Salluz
Aspiring Man of God
What is the function for believers now of annointing someone with oil? What type of oil should be used? I'm thinking of James 5:14
14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. (HCSB)
14 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 (KJV)
The HCSB says olive oil here, but the KJV and others just say oil. Besides the mechanics of it, I would also like to explore the why, if anyone has more information.
I know during old testament times kings were anointed before their service, and that Jesus was called the Anointed One in places like Dan 9. What other functions did annointing with oil have? Which carry over to today like in James? I have heard of annointing missionaries before sending them off; is there biblical basis for annointing someone at the start of a ministry? Who can do the annointing? (I'd guess only those considered elders in the Church, given what James says)
Exodus 30 is also brought to mind as I'm gathering my thoughts on this:
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 24 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
The purpose of annointing something with that blend of fragrances in olive oil was to make whatever it annointed considered holy. Is it the same for believers now? But that seems unnecessary to me because believers are already set apart for God's purposes, so there has to be more to it than just that.
In a logistic sense, can we use the same blend of oil they used for the temple to annoint believers for healing or whatever other purpose today? It was also olive oil, just with fragrances added.
I'm excited to hear what other information/insight people have here
14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. (HCSB)
14 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 (KJV)
The HCSB says olive oil here, but the KJV and others just say oil. Besides the mechanics of it, I would also like to explore the why, if anyone has more information.
I know during old testament times kings were anointed before their service, and that Jesus was called the Anointed One in places like Dan 9. What other functions did annointing with oil have? Which carry over to today like in James? I have heard of annointing missionaries before sending them off; is there biblical basis for annointing someone at the start of a ministry? Who can do the annointing? (I'd guess only those considered elders in the Church, given what James says)
Exodus 30 is also brought to mind as I'm gathering my thoughts on this:
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus, 24 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil. 26 Then use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
The purpose of annointing something with that blend of fragrances in olive oil was to make whatever it annointed considered holy. Is it the same for believers now? But that seems unnecessary to me because believers are already set apart for God's purposes, so there has to be more to it than just that.
In a logistic sense, can we use the same blend of oil they used for the temple to annoint believers for healing or whatever other purpose today? It was also olive oil, just with fragrances added.
I'm excited to hear what other information/insight people have here