Is Anyone Sick Among You?

James 5:14

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Is Anyone Sick Among You?

• Investigate the verse in context• Defining the terms that are used• Answering these questions:– What is the primary function and responsibility of

elders?– Is this work miraculous?– Is this physical or spiritual weakness?– What is meant by anointing with oil?

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Context: • James encourages patience in adversity (Jams 1:2-

4; 5:7) • What can hardship or adversity do? – Murmur, complain and quarrel with one another. (5:9) – Take an oath in hardship (5:12)

• James outlines a course of action. – Are you suffering? Pray– Are you cheerful? Sing praises– Is anyone sick? Let him call upon the elders

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James Outlines a Course of Action• Are you suffering? Pray (5:13) • Are you cheerful? Sing praises (5:13)• Is anyone sick? Let him call upon the elders

(5:14)• Let the elders pray over him, anointing him with

oil (5:14)• Confess yours sins to one another, and pray for

one another (5:16)• If any among you strays from the truth, and one

turns him back (5:19)

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Results Are Reassured

• The prayer on behalf of the sick brother will save the sick (5:14-15)

• The Lord will raise him up (5:15) • The fervent prayer of a righteous man avails

much (16)

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The Different Opinions on James 5

• Sickness refers to physical sickness• Sickness refers to physical sickness, but the

healing is miraculous• Sickness refers to spiritual sickness

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Sick—astheneo (Verb)

• Lit. to be weak, feeble a, negative, sthenos strength (Vine, vol. iv, page 27)

• To be weak, feeble; univ. to be without strength, powerless (Thayer, page 80)

• Is weak (Marshall, Interlinear Greek-English New Testament)

• Occurs 36 times in the New Testament. 23 times it is referring to physical infirmities. At least 9 occurrences in the epistles it refers to spiritual weakness.

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Sick--Kanno

• The term speaks of being wearied. • Vine: “primarily, to work, hence, from the

effect of constant work, to be weary…”• Thayer: To grow weary, be weary 2. to be sick• The term is used two other times in the New

Testament. Both cases speak of spiritual weariness. (Hebrews 12:3; Revelation 2:3)

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Is the Passage Referring to Miraculous Healing?

• No, the purpose of first century miracles was:– Revelation (John 16:13; Acts 1:8) – Confirmation (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:3-4)

• Timothy had stomach ailments and was not healed by Paul (1 Tim. 5:23)

• Paul left Trophimus sick (2 Tim. 4:20) • Paul did not heal himself (Gal. 4:13-15) • Did the elders have authority to exercise a power

that the apostles did not? – Why didn’t they heal Timothy? Epaphroditus? Paul?

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Is the Passage Speaking of Spiritual Weakness or Physical Sickness?

• IF physical the elders are made doctors or at least nurses given to routine medical care. – The elder’s work is primarily spiritual (Acts 20:28-

31; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Thess. 5:12• When physical needs arose, this type work

was done by the especially appointed servants of the church. (Acts 6:1)

• If the sickness is literal then why not interpret the anointing with oil as literal?

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Anointing with Oil

• To appoint to a high office or position (1 Sam. 16:12-13)

• To make bread for the tabernacle under the law (Ex. 29:2)

• For food—in preparing bread (1 Kings 17:12) • As a cosmetic for the face (Psalm 104:15) • For light—to burn in lamps (Ex. 27:20) • As a medicine of healing (Luke 10:34) • As a symbol of blessing (Hebrews 1:9)

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Anointing in scripture is used in a figurative way to speak of a blessing from God. (Psalm 23:5-6; Hebrews 1:9; Isaiah

61:1-3)