Jm's 5-14

In the past someone on the forum made some statements concerning Jm's 5-14 that were very clear and precise. I see the use or misuse of this verse more each year. I need to more fully understand it. I think Scott or James may have offered a simple explanation. I need simple. 1.Does anyone remember in what thread it was discussed? 2.Benjamin, Danny, James, Lee, Sam, Scott I am very interested and have confidence in your thoughts on this.

If you choose to write about this, outline form would help. I want to use this in a notebook for present and future use.

Faris

-- Anonymous, January 25, 2001

Answers

Faris,

I don't have it in outline form, but the following is a reasonably brief exegesis of this particular passage of Scripture that I wrote a few years ago for Hermeneutics Class. Danny gave me a "95" on it, so I believe it is pretty typical of what most of this group would post. So here goes:

The biblical passage of James 5:14-16 has been interpreted different ways by different groups throughout history. The main points of contention center around the interpretation of the type of sickness and the reason for the anointing mentioned in verse 14. Throughout the history of the Church, most people have believed that the sickness mentioned is a physical illness, though there is disagreement over the severity of this illness. Some, including this writer, believe that the sickness mentioned is actually a spiritual malady. Concerning the anointing with oil, historically many have believed in the medicinal healing power of the oil. Many instances are mentioned in scripture connecting anointing with physical healing and anointing was widely practiced by the Jews. Others view the anointing with oil more as a symbol that provides comfort to the sufferer, which is also the view held by this writer. Both of these points of contention will be examined individually in order to arrive at, what this writer thinks is, the correct interpretation of this passage.

When interpreting James 5:14-16, one must determine the type of sickness James is referring to in order to come to a proper understanding of this passage. The best way to determine the type of sickness mentioned, is to look at the original Greek words that were used by James. The English translations can sometimes be deceiving. This type of research into the original language is called the hermeneutical principle of priority of original languages. To understand the meaning of what the author wrote, one must examine his exact wording in his original language. The Greek word translated as "sick" in verse 14 is "asthenei". This word can be correctly translated as either "sick" or "weak". In order to resolve this conflict in translation, the parallel usage of the word "asthenei" in other passages of scripture must be examined. The immediate context of James chapter 5 must also be considered. In I Cor. 11:30, Paul writes "For this reason many among you are weak(asthenes) and sick (arrostoi) and a number sleep(NASB). Here Paul makes a specific difference between the Greek words "asthenes" and "arrostoi". "Arrostoi" is generally accepted as a sickness and in this passage, so "asthenes"(a form of "asthenei") must be referring to a spiritual weakness. Another passage of Scripture that contains a similar usage of "asthenei" is Rom. 4:19. There Paul writes "And without becoming weak ("astheneo") in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old..."(NASB). Here a form of "asthenei" is used to denote a weakness in faith. These particular passages, as well as others, show that "weak" is a proper translation of "asthenei".

With the use of "asthenei" established, one must then turn to the context of James chapter 5 to verify the proper usage of the word. Verses 13 through 20 should be interpreted together to get the full meaning of "asthenei". In this section, James is dealing with the power of prayer, especially where it concerns the restoration of a Christian brother who has sinned. Prayer is mentioned as the remedy for the sickness of verse 14. Confession and prayer are also mentioned as the way to save the soul of a sinner or backslider. When the original Greek wording is viewed within the context of verses 13-20, the sickness of verse 14 must be a spiritual weakness. It is a backsliding Christian brother that is to call for prayer by the church elders. This backslider would, in essence, be confessing his sin by calling for the elders to pray about his problem. The call for the elders in this case would be consistent with other passages of Scripture because, as the author of Hebrews wrote, the elders "keep watch over your souls"(NASB). The consistency of this particular interpretation with the rest of Scripture adheres to the hermeneutical principle known as analogy of faith.

Those who hold on to the physical illness interpretation of "asthenei" are faced with hermeneutical, as well as logical, problems. Verse 15 states that the sufferer will be healed by the prayers and anointing of the elders. Today's charismatic churches use this verse to justify their belief in faith healing. They hold to "the false assumption that it is God's will that everybody should enjoy perfect physical health. There is nothing in the New Testament to justify this assumption, and some evidence which points in the opposite direction"(Tasker: The General Epistle of James). There are many instances in today's churches where good Christians have become sick and died, even though their elders offered prayer and anointed them before their death. It is unscriptural and illogical to assume that the same thing did not also happen in the first century Church of James' day. Some would argue this point by saying this passage only applied to the Apostolic Age when the miraculous power of healing was evident in the Church. Unfortunately, their argument does not fit into the context of the Epistle of James, nor does it explain why first century Christians still died from sickness when this miraculous healing was available to them.

The Roman Catholic Church has found a way to hold to the physical illness interpretation and still explain why Christians die from the illness regardless of the prayers offered and the anointing with oil. Over the years, the Catholic Church began to practice the prayer and anointing by priests only in cases of severe or terminal illnesses. In the twelfth century this practice was given the name of Extreme Unction and was accepted as one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (The Pulpit Commentary). Unfortunately, the text stipulates that elders or presbyters were to pray, not priests; and the purpose of the prayer was to restore the recipient to wholeness, not to prepare him for death.

The reason for the anointing with oil that is mentioned in James 5:14 is also a point of contention between different groups. To better understand why anointing is mentioned by James, one must first investigate the original Greek wording for anointing. Two Greek words are used for anointing in the New Testament. The first is "chrio" which is an official, ceremonial anointing, such as that given to King David by Samuel. The second word, the one used by James, is "aleiphein". "Aleiphein" means to anoint for comfort or as a mundane cleansing, often medicinal use of oil. Anointing a person with oil for healing purposes was a common activity among the Jews of ancient days. Mark 6:13 speaks of the Disciples anointing people for healing and Jesus Himself mentioned the medicinal use of oil in the account of the good Samaritan in Luke 10:34. Those who believe that the sickness of verse 14 is a physical illness point to this type of medicinal use of oil to prove their interpretation. One problem with this view is that it is inconsistent with what James wrote. He said, in verse 15, that it is the prayer offered in faith that restores the sufferer, not the anointing with oil. Therefore the use of oil for medicinal purposes must not be what James had in mind. If James was talking about a medicinal use of oil, he would have said to call for doctors, not elders, for the anointing. According to Scripture, the elders are to tend to the spiritual needs of the flock, not to be the doctors and nurses for the flock. One must then proceed to the other definition of "aleiphein", which is the idea of anointing for comfort. It was common custom in the region to anoint visitors' heads with oil when they came for a visit. The oil was applied and then combed out with a fine-toothed comb. This had the affect of cleansing the hair of the visitor and providing comfort to the traveler. The Catholic Church adopted this view of anointing in their procedure of Extreme Unction. By anointing the terminally ill, they provide a physical and psychological comfort to the recipient. The Catholics, however, appeared to have carried this idea a little too far. Anointing for comfort was a Jewish and regional custom, not necessarily a mandate for the ages. The elders, by travelling to, praying for, and anointing with oil, provided spiritual guidance, comfort, and support to the backslider in his hour of despair. Elders today can provide this type of guidance and comfort without resorting to an ancient custom like anointing with oil and still fulfill the Scriptural command to pray for and comfort the backslider. Just as in the exegesis of the sickness of verse 14, the hermeneutical principles of priority of original languages, respecting the author's purpose within his context, and the analogy of faith dictate the interpretation of the anointing with oil by the elders.

Only one interpretation of James 5:14-16 seems to be consistent with the use of the previously mentioned principles of hermeneutics. A modern translation of the passage, according to these principles, could read like this: Is anyone among you spiritually weak or backsliding? If so, call for the elders to pray for you and comfort you in the name of Jesus; knowing that the prayer offered in faith will be answered and the Lord will restore him and forgive him of his sins. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be restored, knowing that the effective prayer of righteous men can accomplish many things. Read this way, James 5:14-16 takes on a meaning that is wholly consistent with all Scripture and provides great encouragement to all Christians.

I hope this helps you Brother.

-- Anonymous, January 25, 2001