David Hathaway

'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. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up.' (James 5:14, NIV.) In my experience from over 70 years in ministry, I believe that the Scripture teaches two different ministries of healing. The first is for evangelism where Jesus said, 'Go into all the world, preach the Gospel, heal the sick.' In this passage, healing the sick confirms the power of the Gospel we preach. But then in the book of James, it is referring to the ministry of healing in the church: being prayed for, and anointing with oil, symbolises the Holy Spirit.