Confession, Prayer, and Healing: Rethinking James 5:14-16

Global Advanced Research Journal of Arts and Humanities (GARJAH)
April 2015 Vol. 4(1), pp. 001-006
Copyright © 2014 Global Advanced Research Journals

Review

Confession, Prayer, and Healing: Rethinking James 5:14-16

Daniel Dei and Robert Osei-Bonsu*

School of Theology and Missions, Valley View University, Oyibi-Dodowa, Ghana

*Corresponding Author`s E-mail: pastorbonsu@hotmail.com

Abstract

This article is a study of the relationship between confession, prayer, and healing within the context of James 5:14-16. A grammatical-historical study of James 5:14-16 reveals the context as the spiritual renewal of the spiritually weak or wearied. Based on this context, the study implies that the sick refers basically to those who are spiritually weak or lacking spiritual strength; the elders who are to be called refer to the overseers or leaders of the faith community; the use of oil suggest a symbolic use of it as a means of refreshing the spiritually weak; the healing of the spiritually weak is the sole discretion of God; and persons lacking spiritual strength are to confess their sins, first to God (in the event of direct sin against God), and second to one another (in the event of sins against others). Contrary to popular opinion, the study concludes that James 5:14-16 should be primarily understood as directives for the spiritual restoration of the spiritually weak.

Keywords: Auricular confession, confession, extreme unction, grammatical-historical, healing, prayer.

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