The Country Parson<\/em><\/a>, that since doctors are so rare, it is a good idea for pastors to know as much medicine as possible and administer it when they can.<\/p>\nThe third reason to call for the elders is because of their godliness. James says that the prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (James 5:16), and James gives the example of Elijah whose prayers kept it from raining for three years, and then prayed for it to rain and it did. The point is that the elders are also supposed to be righteous and godly men, and so their prayer also can be effective in helping the sick person get well.<\/p>\n
It is always a good idea to ask others to pray for you when you are sick. James encourages this practice here. But their prayer is not in partnership with some sort of strange magical healing oil which is dabbed on the head of the sick person. No, their prayer is in partnership with the medical practices of that day.<\/p>\n
So today, a person who is sick should seek medical treatment and ask for people to pray.<\/p>\n
Objection: But this takes glory away from God!<\/h2>\n When some people hear this explanation of James 5:14, they say, \u201cDoesn\u2019t this remove some of God\u2019s glory or take away some of the credit that is due Him if we go to a doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n
My response is that is does not. Not in any way! I believe that all medical and scientific advancement is a gift from God, and should be used to the fullest extent possible. Besides, as Dr. C. Everett Koop once said, all healing is God\u2019s healing and the physician is just an instrument.<\/p>\n
Besides, seeking out the help of modern medicine is not an attempt to leave God out of it. James is very clear that while getting medical treatment is the first step to take, the most important step is when a Christian approached God with the prayer of faith.<\/p>\n
God has blessed men and women today with wonderful knowledge of how the body works and how the healing processes of the body can be supported. But when it all the medicines have been prescribed and all the surgeries have been performed, it is God who helps a person will get well. Knowing this, we do not ignore the medical knowledge which He has allowed to become known, for such things are also the good gifts of God and should not be refused.<\/p>\n
So what does James teach about healing in James 5:14?<\/h2>\n James instructs the sick person to go seek medical help, and most importantly, not forget to pray and have other godly and gifted people pray as well.<\/p>\n
Are you sick and in need of healing? Do not refuse medical help out of some wrong idea that medicine is not spiritual. It is! Go get whatever medical help you can, and also ask others to pray with you for healing.<\/strong> Then, when medicine and faith work together and you are healed, give praise and glory to God, both for what He has done in your body, and also for what He has taught the medical-scientific world about how the body works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A blog reader sent in a question about anointing with oil for healing. I thought that maybe this is a question other blog readers have, and so decided to post my answer here. Do you anoint with oil for healing? What does James 5:14 actually mean?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2230],"tags":[2565,1747,2563,2562,2564],"class_list":{"0":"post-42779","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-redeeming-scripture","8":"tag-anoint","9":"tag-bible-and-theology-questions","10":"tag-healing","11":"tag-james-514","12":"tag-sick","13":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\n
Should Christians Anoint with Oil for Healing?<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n