Ángel
Manuel Rodríguez
Is there any biblical support for the massive anointing of the
sick during a worship service?
The Bible
says very little about anointing the sick. It is likely that in
the early church it was a private ceremony. When Jesus' disciples
saw a sick person while they were preaching, they anointed her
or him and prayed for healing (Mark 6:13). But the most important
passage about this subject is found in James 5:14, 15.
1. Instructions
for Anointing the Sick: The only specific biblical instruction concerning
the anointing of the sick is found in James's discussion of prayer. The
apostle listed a series of steps for anointing the sick, implying that this
type of prayer is to be offered in an orderly manner. First, a sick person
invites the elders, the church leaders, to come and pray for him or her. This
is clearly a private occasion, and takes place in the home of the person. Second,
the elders pray over the sick person. Although the practice of laying hands
on the person during this type of prayer is not mentioned, the phrase "pray
over" implies that it was done. In any case, the anointing requires some
physical contact with the person. Third, the act of anointing is combined with
prayer. Olive oil is used during the ceremony. The significance of the oil
is not clear, but the fact that oil was used for medicinal purposes (see Isa.
1:6) may suggest that it is used to indicate that this is a prayer for healing.
It could also be that the oil is a symbol of the presence of the Holy Spirit,
the divine life-giving agent (see Isa. 61:1-3). Fourth, during prayer the name
of the Lord is invoked. This is another way of saying that those who pray are
not relying on their own power but on the power of the risen Lord. Their request
recognizes that they are unable to meet the need of the person who is ill.
This excludes self-glorification and any sense of religious pride or superiority.
2. Significance
of the Ceremony: Several things about this important ceremony are significant.
First, the oil itself has no healing power. Healing occurs through the intervention
of the Lord in response to the prayer offered to Him. Invoking His name is
indispensable in this ceremony. Those who pray offer prayer in faith, trusting
in the wisdom and power of God. The oil is symbolic, pointing to the power
of Christ to heal through the Spirit. James made clear that the sick will be
healed, and in many cases that takes place. Yet the mystery of prayer remains,
because in some cases the prayer of faith requires us to trust God's
wisdom when He chooses to do otherwise. Second, sickness is not necessarily
the result of sin in a person's life. James wrote: "If he has committed
sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:15), leaving open the possibility
that the disease had a natural cause. Third, the reference to forgiveness indicates
that the healing for which it is being prayed is of a wholistic nature, that
prayer brings both physical and spiritual healing to the person. The spiritual
life is also renewed through the power of the Spirit and the confession of
sin. Fourth, the prayer is not for a person who is dying but for a sick person
requesting healing. The practice of extreme unction cannot be supported from
James 5:14, 15.
3. Practical Implications: There
is no biblical support for the practice of anointing the sick in large or small
numbers during public religious meetings. James made clear that this was a
private religious ceremony. A misinformed practice of anointing could easily
lead into an overemphasis on the miraculous and the emotional. When that occurs,
the reliability of a religious experience is usually determined by a supposed
encounter with the Spirit of the Lord, independent of the witness of Scripture.
We are people of the Word, and we should continue to give it its central role
in the life of the church. Faith and practice must be judged by the clear instruction
of the Holy Scripture.
4/06
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