On February 15th during my evening service, I am planning on conducting a healing service. The reason for this is, we as a church have just completed a study in the book of James and it ends with the practice of anointing with oil and prayer for healing.I have never attended a Southern Baptist Church who even thought of doing such a thing. Why is that? well for one reson…healing services is thought of as charismatic, Benny Hinn-like, too emotion driven, etc. I state that it is Biblical! It’s going to be very interesting this week as I study up on the subject, and try to convince people to attend this “radical” event in my church. Any suggestions from those with more knowledge would be helpful!
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If you do a study on the word for “sick” in that passage in James you will find that it almost certainly does not mean “physical sickness” – but rather to be “psychologically crushed” or something similar. This best fits the immediate context and the overall context of the book – and other usages of the word throughout the NT. Also, the idea of “anointing” is almost certainly related to the idea of “grooming” – as in not being like those who show they are fasting by letting themselves become unkempt (i.e., Jesus’ teaching). So, what you’re about to engage in has completely unbiblical – and not simply because it is “Benny Hinn-like” – it is just isn’t what James is teaching at all. I don’t doubt that you and your congregation might experience something supernatural, but if so, you definitely can’t simply claim “it must be from God” because you will be acting in contradiction to His revelation.
Did Jesus not heal physical sicknesses? I welcome all comments and beliefs here but please back up your comments with references in which the readers can study for themselves
DJ – I also wanted to let you know that i should have explained more on the fact I am going to emphasize more on the spiritual healing through faith…physical healing can occur when the believer has faith in the Healer…this is through faith…”Completely unbiblical” how do you say that?
Of course Jesus healed physical sickness. My comment was only on what James wrote as that was the focus of your post. And I did back up what I said in the sense that I mentioned other texts / contexts – and anyone can easily check the other passages in which the same word is used in the Greek text. However, I could / should have given an example – so to give a specific example, it is used in Hebrews 12:3-4. I agree that spiritual / emotional healing seems to be the focus of the passage and should be what is emphasized, but that was not the impression your post gave (but perhaps I read into it).
And I do believe asking the Lord for healing is biblical, so I didn’t intend to give the impression that I did not. However, most of the time, when a healing service is mentioned, it usually involves focus on a faith-healer, rather than the Healer who responds to faith. It would be that with which I would take issue – particularly with regard to the passage in James.
Thanks for the responses DJ. I do understand your point. I must mention also that our study in James prompted a completely different discussion on the Biblical aspect of healing. I am going to emphasize the faith in the Healer aspect over the notion of healing comes from the person’s faith alone.