Anointing With Oil

[salzer mtn]

In the book of James verse 14 say's, 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: Verse 15, And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Some Baptist churches I've attended over the years practice this, some don't. The Apostles practiced the anointing of oil in Mark 6:14. but the Apostles had extraordinary power from God that men don't have today. Oil was used as a healing agent as in Luke 10:34. The Catholic clergy also use verse 15 by anointing a dying person on the forehead and praying their sins away. I have witnessed myself in COG services a person anointing guitars, microphones, singers, bus vans for Gods service. Personally I think the anointing with oil as mentioned in the above scripture was meant and practiced in a different time. Oil also signified the Holy Spirit by the anointing the head with oil by the prophets recorded several times in the bible. Today we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us so what purpose or benefit is it to anoint anything with oil ?

 

[Revmitchell]

There are two meanings that I have heard of with regards to anointing with oil.

1. It is representative of the HG

2. It was actually medicine and the elders would be called because doctors were not readily available so they would combine the prayer of the church and taking medicine.


I agree that it is unnecessary to use oil for the purpose of representing the HG since we are now indwelt. In the OT the HG acted in an external way and during the church age He acts in an internal way. Anointing with oil serves no purpose today. If we are sick take our medicine and pray.

 

[annsni]

Obedience? We've done it for the sick as per James 5 and there are times that people are healed (my daughter) and times that they are not. But we are told to do it so we do.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Obedience? We've done it for the sick as per James 5 and there are times that people are healed (my daughter) and times that they are not. But we are told to do it so we do.

My brother uses the same obedience clause to beat his kids with wooden rods.....hmmmmm.

 

[annsni]

What's funny is I went to look at my blog reader after posting my response and I saw this.

http://www.challies.com/quotes/a-pr...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[annsni]

My brother uses the same obedience clause to beat his kids with wooden rods.....hmmmmm.

Interesting. Can you show me in the New Testament church teachings where we are to beat kids with wooden rods? Because I can show you the verse in James 5 that says to anoint the sick with oil.

 

[annsni]

Here is the (long) story of my daughter's illness. Through reading it, you can see what we were dealing with regarding her illness. NUMEROUS times we prayed over her - we were constantly praying and had our entire church and many around the world praying for her. But as you read through the story, you can see that God chose to use anointing with oil and prayer as the turning point in her healing. Why? I don't know. Was there power in the oil? I don't think so but I think there is power in obedience.

Oops - forgot the link: http://lifeonthesound.blogspot.com/2011/05/solid-pseudopapillary-neoplasm.html

 

[preachinjesus]

Some Baptist churches I've attended over the years practice this, some don't.

I've never understood this. You practice it. It's in the Bible as a prescription for how to aid someone in medical need. If you affirm an inerrant Bible, you practice it.

The Apostles practiced the anointing of oil in Mark 6:14. but the Apostles had extraordinary power from God that men don't have today.

The Apostles had no special power that isn't given to the rest of followers of Christ.

Oil was used as a healing agent as in Luke 10:34...Oil also signified the Holy Spirit by the anointing the head with oil by the prophets recorded several times in the bible. Today we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us so what purpose or benefit is it to anoint anything with oil ?

We anoint those who are sick with oil and have the pastors in our church pray for them. We actually held one of these ceremonies last week. Our goal isn't to understand how something functions but to be, first, obedient to its instruction.

 

[annsni]

I've never understood this. You practice it. It's in the Bible as a prescription for how to aid someone in medical need. If you affirm an inerrant Bible, you practice it.



The Apostles had no special power that isn't given to the rest of followers of Christ.



We anoint those who are sick with oil and have the pastors in our church pray for them. We actually held one of these ceremonies last week. Our goal isn't to understand how something functions but to be, first, obedient to its instruction.

We need a "like" button on BB!

 

[JonC]

Today we have the Holy Spirit abiding in us so what purpose or benefit is it to anoint anything with oil ?

I also have trouble with this passage. Today, like the audience of James, we have the Holy Spirit. Yet the audience of James accepted the anointing of oil by elders. I don't think that they observed that practice only to obey without knowing the significance of the act.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

I've never understood this. You practice it. It's in the Bible as a prescription for how to aid someone in medical need. If you affirm an inerrant Bible, you practice it.

The question is how do you practice it? There are only two examples in the Bible in which oil is used for the sick, and one of them is just as unspecific as the James passage. It is in the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 6, NASB
13 And they were casting out many demons and were anointing with oil many sick people and healing them.​

That doesn't tell us much, other than the fact it denies your next statement.

The Apostles had no special power that isn't given to the rest of followers of Christ.

Obviously if you read the Mark passage carefully, your statement is untrue. They were casting out many demons. They were anointing with oil many sick people. They were healing them. Not praying for God to cast out demons, or heal people. They themselves were doing it. If anyone today claims "they" cast out demons or heal people, "they" are abject liars. This was a miraculous power given to Jesus' disciples when He sent them out twice during His ministry. It does not exist today.

So we must go to the other passage regarding the anointing with oil, which has much more detail.

Luke 10
33 "But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion,
34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. [Emphasis added]​

Oil, mixed with wine, is medicine. Anointing is not just smearing oil on the forehead, laying hands on them, and praying for healing (which, in charismatic circles, is too often pronounced over the sick person with no evidence to support the declaration). It is medicinal, at least in the Bible.

Oil can also be a sign of power, protection and blessing, which certainly fits with the need of a sick or injured person. To the extent that oil is symbolic of what we seek for that person in prayer and intervention with God, such a ceremony is valid, and is probably what James is speaking of in his epistle.

We anoint those who are sick with oil and have the pastors in our church pray for them. We actually held one of these ceremonies last week. Our goal isn't to understand how something functions but to be, first, obedient to its instruction.

Given that, I would hope and pray you know what the instruction is to which you are being obedient.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Interesting. Can you show me in the New Testament church teachings where we are to beat kids with wooden rods? Because I can show you the verse in James 5 that says to anoint the sick with oil.

I would imagine they use Proverbs 23:13, “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.”

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Oil, mixed with wine, is medicine.

It is a good salad dressing too!:smilewinkgrin:

 

[salzer mtn]

Obedience? We've done it for the sick as per James 5 and there are times that people are healed (my daughter) and times that they are not. But we are told to do it so we do.

If I believed natural oil today and prayer both together has anything to do with healing people then both together when practiced would heal every time it was applied to a person in a service. Also I would have to believe both together in verse 15 would be binding on God to forgive sins. The Book of James can be a hard book to understand.

 

[InTheLight]

Curious, what kind of oil is used nowadays?

Olive oil? Vegetable oil? Seriously, I don't know.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Curious, what kind of oil is used nowadays?

Olive oil? Vegetable oil? Seriously, I don't know.

Canola.....its cholesterol free.:smilewinkgrin:

 

[salzer mtn]

Olive oil, and then the preacher puts it on his finger and makes a cross on your forehead.

 

[annsni]

Curious, what kind of oil is used nowadays?

Olive oil? Vegetable oil? Seriously, I don't know.

We have used olive oil (preference), vegetable oil, automotive oil and mayonnaise. I'm not joking either.

 

[annsni]

If I believed natural oil today and prayer both together has anything to do with healing people then both together when practiced would heal every time it was applied to a person in a service. Also I would have to believe both together in verse 15 would be binding on God to forgive sins. The Book of James can be a hard book to understand.

But does God heal every person we pray for? No. But He does call us to pray and anoint - so we do it. If you read my link, very clearly my daughter's healing was tied to her being anointed with oil. Was there any magic in the oil? No. I think there was blessing in obedience.

 

[preachinjesus]

The question is how do you practice it? There are only two examples in the Bible in which oil is used for the sick, and one of them is just as unspecific as the James passage. It is in the Gospel of Mark.

A historical narrative is a bit different than an epistle.

The Gospel accounts are recording actions done, but not necessarily providing impetus for having them done. James, however, prescribes the practice.

Not praying for God to cast out demons, or heal people. They themselves were doing it. If anyone today claims "they" cast out demons or heal people, "they" are abject liars. This was a miraculous power given to Jesus' disciples when He sent them out twice during His ministry. It does not exist today.

That's surprising since a couple of years ago whilst in Africa, a group of ministers participated in an exorcism. We prayed and fasted for someone and our friend, a local missionary who I've know for about 15 years, cast out the demon.

It was an amazing display of God's grace and power.

The Apostles weren't granted special powers beyond what all other believers have been given. Scripture seems clear on this.

Oil, mixed with wine, is medicine. Anointing is not just smearing oil on the forehead, laying hands on them, and praying for healing (which, in charismatic circles, is too often pronounced over the sick person with no evidence to support the declaration). It is medicinal, at least in the Bible.

You seem to be confusing biblical genres. Historical narrative doesn't equal epistolary instruction in terms of prescriptive value.

Oil can also be a sign of power, protection and blessing, which certainly fits with the need of a sick or injured person. To the extent that oil is symbolic of what we seek for that person in prayer and intervention with God, such a ceremony is valid, and is probably what James is speaking of in his epistle.Given that, I would hope and pray you know what the instruction is to which you are being obedient.[/FONT][/SIZE]

I'm not saying that the oil is, in and of itself an agent of God's grace. (Which would be difficult to surmise from my one or two sentences) I am saying the biblical prescription mandates that we use oil (which is a fairly general term but likely means olive oil of some kind) for this ceremony. So we use olive oil for this ceremony.