One of the main passages in question is James 5:
"14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [k]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [l]offered in faith will [m]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [n]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." Jas. 5:14-16 (NASB)
This passage, written by James the half-brother of Christ, a prominent leader of the church in early Jerusalem, seems to expect that the church will have a healing ministry and that this healing ministry will work a good portion of the time. I am aware that this healing ministry was probably not expected to be absolute, as Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus, but the author does apparently expect it to work with some level of consistency.
We have another passage that may be related:
"27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep." 1 Cor. 11:27-30 (NASB)
Here Paul seems to say that taking communion in an unworthy manner has led many in Corinth to fall sick and die. Does the passage indicate, then, that taking communion in a worthy fashion helps cure disease?
"14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [k]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [l]offered in faith will [m]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [n]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed." Jas. 5:14-16 (NASB)
This passage, written by James the half-brother of Christ, a prominent leader of the church in early Jerusalem, seems to expect that the church will have a healing ministry and that this healing ministry will work a good portion of the time. I am aware that this healing ministry was probably not expected to be absolute, as Paul left Trophimus sick at Miletus, but the author does apparently expect it to work with some level of consistency.
We have another passage that may be related:
"27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep." 1 Cor. 11:27-30 (NASB)
Here Paul seems to say that taking communion in an unworthy manner has led many in Corinth to fall sick and die. Does the passage indicate, then, that taking communion in a worthy fashion helps cure disease?
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