In 5:13 James goes on to the matter of healthy practices in the church life: “Does anyone among you suffer evil? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” Praying brings us the strength of the Lord to endure suffering, and singing praise keeps us in the joy of the Lord. The Greek words rendered “sing praise” also mean sing psalms, or play on a stringed instrument. Whether we pray or sing praise, we should contact God. In any environment and under any circumstance, humble or exalted, grievous or joyful, we need to contact the Lord.
In verse 14 James continues, “Is anyone among you weak? Let him call to him the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord.” In this verse James refers to someone who is weak because of sickness. Weakness leads to sickness (1 Cor. 11:30), and sickness causes more weakness.
In verse 14 James encourages the one who is weak to call the elders of the church. To call the elders of the church to pray for weakness due to sickness implies that there is no problem between the calling one and the church represented by the elders; that restitution has been made between the calling one and the church, if the sickness is due to the calling one’s having offended the church (see 1 Cor. 11:29-32); and that there has been a thorough confession of sins one to another by the sick one and the elders (James 5:16).
In verse 14 James speaks of anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. Two Greek words are translated anoint: aleipho, the word used here and in John 12:3, is the common term for applying oil: chrio means to anoint officially for office as priest (Acts 10:38), king (Heb. 1:9), or prophet (Luke 4:18). Chrio in connection with Christos (Christ) is used for the anointing of the Son by the Father (Acts 10:38). To anoint with oil signifies to impart the Spirit of life, who has been poured upon the Body of Christ as the anointing oil (Psa. 133:2), to the sick member of the Body, through the representation of the elders of the church, for the healing of the sick one (1 John 5:16).
“In the name of the Lord” signifies oneness with the Lord. The anointing in 5:14 is not by elders alone, but by their being one with the Lord, representing both the Body and the Head.
In verse 14 we have the only direct mention of the church in the book of James. The one time James speaks of the church is in reference to the negative matter of healing sickness. Furthermore, the matter of turning back a brother who has been led astray from the truth is also a matter related to the church life. Hence, what James says concerning the church involves negative matters, praying for the sick and restoring backsliders.
James’ concept was filled with the things of Judaism and not much with the things concerning the church. In contrast to James, Paul was permeated, saturated, and soaked with the matters of the church. Again and again in his writings, he speaks regarding the church. In his Epistles Paul writes concerning Christ, the Spirit, life, and the church in a profound way. But in this Epistle James has little to say about Christ, the Spirit, life, or the church. Although we appreciate James’ emphasis on practical Christian perfection, we must go on through the help of Paul’s ministry concerning God’s economy to see that the church is built up with the riches of the all-inclusive Christ.
In 5:15 James goes on to say, “And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, it will be forgiven him.” The Greek word rendered “prayer” is not the usual form of the word for prayer. This word is translated vow in Acts 18:18 and 21:23.
In verse 15 James mentions both sickness and sins. Committing sins is often the cause of sickness (John 5:14). In such cases forgiveness is always the cause of healing (Matt. 9:2, 5-7; Mark 2:5). For this reason, in the first part of verse 16 James says, “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”