Miracles Today - Appendix 1

Comments on James 5: 13-18

James in this passage tells us how we should react to certain situations. If we suffer evil we should pray and if we are happy we should sing psalms. Paul and Silas in the prison at Philippi were suffering evil and were praying. At the same time they were happy and singing so that the two things in their case went together (Acts 16:25).

James goes on to say what we should do if we are sick. This is to:-

(1) Ask the elders of the assembly to visit us.

(2) Let them pray over us.

(3) Let them anoint us in the name of [the] Lord.

Certain things should be noticed. There is no idea of the sick person curing himself by faith; others were to be involved. Further, the others were not to be anybody, but the elders of the assembly. Then the elders were to pray over the sick person with a view to his/her healing. As the passage goes on to say, the prayer must be one of faith. There was also to be the anointing in the name of the Lord. The anointing was not just a medical thing for the authority of the Lord was to be involved in doing it. As Lord does not have the article in the original perhaps Jehovah is here meant.

Although not by any means all miracles in the New Testament indicate that prayer was involved, some do. For instance, Christ prayed before the raising of Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41/42). Similarly, Peter prayed before he raised Tabitha (Acts 9:40) The same was true in the Old Testament. Elijah prayed before he brought the son of the widow woman back to life (1 Kings 17:20/21) and Elisha also did so before he restored to life the son of the woman of Shunem (2 Kings 4:33). All this would suggest that performing miracles is not to be regarded as an easy thing. There was never the pompous waving of the hand over the place and curing the leper which Naaman expected (2 Kings 5:11). James speaks of fervent prayer (v.16) and goes on to cite Elias (Elijah) as an example. Further, note that the prayer was to be that of a righteous man. James also mentions the matter of sins: "If he be one who has committed sins" (v.15). Some sicknesses, but not all, are due to sins. Christ deals with this point when he healed the man who had been suffering under his infirmity 38 years (John 5:1-15). He indicated that the man's condition was due to sin (v.14). However in the case of the man born blind he indicated that his condition was not

due to sin (John 9:1-3). In the case of the paralytic Christ forgave him his sins and healed him physically as well (Mark 2:1-12) which is what James speaks of as possible in this chapter: "The Lord shall raise him up; and if he be one who has committed sins, it shall be forgiven him" (v.15). John also speaks about a brother who has sinned; pointing out that in cases where the sin is not unto death any one can ask (prayer would be meant here) that the brother may be given life (probably recovery from sickness) (1 John 5:16-17). This would parallel James with the additional thought that recovery could not be expected in all cases. In the case of Ahaziah there was to be no recovery from his sickness for the reasons stated in 2 Kings 1:1-4.

It may be mentioned here that James addresses the twelve tribes (James 1:1). He speaks about the synagogue (James 2:2), so that we are clearly in a Jewish rather than a Gentile milieu. The anointing with oil was also carried out by the twelve when they were sent out by Christ during his life time: "And they went forth and preached that they should repent; and they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many infirm, and healed them." (Mark 6:12/13). What the anointing involved we are not told. Was it to be on the head, hands or feet or all over ? Oil has therapeutic value as we learn from the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:34; see also Isaiah 1:6), but it is doubtful whether we should introduce that idea into the passage in Mark just quoted, or the passage in James we are considering.