Question: Did God Promise in James 5 13-20 to Heal Every Sick Believer?

James 5:13-20 contains specific instruction on healing, and offers specific promises of healing. Some view the verses as a claim for healing to all who believe in Jesus. Certainly there are many passages on healing in the Bible, and this is merely one component to the overall healing picture. The question is, what do THESE verses teach upon closer examination?

First, it appears to me that the illness spoken of in the passage is in the context of sinful practice. In other words, I believe I can give ample evidence that the healing is for those who are sick as a result of some sin that God has made known to them, but they would not give up without extreme pressure from Him. Why do I believe this? The historical context of the letter was an instruction to those first century Jewish believers who needed correction on at least twelve specific issues:

1. Many were groaning at the testing of God (1:1-12).
2. Others were blaming God for placing temptation in their path, rather than responsibly disciplining their walk with God (1:13-27)
3. Most were impressed by earthly wealth, and tended to be partial toward those of means (2:1-13).
4. Many were attracted to a theoretical faith or a feeling faith without a faith that works out in actions that please God (2:14-16).
5. Some claimed to be teachers, but they were not responsible in the use of their tongue (3:1-12).
6. Some were wrongly impressed by divisive teachers (3:13-18).
7. Some became self important and intolerant of others (4:1-6).
8. Many needed to repent and humbly come to God (4:7-10), while ceasing evil speaking of others (4:11-12)
9. Others needed to cease their arrogant planning of their lives, as if they were their own (4:13-17)!
10. Some of the rich were taking advantage of others (5:1-6).
11. Some abused ones had lost patience with God because they felt He was not standing up for them (5:7-11).
12. Still others were involved in double talk and duplicity (5:12), not living honestly with their brothers and the world.

If the issue we are dealing with was NOT sickness as a means of correction, than this section is the only one in the book that does not appear to be corrective, and that seems strange to me. In addition, the immediate context both before and after has a corrective tone. The immediate instruction following the passage is to persuade one another to abandon sin to be healed.

Let's look at the specifics of the instruction:

1. The Sick Initiated the Healing! As the suffering believer was admonished to seek God for wisdom (5:13, cp. 1:5), and the excited believer was offered the counsel "sing it out!" (5:13), so the sick was instructed to initiate healing by calling the elders of the church (5:14a).
2. It was a local church Eldership matter! The Elders of the congregation were specifically instructed to do two things: "pray over' the sick and anoint with oil, under the authority of Jesus (5:14b).
3. The prayer moved the Lord that heals! It is not the character of the Elder, nor the type of oil that heals (5:15), but only the prayer and the Lord that raise him up.
4. God offered the right prayer to the Elders! The prayer of faith was the same as the prayer of the "righteous man" (5:16). That prayer was is in "middle voice". That is best translated, "the effectual fervent prayer of faith given to him avails much…" It was this kind of prayer God put in the mouths of effective prophets of old (5:17-18).
5. The sickness was limited. Those who were sick as a result of sin in their life were promised both forgiveness and health through repentance. If the sin was one of commission (as opposed to omission, see James 4:17) the sin was forgiven. If the sin that caused the illness was omission, the healed had better get busy (5:15)!
6. They were admonished to persuade one another to abandon sin in order to deliver the straying from the Divine discipline of illness or even death (5:19-20; see Jeremiah 15:19ff).

With those in mind, let's restate the promise God made those first century Jewish believers scattered around the Roman world that received this letter:

"If one sinned and God used illness as a tool to bring conviction, the sick one was instructed to call on the congregational leaders for prayer and anointing. Those leaders were to anoint the sick with oil and pray over the sick one. Under those conditions, God promised He would place in the mouths of those praying a prayer of faith that would (together with the repentance of the sick one and the symbolic oil) both heal his body and cleanse his heart." (The Randy Standard Version!)

Let's draw some important conclusions-

What the passage DOESN'T teach!

1. God can only heal in this way, and will not heal in other ways.
2. All sickness is as a result of the sinful actions or omissions of the sick person.
3. God is obligated to heal every sick person that Elders anoint.

What timeless truths about God and His heart DOES the passage teach?

1. God can use sickness as His own tool to discipline people (the leprosy of Miriam, the quail sickness in the wilderness).
2. God can use death as a tool for discipline in the church (1 Cor. 11; Acts 5).
3. Obedience is healthy and sin is dangerous both physically and spiritually (Dt. 6:24).
4. God has numerous ways to bring about repentance in our lives, but He does not inflict pain without purpose.
5. God is FOR us! He wants us to grow and produce. He wants us to bypass suffering and pain.

Hope that helps!
R