Why use anoiting oil?
Samuel Emadi I’m naturally suspicious of anything that smacks of religious ritualism. Prayer labyrinths? No, thank you; I’ll stick with corporate prayer in the church and the private prayer Jesus commends ( Matt. 6:6 ). Candles and incense? Again, I’ll take plain preaching and congregational singing. So when asked whether we should anoint the sick with oil, I confess I reflexively resist the idea. For someone in my theological tribe, pouring oil on someone just feels . . . weird . But faithful theology isn’t an enterprise in following feelings or intuitions; it’s a matter of submitting to Scripture wherever it leads. In this case, Scripture directly addresses whether we should anoint the sick with oil. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the church's elders, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 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, he will be forgiven. ( Jam