paul’s gift of healing or by prayer of the elders of the local assembly. It seems obvious that Paul recognized the hand of the Lord in these situations, and he could say of Epaphroditus, “God had mercy on him” (Phil. 2:2727For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. (Philippians 2:27)). Paul no doubt felt in his own soul that intervention was not the mind of the Lord, and he did not interfere.
As always, we must take the Scriptures as a whole and not build a doctrine on one passage taken out of context. We would suggest that these verses in James 5 must be acted upon with discernment in each case, taking into consideration all the circumstances of the one involved. In some it might be the mind of the Lord to let Him deal with the matter. In others, earnest prayer by elders might be indicated. In others, sin might need to be confessed, and the conscience of the sick one reached. We live in the days when the Spirit of God is here on earth, and even in these days of weakness, He is able to guide and direct, if we are ready to be subject to His leading. It is important to be in the current of God’s thoughts and much in private prayer, in order to have His mind when called for by another who is sick.
W. J. Prost