Does Your Church practice James regarding confession of sins and healing?

[JesusFan]

As in one can be both spiritually and physical healed as prescribed by James with confession to the Elders and oil being used upon applicant?

 

[canadyjd]

Oil was considered medicine at that time. The elders would have access to such.

James is linking the illness with a specific sin in the person’s life. Confession of the sin was thought to be necessary for healing.

I’ve seen it happen in Baptist churches. I don’t know if it has happened within my church.

Peace to you

 

[David Lamb]

As in one can be both spiritually and physical healed as prescribed by James with confession to the Elders and oil being used upon applicant?

Do you mean this verse:

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (Jas 5:16 NKJV)

Although that verse follows verses that have been talking about people who are ill calling for the elders, it doesn't say "Confess your sins to the elders," but "Confess your sins to one another."

 

[JesusFan]

Oil was considered medicine at that time. The elders would have access to such.

James is linking the illness with a specific sin in the person’s life. Confession of the sin was thought to be necessary for healing.

I’ve seen it happen in Baptist churches. I don’t know if it has happened within my church.

Peace to you

My Baptist church practices that with pastors and elders, but we do see it as just being faithful to scriptures, and God free to choose to physical heal or not

 

[JesusFan]

Do you mean this verse:

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (Jas 5:16 NKJV)

Although that verse follows verses that have been talking about people who are ill calling for the elders, it doesn't say "Confess your sins to the elders," but "Confess your sins to one another."

Good catch, as was quoting from my memory, and I tend to see this as mainly referring to one being spiritually healed and cleansed

 

[Ben1445]

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

Brings to mind these other verses.
Matthew 6:15 (Mark 11:26)
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Psalms 66:18
If I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me:

Towards man, if I have trespassed against my fellow man, I should confess it to him.
If I retain my errors and sin, I should not expect God to hear me when I ask for His help.
Given the charismatic tendencies since Azusa St., I have only seen people be very shy of this passage.
Olive oil would be the oil to use. It does have medicinal properties as stated in previous posts.
The teaching that I hear is that you should be coming to God before the physicians of this world. Not that we don’t use medicines of this world (buyer beware).
Case and point…
2 Chronicles 16:12
And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.

 

[timf]

It may be that there are differences between the gospel of the earthly kingdom for Israel and the heavenly kingdom for those responding to the gospel of grace.

Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

 

[Dave G]

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (Jas 5:16 NKJV)

Although that verse follows verses that have been talking about people who are ill calling for the elders, it doesn't say "Confess your sins to the elders," but "Confess your sins to one another."

In the AV, it reads, " 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. "

To me, "faults", in the flesh, such as a bad temper, etc. are different, IMO, then specific sins.

That's why I often confess my faults before by brothers and sisters, but my sins I only confess to the Lord ( He already knows, but I confess them in acknowledgement of them before Him ).
My sins, which are many, are nobody's business but my own and the Lord's;
They are a shame to me, but unless I see a reason for people to learn from my own mistakes, I keep them to myself.

 

[David Lamb]

In the AV, it reads, " 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. "

To me, "faults", in the flesh, such as a bad temper, etc. are different, IMO, then specific sins.

That's why I often confess my faults before by brothers and sisters, but my sins I only confess to the Lord ( He already knows, but I confess them in acknowledgement of them before Him ).
My sins, which are many, are nobody's business but my own and the Lord's;
They are a shame to me, but unless I see a reason for people to learn from my own mistakes, I keep them to myself.

My point though was to whom we are to confess our faults/sins. James writes: "To one another," not "to an elder."

 

[KJB1611reader]

Oil was used in time of Apostles and in the Gospels.

Its not used now, also confess faults (not sins.)

 

[David Lamb]

Oil was used in time of Apostles and in the Gospels.

Its not used now, also confess faults (not sins.)

But the New Testament was written in Greek originally. The Greek word used is paraptoma. Strong's Concordance defines that word as follows:

3900. παράπτωμα paraptoma [par-ap’-to-mah]; from 3895; a side-slip (lapse or deviation), i.e. (unintentional) error or (wilful) transgression: — fall, fault, offence, sin, trespass.

Some English translations of the bible have "trespasses," some "transgressions," some "faults," and some "sins." Indeed, in some places the KJV translates that same word as "sins", for example:

Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

 

[KJB1611reader]

Douay saith sins, we confess sins to God but we can Confess our faults to others.
Also, I heard lust and some good words are same Greek word. Context, and I don't go to Greek.

 

[David Lamb]

Douay saith sins, we confess sins to God but we can Confess our faults to others.
Also, I heard lust and some good words are same Greek word. Context, and I don't go to Greek.

I don't know New Testament Greek myself, but it is sometimes helpful to look up what the original Greek word actually meant. Often, the same Greek word can be translated in different verses by different English words, which can sometimes be confusing.

 

[KJB1611reader]

No, its not confusing.

 

[David Lamb]

No, its not confusing.

Well it can be. If the same Greek word is translated differently into English in different verses, that can give a mixed idea of what the bible actually says. We need to remember that the New Testament wasn't originally written in English, but Greek and a bit of Aramaic. Our English bibles are translations.

 

[KJB1611reader]

Well it can be. If the same Greek word is translated differently into English in different verses, that can give a mixed idea of what the bible actually says. We need to remember that the New Testament wasn't originally written in English, but Greek and a bit of Aramaic. Our English bibles are translations.

No, its meant to be in different ways since that's how Language work.

 

[David Lamb]

No, its meant to be in different ways since that's how Language work.

Well, take this verse in the KJV:

Ac 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered [him] to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

The Greek word translated "Easter" there is "pascha", which in 28 of the 29 places where it occurs in the New Testament is translated, "Passover" which is what the word means. Why translate it differently in Acts 12:4?

 

[Ben1445]

James 5:14-16
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:
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins (g0266. ἁμαρτία hamartia), they shall be forgiven him.
Confess your faults (g3900. παράπτωμα paraptōma) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

First, I recognize that it is believers who are being discussed. I am sure that we all know it but it is good to establish. Verse 14 says “among you” and “call for the elders.”
In this verse there is a recognizable spiritual life that desires help from God.
We should expect that the leaders of our churches should be able to pray for us and not be a hindrance to our prayers.
The oil, as stated previously, was the medicine of the day. We do take physical care of our sickness but we do it in a manner that recognizes God over medicine. We might also find benefits from using olive oil as medicine because it is amazing how God made it and how it is helpful to our health.
I don’t suppose that the sins mentioned in verse 15 are just forgiven because the church leaders have prayed for the sickness. I am certain that they are addressed in prayer by the individual and the elders. I do not think that the individual should expect the prayer of the elders to do the work of their own prayer in asking forgiveness of sin. I do see benefits of intercessory prayer.
The second word “faults” is different than the first word sins. It is the same word Jesus uses to say to forgive the people who have done something wrong to us or against us.

Matthew 6:15
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

What I understand is being said is that we are told to confess and ask forgiveness of the people who we have trespassed against.
The example of property trespassing is an easy example. If I have trespassed on my neighbors property in someway that I have no right, they may or may not know. If I have created an offense or taken some value from someone, I need to restore it and ask forgiveness of them.
This confession of fault is not to any other person than to the person who has been trespassed against. In doing so, you should have one more brother who is praying for you and you should also have a clear conscience.
With nothing hindering, we should have no trouble or guilt in asking God for help with our physical needs.