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16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THE
SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
ANNOINTING THE SICK
THE
SACRAMENTS OF HEALING
ANOINTING THE SICK
A H E A L I N G
S E R V I C E
With The Laying On Of Hands
Anointing With Oil & Prayer
James 5:13-16; Isaiah 61:1-3; Mark 2:1-12
"Are any among you
sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray
over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer
of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and
everybody who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess
your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be
healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." James
(5:14-16)
Apparently anointing
the sick is often confused with the extreme unction of the Roman
Catholic Church which is considered the last rite given to the dying.
Here however the implication within the early church seem to be
totally different. It was a service of healing, not death. It was
used for healing of the body and the spirit. The quote implies that
it was done in the presence of several elders who will in turn anoint,
lay hands and pray over so that the power of the spirit of healing is
brought because of consonance of the faith “two or three”.
Mat 18:19
Furthermore, truly I tell you that if two of you agree on earth about
anything you request, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
Moreover the Lord
spoke to Moses saying, Also take for yourself quality spices - five
hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet smelling
cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty of
sweet smelling cane. Five hundred shekels of cassia, according to
the shekel of sanctuary and a him of olive oil. And you shall make
from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to
the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.
Exodus 30:22-25
Christ means the
"Anointed One". Because Christ is in us the same anointing that He
had on earth we also have. The anointing with oil is symbolic of the
healing through the power of Christ.
This is the manifesto
of Jesus as he started His ministry: "The Spirit of the LORD is
upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the
poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty
to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at
liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of
the LORD." (Luke 4:18-19 )
"If anyone is sick, let
him call on the elders of the Church. They shall pray for him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer said in
faith will save the sick man; the Lord will raise him up and if he has
committed any sins, he will be forgiven."
James
5:13-15
  
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