Why do we anoint the sick with oil?

lismore said:

The oil brings a fragrance to the room. The fragrance of the Holy Spirit.

'spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense' Exodus 25:6

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Thanks for citing that Scripture.

I am interested to know how to obtain some oil for the purpose of healing, but I do not know of any examples of a church that keeps the doctrine of Christ so thoroughly, that they are handling the truth to the extent that they keep the Scripture in every way, having all things in obedience that are firstly, secondarily, and thirdly in the order of requirement, unto the miraculous gift of healing established for the presbytery, for regular ministration to be available for all that come to that place that the Lord would appoint for the assembling of ourselves, which place was established for to hear the word of the Lord. Or, if there is a church that holds forth the practice of the elders anointing with oil (while praying for the healing and forgiveness of the stricken-repentant person), is it authentike, being partial in nothing that proceeds in the requirements (as listed in 1 Cor.12:28)?

If I did know of them, I would have gotten me unto them by now: definitely cannot be one of these churches given over to the hope and works of another gospel, or to covetousness, or having cares in this life, or lacking the spiritual gifts and practices of the New Testament.

Perhaps the reason for explicitly resorting to that use of oil has as much to do with indicating to the believer whether that church ought to be feared and observed that the Lord is among them in all things or not. Not hardly to be used alone as a matter of condemning or justifying: for we are all members of the same body, who do not resist what makes for peace or gainsay against holiness. Yet the presence or absence of this effective practice in and of itself must needs be a big indication of our subjection and awareness to God's word between his disciples.

rhymnrzn2zion said:

Thanks for citing that Scripture.

I am interested to know how to obtain some oil for the purpose of healing,

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The oil used in the OT for anointing is not to be duplicated. We can use any oil we consecrate to that purpose.

The anointing with oil is for believers,..

Jas 5:13 Is any among you suffering? let him pray. Is any cheerful? let him sing praise.

Jas 5:14 Is any among you sick? 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:

Jas 5:15 and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.

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There is probably a shade of truth in the OT about oil somewhere, but I take the passage to be one of the true traditions that the apostles did during that time.

JimB said:

Here's another view:

Anointing with oil in the Old Testament seemed to be a rite of consecration. (For anointing from a Jewish perspective, the perspective from which James 5 and Mark 6 were written, see here.)

Kings, priests, and prophets, even the furnishings of the Temple, were anointed with oil signifying that the person or object was set apart for the exclusive use of God. That was the reason Jacob anointed the pillar of stone with oil in Genesis 28.16-19, calling the place Beth-El, the house of God. This is the first recorded instance in scripture of anointing with oil and, therefore, sets the precedent.

When a sick person calls for the elders to come and anoint him/her with oil in the name of the Lord, it seems to me that they are asking that the elders perform a rite of consecration as they pray for the person’s healing. IOW, they are praying that the healing will be for God’s purposes and the person’s resulting health will be used for His glory.

Adding weight to this view is the inclusion in James 5 of the statement, Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The consecration of the healed person to the service of God would, of course, require the forgiveness of sins.

~Jim

He who strikes the first blow admits that he has run out of ideas.​

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this is helpful. Thank you.