Questions and Answers: No Healing a Reflection of Assemblies?

James 5:14  •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 6
 
QUES. Why is it that healing as recorded in James 5:1414Is 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: (James 5:14) is not practiced more today? Is it a reflection on the state of assemblies?
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. 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).
ANS. First, we notice that the one who initiates any practice of the promise to save the sick in James 5, is the sick one himself. He must then call the elders of the Church. It may be difficult to know who these elders are in the divided and weak state of the Church. Prominently, faith must be there, first in the one who calls and then in those who, as overseers or elders, have a responsibility to discern the case and whether to act or not to act. The promise is that the prayer of faith will save the sick. The power is from the prayer and not any miraculous gift of healing given to any persons.
As to the second question we say, yes, it is a reflection on the state of the assembly. Also perhaps there are few who have faith to act according to this provision.
Ed.