James 5:16–18

Context

The Epistle of James 5:13–18 forms a series of exhortations to pray in times of suffering, in times of joy, and in times of sickness. Verses 14–15 instruct the sick to call for the elders of the church to anoint them with oil and pray over them. Verse 16 begins with "therefore" and extends this exhortation to the whole community, directing believers to confess their sins to one another and to pray for one another.

Verses 17–18 cite the account of Elijah, the drought, and the rain in 1 Kings 17–18 as an example. The narrative in 1 Kings does not explicitly state that Elijah prayed when the drought began. It records only the scene in which Elijah cast himself down upon the earth on the top of Mount Carmel before the rain came (1 Kings 18:42). The period of "three years and six months" also appears in Luke 4:25. How this figure is to be reconciled with "the third year" in 1 Kings 18:1 is a question commentators have long discussed.

Interpretation

• A reading centered on communal prayer: Many commentators locate the focus of the passage not in the power of a particular officeholder but in a church community whose members confess to one another and pray for one another.
• "A righteous man" and "a man subject to like passions": The phrase "subject to like passions" refers to a shared natural disposition and emotions. Protestant commentary generally reads "a righteous man" not as a sinless, perfect person but as a believer who stands in a right relationship with God. The description of Elijah as "a man subject to like passions as we are" (James 5:17) is understood as an encouragement that the prayers of ordinary believers are offered to the same God.
• The Catholic reading: The Catholic Church cites verses 14–15 as the scriptural basis for the Anointing of the Sick (the sacrament in which the sick are anointed with oil and prayed over), and has also cited the confession in verse 16 in connection with the sacrament of Penance.
• The mainstream Protestant reading: Protestants generally read verse 16 as mutual confession among believers rather than confession made to a priest. This reading is connected with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers.
• The Pentecostal and charismatic reading: Pentecostal and charismatic churches emphasize the passage as a basis for divine healing (God's healing of sickness) and healing prayer as practices that continue today.

Debates and Issues

• The scope of healing: The word rendered "healed" can refer both to physical healing and to spiritual restoration, so interpretations differ depending on which sense is emphasized.
• The continuation of spiritual gifts: The disagreement between cessationism and continuationism over whether miraculous healing still occurs today carries over into the application of this passage. Nevertheless, most denominations do not regard healing prayer and medical treatment as mutually exclusive.
• Quotation out of context: Some have objected that using "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" as a formula guaranteeing answered prayer overlooks its context: a community whose members confess to one another and care for one another.

In the Korean Church

The latter half of verse 16 is frequently quoted in intercessory prayer meetings, in sermons at prayer services, and during times of prayer for the sick. The example of Elijah is commonly used to exhort believers to persevere in prayer.

Related Passages

• 1 Kings 18:41–45
• Luke 4:25
• Mark 6:13
• 1 John 1:9
• Psalm 32:5