James 5:14–15

Context

The Epistle of James 5:13–18 addresses prayer near the close of the letter. Those who are afflicted are to pray, those who are merry are to sing psalms, and those who are sick are to call for the elders (5:13–14). The passage goes on to urge believers to confess their faults to one another and to pray for one another that they may be healed, declaring that "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" and citing the prayer of Elijah as an example (5:16–18). A distinctive feature of this section is that it speaks of sickness and sin, and of the restoration of body and soul, together.

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 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 see 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 is due to 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.

In the Korean Church

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

• Mark 6:13
• James 5:16–18
• 1 Corinthians 12:9
• Matthew 8:16–17