Lay Hands & Anoint

Laying On Hands & Anointing With Oil

" They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them..."

Mark 6:13 (NIV)

" Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord..."

James 5:14 (KJV)

Why do we lay hands upon the sick and anoint them with oil? Let's address the laying on of hands first.

Jesus, more than anyone else, practiced the laying on of hands in His ministry, especially in healing the sick. Look at Luke 4:40 (NKJV), "Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them."

Again in Luke 13:13 (NASB) we see Jesus had pity on a woman that had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. He freed her: "And He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God."

In Mark 16:17-18 (NASB) Jesus instructed His disciples, before leaving this earth, what the sign would be that will follow the preaching of the Gospel. "And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Jesus speaks here of a future time, after His departure, clearly stating that this practice was to continue until He returns, at the end of times.

Note that the gift of physical healing is a gift of God and it has to be performed "in the name of Jesus" for the healing is not ours but God's which He grants as He wills. See where Jesus tells us that in John 15:16 (NASB), "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."

Healing is from God, not from us, and He grants healing as He wants for His purposes. We are commanded to pray in faith and perform this ministry until the end; however, the outcome is entirely in His hands.

The laying on of hands is an act of faith and obedience to God's Word. Like anointing its effectiveness does not depend on our feelings or abilities, but rather on God who grants the increase.

Laying on of hands in many instances is accompanied by anointing with oil. In ancient times using oil for illnesses was extremely common, even more common than putting a band-aid on our injuries is today. But is that all there is to the passage in James 5:14? If it was purely medicinal why wasn't the sick person sent to the doctor? Why call the church leaders?

There is really nothing magical or supernatural about anointing a sick person with oil. We are not invoking any special healing powers by anointing the person.

What exactly is anointing? To ‘anoint' literally means to pour or rub oil on a person or thing. In the Old Testament, the practice of anointing could be used in secular situations (such as finalizing a legal contract, or preparing a shield for battle) or it could be used for religious purposes.

In reference to religious use, objects were anointed, such as the temple and its furnishings (Ex 40:9-10), garments (Lev 8:30), and sacred vessels (Ex 30:26). Religious anointing was also used for certain types of people, such as kings (I Kings 1:39; 2 Kings 9:6), priests (Ex 29:29; Lev 4:3), and prophets (I Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22; Ps 105:15).

By anointing an individual the person anointed is symbolically set apart as holy and consecrated to the Lord. In other words, they are His and to be used according to His purposes. In the New Testament anointing the sick is connected with the preaching of repentance. Mark 6:12-14 (NIV) states that "They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." The James passage cited above has about the same type of meaning as the Mark passage.

My best understanding of this passage is that the anointing with oil of a sick individual is a symbolic declaration that this person has been set apart to God. Medicine has failed. Human ability has failed. The leaders of the church then gather together, and in the name of the Lord, symbolically pronounce their submission to and faith in the almighty God. Such an anointing is not a guarantee of healing; rather, it is purely a declaration of faith in God's ability to heal if He so chooses. That's why Luke 5:17 (NASB) is in the Bible, "...the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing."

One of the more accurate representations of what James is telling us is found in the GNT, "Are any among you sick? They should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the Lord. This prayer made in faith will heal the sick; the Lord will restore them to health, and the sins they have committed will be forgiven."

By translating the word "anoint" literally as "rub" or "smear" it helps remove the mystical feeling that many attach to this passage. It is true that rubbing of oil was common among both believers and non-believers for medicinal purposes during the first century. By using this symbolic declaration that this person has been set apart to God it becomes chiefly a matter of God getting the glory for being God.

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Mark 6:13 (NIV) " Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord..." James 5:14 (KJV) Why do we lay hands upon the sick and anoint them with oil? Let's address the laying on of hands first. Jesus, more than anyone else, practiced the laying on of hands in His ministry, especially in healing the sick. Look at Luke 4:40 (NKJV), "Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them." Again in Luke 13:13 (NASB) we see Jesus had pity on a woman that had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. He freed her: "And He laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God." In Mark 16:17-18 (NASB) Jesus instructed His disciples, before leaving this earth, what the sign would be that will follow the preaching of the Gospel. "And these signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." Jesus speaks here of a future time, after His departure, clearly stating that this practice was to continue until He returns, at the end of times. Note that the gift of physical healing is a gift of God and it has to be performed "in the name of Jesus" for the healing is not ours but God's which He grants as He wills. See where Jesus tells us that in John 15:16 (NASB), "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you." Healing is from God, not from us, and He grants healing as He wants for His purposes. We are commanded to pray in faith and perform this ministry until the end; however, the outcome is entirely in His hands. The laying on of hands is an act of faith and obedience to God's Word. Like anointing its effectiveness does not depend on our feelings or abilities, but rather on God who grants the increase. Laying on of hands in many instances is accompanied by anointing with oil. In ancient times using oil for illnesses was extremely common, even more common than putting a band-aid on our injuries is today. But is that all there is to the passage in James 5:14? If it was purely medicinal why wasn't the sick person sent to the doctor? Why call the church leaders? There is really nothing magical or supernatural about anointing a sick person with oil. We are not invoking any special healing powers by anointing the person. What exactly is anointing? To ‘anoint' literally means to pour or rub oil on a person or thing. In the Old Testament, the practice of anointing could be used in secular situations (such as finalizing a legal contract, or preparing a shield for battle) or it could be used for religious purposes. In reference to religious use, objects were anointed, such as the temple and its furnishings (Ex 40:9-10), garments (Lev 8:30), and sacred vessels (Ex 30:26). Religious anointing was also used for certain types of people, such as kings (I Kings 1:39; 2 Kings 9:6), priests (Ex 29:29; Lev 4:3), and prophets (I Kings 19:16; 1 Chronicles 16:22; Ps 105:15). By anointing an individual the person anointed is symbolically set apart as holy and consecrated to the Lord. In other words, they are His and to be used according to His purposes. In the New Testament anointing the sick is connected with the preaching of repentance. Mark 6:12-14 (NIV) states that "They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." The James passage cited above has about the same type of meaning as the Mark passage. My best understanding of this passage is that the anointing with oil of a sick individual is a symbolic declaration that this person has been set apart to God. Medicine has failed. Human ability has failed. The leaders of the church then gather together, and in the name of the Lord, symbolically pronounce their submission to and faith in the almighty God. Such an anointing is not a guarantee of healing; rather, it is purely a declaration of faith in God's ability to heal if He so chooses. That's why Luke 5:17 (NASB) is in the Bible, "...the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing." One of the more accurate representations of what James is telling us is found in the GNT, "Are any among you sick? They should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the Lord. This prayer made in faith will heal the sick; the Lord will restore them to health, and the sins they have committed will be forgiven." By translating the word "anoint" literally as "rub" or "smear" it helps remove the mystical feeling that many attach to this passage. It is true that rubbing of oil was common among both believers and non-believers for medicinal purposes during the first century. By using this symbolic declaration that this person has been set apart to God it becomes chiefly a matter of God getting the glory for being God.