James 5:14–15
Bible Verses. Also called James 5:14-15, Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, The prayer of faith shall save the sick, Let him call for the elders of the church.
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Scripture quotation from the King James Version (KJV). Read this chapter
This passage instructs the sick to call for the elders of the church, who are to pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The Catholic sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the divine healing ministry of Pentecostal churches, and Protestant pastoral visitation of the sick all appeal to this passage, though each understands its meaning differently.
About this articleAI draft from a Korean source. Notes on Korean Protestant practice. No sources listed. Not yet reviewed by a person.
- Origin
Drafted by AI from the Korean church.wiki article, then translated and adapted for English readers on 5 November 2026.
- Perspective
Includes notes on Korean Protestant practice; other traditions are noted where they differ.
- Sources
None listed yet. The article draws on the biblical text and general reference works. Add a source
- Review
Not yet reviewed by a person. Last edited by a person: never. Translation updated 5 November 2026. Edit history
Context
The Epistle of James 5:13–18 addresses prayer near the close of the letter. The afflicted are to pray, the merry are to sing psalms, and the sick are to call for the elders (5:13–14). The passage then urges believers to confess their faults to one another and to pray for one another that they may be healed. It declares that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" and cites the prayer of Elijah as an example (5:16–18). A distinctive feature of this section is that it speaks together of sickness and sin, and of the restoration of both body and soul.
Interpretation
- Catholic and Orthodox reading: These traditions regard the passage as the biblical basis for the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (formerly called "Extreme Unction"). They teach that when a priest anoints the sick with oil and prays, grace is conferred and sins are forgiven. The Orthodox Church has a similar sacrament of Holy Unction.
- Pentecostal and charismatic reading: These traditions read the passage as a promise of divine healing, holding that the sick are still healed today through the prayer of faith. In Full Gospel churches and elsewhere, pastors and elders actually anoint the sick with oil and lay hands on them in prayer.
- Majority Reformed and evangelical reading: Because oil was used as medicine at the time, these interpreters understand the passage as an instruction to combine medical treatment with prayer, or they regard the oil as a symbol of setting the sick person apart and entrusting him to God. They hold that healing rests on the sovereignty of God and that the passage does not promise the healing of every illness.
Debates and Issues
Interpretations diverge because "shall save" in verse 15 (Greek sōzō) can mean both "heal" and "save," and "shall raise him up" can be read either as rising from a sickbed or as the resurrection at the last day. In addition, the teaching that a failure to recover after prayer results from a lack of faith has been criticized across denominational lines as pastorally harmful. Major denominations also caution against using this passage as grounds for refusing medical treatment.
Perspective: Korean Protestant practiceHow this idea is used in Korean churches, kept from the original Korean article.
In Korean Protestant churches, the passage is frequently read during pastoral visits to the sick and at sickbed baptisms, and it is also cited in explaining the duties of elders. Whether anointing with oil is practiced varies by denomination.
Related Passages
See also 6
Is there a problem with this article? Report it
Log in to report. Reports are reviewed within 24 hours.
Discussion 0
Share corrections, other viewpoints or questions about this article.