James 5:14-16

[InSpiritInTruth]

It is physical sickness, but physical sickness can be brought on by sin. Matter of fact, all sickness is a punishment for sin. However, it does not mean the sick person was the one who sinned. If a homosexual gets AIDS, and a mosquito bites him and then bites another person, it does not mean THAT person committed that dreadful sin. But people do get sick due to their own sin problems, but it does not automatically mean that.

The apostles asked Jesus about a man blind since birth. They asked who sinned- him or his parents? Jesus said he was blind for a different reason- so that He could miraculously make him see, so that witnesses can clearly see that Jesus truly was the Son of God. But Jesus also said, "What is easier to say, be healed, or your sins are forgiven you?" Conclusion: sickness is caused by sin, but there are some exceptions, but we all sin anyways and all deserve the consequences thereof, however being that Christ paid for the Christians sins, we may ask the elders to pray over us, because the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

That's right, there is a connection between health issues,(both physical and spiritual) and sin. Today modern medicine and science has convinced the world there is no connection, because they do not believe in the spiritual. Even such spiritual matters as being given over to reprobate mind and mind of confusion like homosexuality, transgender thoughts are explained away, not even considered "mental illness" no more by modern science, but even now are being accepted and embraced.

Evil spirits can both effect the physical body and the mind, but even many Christians don't truly believe in such things.

 

[John146]

Hi John.

Yes, not everyone is healed

I would think it is “whose faith” as a work that does the work of healing. We do not look to the elders in respect to the faith of Christ, the anointing faith of God. They can be used as a metaphor as a ceremonial law(shadow) but if there is a healing it is between the one who cries out, and the God who can heal if he so chooses to.

To attribute the work of healing to any man even an apostle .Like with Paul below who first was given the faith coming from heaven in order to perceive the crippled person could be healed .Attributing it to the apostle would be to blaspheme the holy name we are called by. We are to have no gods before our living God .Making a apostle into a god come down to us in the likeness of men, violates the first commandment.

We walk by faith (the unseen eternal) not by sight.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he (the cripple) had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.And when the people saw “what Paul had done”, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Act 14:8

According to James, the prayer of faith will heal the sick...always...no exceptions. That's just not the case in the Church Age. James is talking to the twelve tribes scattered abroad in a time period after the Church Age. There's a reason why the book of James is placed after Paul's epistles, though it was written before. We must view the Bible chronologically.

 

[Word_Swordsman]

All the answers are in the context. Look at each segment I'm highlighting in this passage.
James 5:13-20 (KJV)
[SUP]13 [/SUP] Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
[SUP]14 [/SUP] 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:
[SUP]15 [/SUP] And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and theLord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
[SUP]16 [/SUP] Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
[SUP]17 [/SUP] Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
[SUP]18 [/SUP] And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
[SUP]19 [/SUP] Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
[SUP]20 [/SUP] Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

afflicted: kakopatheo, suffering hardship, trouble. Let the one suffering pray about it.
merry:euthomeo, share joy by singing about it.
sick: astheneo, sickly, weak, diseased. Call for elders to pray. Which ones? All. See verse16b. The righteous elders who pray effectually, fervently, are those who are in true faith heard by the Lord. Some will stand out from the group, some should anoint with oil as a point of contact, like Paul's napkins sent out to remote believers needing a "touch".

Verse 15a gives the Lord glory for healing the sick. In addition, in 15b the elders, upon learning sin has crept in, possibly the cause of the sickness, shall forgive those sins since the Lord has raised one from his sickness. We like to add "Go and sin no more" if sin is brought up, then confessed, and forgiven, since the Lord forgives sins we repent of, too. Many miracles happen for returning backsliders submitting to the above, as well as faithful saints who just need a little mercy.

There's a very strong connection between troubles, sufferings, sickness, disease, etc. linked to unrepented sin as well as simply . Rather than hold to that and suffer, it's wise to bring an end to all that by submitting it to the faithful elders who are used by the Lord to effect solutions.

A popular lady who teaches a girl's Sunday school came forward, very distraught with bad news. Her daughter was arrested for drug possession, in jail, and her children were in this lady's care. It was way too much on her, but she had managed not to bother anyone here about it. She was exhausted. Upon much prayer some women in the church were "touched" with conviction, came forward to help relieve her. Had she not confessed her fault we would not have guessed it, nor found a solution.

It's all about meeting whatever need a member has that needs help, maybe just getting back into faith.

 

[Pamella]

I'm sorry. There are people who are prayed for all the time by elders of faith that never receive healing. That's a fact. James says that WILL be healed. No maybes, or ifs about it. You cannot reconcile James to the Church Age.

That has alot to do with people not even walking in God's will for them. You have to abide in Him as Jesus says. Many christians don't. They do much of their own thing. So then your not abiding in the love God.

 

[Pamella]

It would be nice to see more churches doing this.

 

[garee]

According to James, the prayer of faith will heal the sick...always...no exceptions. That's just not the case in the Church Age. James is talking to the twelve tribes scattered abroad in a time period after the Church Age. There's a reason why the book of James is placed after Paul's epistles, though it was written before. We must view the Bible chronologically.

Hi John, thanks for the reply.

Again I see that a little differently. I don’t see it as having anything to do with chronological order.

God,I believe heals according to His faith that works in the believer in any generation(age) .

If God by faith is drawing a person to reach out to Him then he will heal (his faith is the qualifier). Biblical faith works two ways, His towards us and our amen towards Him. This is whether it’s a physical healing or spiritual or both.

I think we can see that below in Acts in respect to the "mutual faith of Christ", which worked in both men.

One, the cripple who sought the healing of God, and Paul who was moved by God perceiving that he (the cripple) had the faith which comes from hearing God, to be healed. God is not served by human hands in any way shape or form.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he (the cripple) had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.And when the people saw “what Paul had done”, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Act 14:8

If we would attribute the work of faith to Paul, the end of the matter shows that some committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

I think it is how the gifts of the spirit mutually work in us (two fold).

A person could say Paul as a spiritual gift was sent on a prosperous journey by the will of God to show the two fold glory of God in respect to both persons .

Romans give us a good example of the mutual faith of Christ as a spiritual gift working in two persons. I think it complements the verse in Acts.

Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted "together" with you by the mutual faith(Christ’s) both of you and me. Rom 1:10

 

[John146]

According to James, the prayer of faith will heal the sick...always...no exceptions. That's just not the case in the Church Age. James is talking to the twelve tribes scattered abroad in a time period after the Church Age. There's a reason why the book of James is placed after Paul's epistles, though it was written before. We must view the Bible chronologically.

Hi John, thanks for the reply.

Again I see that a little differently. I don’t see it as having anything to do with chronological order.

God,I believe heals according to His faith that works in the believer in any generation(age) .

If God by faith is drawing a person to reach out to Him then he will heal (his faith is the qualifier). Biblical faith works two ways, His towards us and our amen towards Him. This is whether it’s a physical healing or spiritual or both.

I think we can see that below in Acts in respect to the "mutual faith of Christ", which worked in both men.

One, the cripple who sought the healing of God, and Paul who was moved by God perceiving that he (the cripple) had the faith which comes from hearing God, to be healed. God is not served by human hands in any way shape or form.

And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he (the cripple) had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.And when the people saw “what Paul had done”, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. Act 14:8

If we would attribute the work of faith to Paul, the end of the matter shows that some committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

I think it is how the gifts of the spirit mutually work in us (two fold).

A person could say Paul as a spiritual gift was sent on a prosperous journey by the will of God to show the two fold glory of God in respect to both persons .

Romans give us a good example of the mutual faith of Christ as a spiritual gift working in two persons. I think it complements the verse in Acts.

Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; That is, that I may be comforted "together" with you by the mutual faith(Christ’s) both of you and me. Rom 1:10

Why doesn't it happen every time? The same elders who pray in faith and heal someone, why don't those same men go around and heal everyone praying in faith? The faith of the sick has nothing to do with it in James. It's the faith of those praying. Sins can even be forgiven through the prayers of others.

Why did Paul tell Timothy to use a little wine if he got sick? Why not just pray for him in faith and heal him? James is talking about something different than Paul.

 

[garee]

Hi John. thanks for the reply.

Why doesn't it happen every time?

I would think because God does not give His faith, as a work, working in the believer every time. If he so chooses he can send a famine the hearing of the word, the word of his faith that does the healing, and men as believers can die. There is no guarantee he will heal us.

The example I offered in Acts with Paul and the crippled man seems to make it clear that the faith is not attributed to Paul or the person who was trusting God. Trusting God, as Christ gives the faith to make it possible is the reason he did pray. Again as God gave him the faith, as a believer to so .

The same elders who pray in faith and heal someone, why don't those same men go around and heal everyone praying in faith?

Some makes claims they can. $$$$$$$$$

It’s not their faith that heals them of or the one trusting God. God does not heal as a form of worship, by human hands.
The verse in Acts 17 uses the word worship to represent His therapeutic work in the believer. It used one time in that therapeutic way.

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; Act 17:25

Strongs lexicon....2323 therapeuo {ther-ap-yoo'-o}
from the same as 2324; TDNT - 3:128,331; v
AV - heal 38, cure 5, worship 1; 44
1) to serve, do service 2) to heal, cure, restore to health

The elders can lay their hands on, as that which represents the hope of that not seen that God will. But if he does it had nothing to do with that ceremonial law(laying of hands) which is used as shadow pointed to the one who can heal.(not seen)

The faith of the sick has nothing to do with it in James. It's the faith of those praying. Sins can even be forgiven through the prayers of others.

James speaks of the mutual faith of Christ that indwell every born again Christian.

Why did Paul tell Timothy to use a little wine if he got sick? Why not just pray for him in faith and heal him? James is talking about something different than Paul.

Some prescriptions are over the counter, under heaven, and not in respect to heaven .

People not much more than a hundred years ago formally were saying the same thing when prescription glasses were first available. Pray he will heal your eye sight, you of little faith .

It was like walking into walls until men got a better undersatanding ,I belive

 

[crossnote]

The signs of the apostles has ceased. Paul tells his understudy Timothy to use a little wine for his infirmities. No where does Paul tell the church to pray over a person and they will be healed.

1 Timothy 5:23, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.”

The apostles have passed on but no where did I read that the gifts did.

 

[garee]

The apostles have passed on but no where did I read that the gifts did.

The gifts were not in respect to the apostles. As a kingdom of priest (all believers) all are sent into the world as prophets with the gospel of Christ. All believers would be considered apostles which is without adding another meaning to the word "sent one" ( Apostle)

The problem I believe is that other meanings have been added in violation to the warning not to add .It can diminish the authors intent as another gospel, another Christ .

 

[Pamella]

I don't understand why some people do insist the gifts stopped when there are so many testimonies and witnesses of testimonies of supernatural healings. (Meaning instant healings, not the natural order of healing over time)
And people are in this day and age moved by the Holy Spirit to lay hands on someone in which God's power flows out thru their hands and the person gets healed.

 

[John146]

I don't understand why some people do insist the gifts stopped when there are so many testimonies and witnesses of testimonies of supernatural healings. (Meaning instant healings, not the natural order of healing over time)
And people are in this day and age moved by the Holy Spirit to lay hands on someone in which God's power flows out thru their hands and the person gets healed.

These people should go down to the nearest nursing homes and hospitals and get busy if that's true. Not to be rude, but the gifts were given as a sign to the Jews so they would believe the message. The Jews were conditioned to believe through signs. We are to believe by faith. We are to walk by faith and not by sight.

 

[garee]

I don't understand why some people do insist the gifts stopped when there are so many testimonies and witnesses of testimonies of supernatural healings. (Meaning instant healings, not the natural order of healing over time)
And people are in this day and age moved by the Holy Spirit to lay hands on someone in which God's power flows out thru their hands and the person gets healed.

We cannot accredit the invisible eternal workings of God to the visible, temporal working of men .That would be simply blaspheming the holy name by which we are called heavenward.

God is not served by human hands as if he needed something from the clay he is forming Christ in. The laying on of hands is a ceremonial law used as a parable as that seen the temporal, to give us the unseen authority of God, as the eternal not seen. It can be used but it profits for nothing.

2Co 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation:Lev 4:15

The blood of animals could not remove the wage of sin it pointed ahead to the Spirit of Christ .

The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing: Which was a figure/parable for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience; Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of "reformation". But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.