Why do we anoint the sick with oil?

[Lively Stone]

The oil represents the Holy Spirit and His great POWER to heal.

 

[whatfor]

Subscribing.

I am interested, have been feeling the need to get some oil but not sure if it is just my thoughts.

 

[Lively Stone]

Subscribing.

I am interested, have been feeling the need to get some oil but not sure if it is just my thoughts.

I always carry around a little vial of olive oil just in case!

 

[JimB]

I always carry around a little vial of olive oil just in case!

Do you carry it around superstitiously?

~Jim

It isn’t what a man doesn’t know that hurts him as much as what he knows that just ain’t so. ~Will Rogers​

 

[Always in His Presence]

Why did James 5.14 tell us to anoint with oil when praying for the sick?

Because James was writing what the Holy Spirit authored. IOW James wrote what the Spirit of God uttered to him.

Isn't it interesting that James, writing under the unctions of the Holy Spirit never mentions "if it be thy will", he just writes anoint them and they will be healed.

 

[zaksmummy]

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

Ive just read this passage, and my attached commentary came to the same conclusion.

 

[JimB]

Why did James 5.14 tell us to anoint with oil when praying for the sick?

Because James was writing what the Holy Spirit authored. IOW James wrote what the Spirit of God uttered to him.

Isn't it interesting that James, writing under the unctions of the Holy Spirit never mentions "if it be thy will", he just writes anoint them and they will be healed.

But James did say “if it be Your will” when He said in the same letter, just a few verses before the one you reference (i.e. the same context), Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4.13-17)
~Jim

True faith believes in God, not itself.​

 

[franky67]

But James did say “if it be Your will” when He said in the same letter, just a few verses before the one you reference (i.e. the same context), Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4.13-17)
~Jim

​

Jim, the difference is, God's will, as to where we will go and work, here nor there , that Will is not written down for us to know, we just pray before we make a move and ask God to direct our steps,

But, in the case of healing like in the James 5:14, we know exactly what God's will is. His will walked the earth for 33 years, His name is Jesus.

 

[Always in His Presence]

But James did say “if it be Your will” when He said in the same letter, just a few verses before the one you reference (i.e. the same context), Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4.13-17)
~Jim

True faith believes in God, not itself.​

that is where you missed it - the two are not the same context.

The verses in Chapter 4 , James is talking about God's guidance on where to go and live.

The verses in Chapter 5, James is talking about the Elders of the church anointing with oil for healing.

Hope that helps you and others

 

[whatfor]

Still not sure, I guess this thread is not helping me understand.

 

[Lively Stone]

Do you carry it around superstitiously?

~Jim

It isn’t what a man doesn’t know that hurts him as much as what he knows that just ain’t so. ~Will Rogers​

What? No!

I carry it with me in case I come upon someone who needs healing or a touch from the Lord.

 

[Lively Stone]

Jim, the difference is, God's will, as to where we will go and work, here nor there , that Will is not written down for us to know, we just pray before we make a move and ask God to direct our steps,

But, in the case of healing like in the James 5:14, we know exactly what God's will is. His will walked the earth for 33 years, His name is Jesus.

Amen!

 

[JimB]

Jim, the difference is, God's will, as to where we will go and work, here nor there , that Will is not written down for us to know, we just pray before we make a move and ask God to direct our steps,

But, in the case of healing like in the James 5:14, we know exactly what God's will is. His will walked the earth for 33 years, His name is Jesus.

Oh, I see. James is being specific; not making a general statement. But he said that whether we live or die we do so by the will of God. He said,“If the Lord wills, we shall live,” (v. 4. 15) and by inference, of course, die. IOW, we die only according to God’s will and sincemost deaths that I know of die through some fatal illness—even aging is itself a disease. The Bible calls our physical bodies “mortal” (i.e., dying) bodies. Corporally, we begin dying the moment we are conceived.

If James is saying that healing is always the will of God, which he isn’t, or if healing is only the result of faith, then every believer would always be healed unless, at some point, they became unbelievers. In that case, then, they are going to hell because without faith it is impossible to please God. You can’t have it both ways.

~Jim

True faith believes in God, not itself.​

 

[franky67]

Oh, I see. James is being specific; not making a general statement. But he said that whether we live or die we do so by the will of God. He said,“If the Lord wills, we shall live,” (v. 4. 15) and by inference, of course, die. IOW, we die only according to God’s will and sincemost deaths that I know of die through some fatal illness—even aging is itself a disease. The Bible calls our physical bodies “mortal” (i.e., dying) bodies. Corporally, we begin dying the moment we are conceived.

If James is saying that healing is always the will of God, which he isn’t, or if healing is only the result of faith, then every believer would always be healed unless, at some point, they became unbelievers. In that case, then, they are going to hell because without faith it is impossible to please God. You can’t have it both ways.

~Jim

True faith believes in God, not itself.​

But Jim, you yourself have said "context" is important, so it is now with this, verse 13 clearly says in the context of our going to a certain city and starting a business there, we must ask for the lord's will. Sure, it's His will that one day we die, but do you deny He promised to satisfy us with a long life in Psalm 91 ? He did not say we would never die.

Jesus Himself said the bread on the table belongs to the "children" and don't say He didn't mean healing here.

I don't always please God with my lack of faith, but the blood of Christ says I don't go to hell because of a lack of faith.

Jim, if next Sunday, someone is healed in the Name of Jesus, it was God's will.

Everything done in the Name of Jesus is God's will.

Isaiah 53:10 Says It pleased God to make His servant sick, why do you think that pleased God ?

 

[probinson]

If James is saying that healing is always the will of God, which he isn’t, or if healing is only the result of faith, then every believer would always be healed unless, at some point, they became unbelievers. In that case, then, they are going to hell because without faith it is impossible to please God. You can’t have it both ways.

Neither can you.

God is not willing that any should perish. But they do. So you can't say if it was God's will to be healed, then you would be healed anymore than you can say if it was God's will for all to be saved (which it is) then everyone would be saved.

Additionally your logic about lacking faith crumbles when we look at Jesus' own disciples. Jesus chastised them for their "little faith" more than once. This does not mean they were "unbelievers", nor did it in any way indicate they were going to hell. It simply meant they had "little faith" for what they were trying to accomplish.

 

[JimB]

If James is saying that healing is always the will of God, which he isn’t, or if healing is only the result of faith, then every believer would always be healed unless, at some point, they became unbelievers. In that case, then, they are going to hell because without faith it is impossible to please God. You can’t have it both ways.

Neither can you.

God is not willing that any should perish. But they do. So you can't say if it was God's will to be healed, then you would be healed anymore than you can say if it was God's will for all to be saved (which it is) then everyone would be saved.

NON-believers perish, Pete, not believers.

You just made my point.

~Jim

Love God. Love people. Period. ​

 

[JimB]

*****
Additionally your logic about lacking faith crumbles when we look at Jesus' own disciples. Jesus chastised them for their "little faith" more than once. This does not mean they were "unbelievers", nor did it in any way indicate they were going to hell. It simply meant they had "little faith" for what they were trying to accomplish.

Little faith (you know, the mustard seed kind) is still faith, Pete. They were believers but still learning to trust.

~Jim

Love God. Love people. Period. ​

 

[Always in His Presence]

Little faith (you know, the mustard seed kind) is still faith, Pete. They were believers but still learning to trust.

~Jim

Love God. Love people. Period. ​

So are we JimB, so are we.

 

[probinson]

NON-believers perish, Pete, not believers.

You just made my point.

But you just said that you don't believe that it's always God's will to heal. Concerning healing, doesn't that make you at least a partial NON-believer also?

 

[probinson]

Little faith (you know, the mustard seed kind) is still faith, Pete. They were believers but still learning to trust.

Trust what, exactly?