What does James mean by the "prayer of faith"? Short answer: we don't know for sure since James doesn't explicitly define his terms.
i) Some people take this to mean you (the elders) know in advance that God will answer your prayer.
One question is whether that's a realistic interpretation. Did James think God always healed the sick whenever the elders anointed them with oil and prayed with them? Was that his experience?
Is James predicting or promising that whenever elders do this, the sick will be healed? If so, that's a problem, since that correlation isn't borne out in reality.
ii) Some might object to using experience to interpret his statement, but that's not inherently invalid. James intends his statement to apply to a real-world situation. And, presumably, this isn't just an abstract hypothetical case. So asking whether a particular interpretation would correspond to his own experience or those of his readers isn't out-of-bounds.
iii) Perhaps is James using general, unqualified language with the unstated understanding that this isn't always (or even normally) the case. Just a chapter before, James warned his readers against a presumptuous attitude about the future (4:13-15). So when he gets around the "prayer of faith," it may assume that implicit caveat.
Indeed, in this very passage, James implies that illness is sometimes (not always) the result of unconfessed sin (v15b-16). In that event, healing would not be automatic, absent contrition.
iv) By the "prayer of faith," James could simply mean the elders are men of faith. That's a qualification for Christian eldership. They believe in God. Trust in God. Live by faith in his promises. And living by prayer is one example of living by faith. When they pray, that's an expression of their faith. Not a special kind of faith, but just garden-variety faith, like prayer generally.
That's confirmed by the parallel he himself draws with the prayers of the righteous, using Elijah as his role model (vv16b-18). Elijah was not a man of unwavering faith. He could be shaken by self-doubt. Yet he was a righteous man. And he had persevering faith, even if it faltered from time to time.
v) Some people think this refers to "expectant faith." Pray, believing that God will heal the sick.
Problem is, unless you foreknow that God will heal the patient in question, expectant faith is make-believe or wishful thinking. You pray as if you know that God will answer your prayer, even though you don't actually know that, and, in fact, you know that sometimes God won't respond in kind.
Does God require us to believe something will happen when that belief is unjustified? Does God make as a condition of answered prayer believing something we don't know to be the case–something which, in fact, we already know will not be the case in some instances?
vi) Suppose, though, there are times when God gives a Christian a sense of prior confidence about the outcome. Assuming that's the case, then on those occasions you could pray, believing that God will do what you ask. But that would be exceptional. The rest of the time you'd have to pray without that firm anticipation.
vii) To take a possible comparison, Paul says "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith" (Rom 12:6). This invites two different interpretations:
a ) Paul is using "faith" in the objective sense. Test prophecy according to the rule of faith. Revealed doctrine is the standard by which to measure prophetic claims.
b) Paul is using "faith" in the subjective sense. Exercising your gift commensurate with the degree of faith God has given you. How much faith you have, the kind of faith you have, is proportionate to God's grace.
Both interpretations are defensible. But assuming that (b) is correct, and that's a reasonable interpretation, then James may have in mind the same thing. The "prayer of faith" depends on how much faith God has given you. Your level of faith may vary from one occasion to another. Or one Christian's faith may vary in relation to another Christian's faith.
There might be extraordinary occasions when God gives a Christian "mountain-moving" faith. Absolute certainty about the outcome. But that's not something we can count on. That's not something we have any direct control over. If you have it, use it–but don't presume it. Don't fake it. Pray according to the measure of faith you've been given in any particular situation. Don't be self-conscious about your faith when you pray. Just pray.
In addition, certitude can be delusive. The fact that you're sure of something doesn't make it true–as many people find out…the hard way.
mr. Hays, this does not pertain to the article that i am commenting on but it relates to the christ myth. First a statement from wikipedia:
ReplyDelete"In The Quest, Schweitzer reviewed all former work on the "historical Jesus" back to the late 18th century. He showed that the image of Jesus had changed with the times and outlooks of the various authors, and gave his own synopsis and interpretation of the previous century's findings. He maintained that the life of Jesus must be interpreted in the light of Jesus' own convictions, which reflected late Jewish eschatology. Schweitzer, however, writes: "The Jesus of Nazareth who came forward publicly as the Messiah, who preached the ethic of the kingdom of God, who founded the kingdom of heaven upon earth and died to give his work its final consecration never existed."" next, a statement found on a blog about the religion of Georg Freidrich Hegel: "Albert Schweitzer praised (Bruno) Bauer's scholarship as world class." Would you comment on these two pieces of information in a blog post and say if they are truthful or not. I would greatly appreciate it, or please indicate that you or another member of triablogue has addressed something in the same vain.
Before I interact with Steve's great post, I want to say I think in mercy God sometimes allows people to die in their sickness. For example Abijah, Jereboam's son, died of his sickness rather than living long enough to see calamitous times (1 Kings 14:1, 13; see esp. v. 13). Elisha died of his sickness as a godly man (2 Kings 13:14-20).
ReplyDeleteCompare that with Isa. 57:1-2:
1 The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; 2 he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.
The KJV has, "...the righteous is taken away from the evil [to come.]"
Steve wrote:
Short answer: we don't know for sure since James doesn't explicitly define his terms.
<== I totally agree. It's always annoying [pun intended] whenever people talk about this passage with such dogmatism.
Some people take this to mean you (the elders) know in advance that God will answer your prayer.
<== Given Calvinism's distinction between God's revealed will and God's will of decree, it's theoretically possible for it to be God's will of decree not to heal someone even if it might be God's revealed will to always heal upon sufficient genuine faith. The overwhelming majority of Calvinists deny that God's revealed will is always to heal on the condition of sufficient faith, but I personally think it does (as a Calvinist myself). I don't think that's contradictory because even when it comes to salvation, many Calvinists are willing to say that God's offer of salvation is for anyone who will meet the condition of faith. Of course, Calvinists believe that genuine faith for justification is God's sovereign gift. Why can't the same thing be the case for genuine faith for healing? I don't see why it can't.
Continued in Next Post:
Just a chapter before, James warned his readers against a presumptuous attitude about the future (4:13-15).
Delete<== But in the first chapter James talks about faith in relation to asking for and receiving wisdom and he argues that faith shouldn't waver. He says, "For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." To quote Steve, "So when he gets around [to] the "prayer of faith," it may assume that implicit caveat." IF (arguendo) it's always God's revealed will to heal the sick on the condition of faith, then one would know God's will in this instance unlike instances described in James 4:13-17 (i.e. things not directly addressed in Scripture like where one should live, what job/career to take/choose, et cetera). A scriptural case can be made (strongly or weakly) that it's always God's (revealed) will (at the very least) to heal upon the condition of faith.
Indeed, in this very passage, James implies that illness is sometimes (not always) the result of unconfessed sin (v15b-16). In that event, healing would not be automatic, absent contrition.
<== Jesus sometimes forgave people and then He healed them afterwards (e.g. Matt. 9:2ff). Other times Jesus healed them first and then forgave them afterward (cf. the healing of the invalid in John 5:2-14). Also, on multiple occasions Jesus healed multitudes without requring them to first repent (Matt. 4:23-25; 8:16-17; 9:35-38; 12:15; 14:14; 15:30-31; 19:2; 21:14; Mark 1:32-34; 3:10; Luke 4:18-19; 40-41; 6:17-19; 9:10-11; 13:15-16; 14:5; 17:11-19; cf. John 6:2). I think this is a fair inference since some people received healing by touching Jesus in a superstitious way (apparently) after hearing the incident of the woman who was healed of a flow of blood in a similar fashion. Apparently, their superstition was close enough to faith that God honored it with healing (cf. Matt. 14:36 & Matt. 9:20). One of the purposes of Jesus' mass healings was to demonstrate/prove the reality of God's Kingdom and so to encourage them to repent (and receive God's forgiveness) on account of those signs/wonders.
In this passage, James presents both methods: 1. of healing first and then forgiveness (James 5:15); 2. of forgiving first and then healing (James 5:16 suggests confession of sins committed against each other and receiving forgiveness from both man and God before healing takes place).
iv) By the "prayer of faith," James could simply mean the elders are men of faith. ..... <== Agreed.
v) Some people think this refers to "expectant faith." Pray, believing that God will heal the sick. Problem is, unless you foreknow that God will heal the patient in question, expectant faith is make-believe or wishful thinking.
Delete<== One can have warranted reason to believingly expect something without *knowing* it to be the case (i.e. without warranted and justified true belief). For example, a non-elect person has Biblical warrant to expect that if he really believed on Christ he would be saved, even though he will not (even cannot) be saved because he's non-elect. Similarly, Christians can have Biblically warranted expectation of healing even if it's not God's will of decree to heal in a particular situation. Sure, this could lead to dashed hopes, but God has the right to disappoint us. Besides, such a faith that at least strives to believe greatly in God's goodness and faithfulness will eventually be rewarded if not here in this life, then in the next life. The apostles failed to heal the deaf-mute demoniac ultimately because it was God's will of decree that they fail to. But Jesus nevertheless was able to reprimand them for their failure and weak faith. It seems to me that God can simultaneously commend and condemn us for both our faith and its littleness. As it has often been said, "God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy." The deaf-mute demonic is an example of how it was BOTH a.) God's revealed will that the disciples heal a person or persons AND b.) God's will of decree that that person not be healed (at least initially). In this case, they should have persisted in faith and prayer since it was God's ultimate will to heal the child (Mark 9:29).
Does God require us to believe something will happen when that belief is unjustified? Does God make as a condition of answered prayer believing something we don't know to be the case–something which, in fact, we already know will not be the case in some instances?
<== I think my statements sufficiently address these legitimate concerns/questions. Believing something, or at least striving to believe something is compatible with not knowing something (using the word "know" in the common [though antiquated?] philosophical definition of "justified true belief"). Besides, faith is not ultimately something one can muster on one's own. Especially in the case of healing. [cf. C.S. Price's book The Real Faith which is recommended by a fellow Calvinist, Vincent Cheung, who has come to very similar conclusions I have on the topic of healing independently from me]
vi) Suppose, though, there are times when God gives a Christian a sense of prior confidence about the outcome.
Delete<== Some Christians (e.g. George Mueller) have had occasions when they had such a confidence for the healing of the sick. But not always. Mueller believed that in those instances he was given the "gift of faith."
a ) Paul is using "faith" in the objective sense. <== The context seems to mitigate against that since the following verses say, "if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching... [etc.]"
The "prayer of faith" depends on how much faith God has given you. Your level of faith may vary from one occasion to another. Or one Christian's faith may vary in relation to another Christian's faith.
<== Agreed. George Mueller made the distinction between the "gift of faith" and the "grace of faith". He believed that the "gift of faith" could be given by God so that one can have confidence that a person will get well, but denied that one could use or develop one's "grace of faith" for that kind of confident healing. I suspect that one can use both, but only the gift of faith is nearly equivalent to God's revealing His will of decree and intention on the matter, while the grace of faith stands on the general promises of Scripture.
There might be extraordinary occasions when God gives a Christian "mountain-moving" faith. Absolute certainty about the outcome. But that's not something we can count on. <== I definitely think that's the gift of faith.
That's not something we have any direct control over. If you have it, use it–but don't presume it. Don't fake it.
<== Agreed. But I think C.S. Price has explained how we can receive such faith from God if God so wishes in his book.
In addition, certitude can be delusive. The fact that you're sure of something doesn't make it true–as many people find out…the hard way. <== Agreed. God sometimes delays an answer to prayer or a hearts desire after death. Moses wasn't allowed to enter the Promised Land, but he got to be one of the two who participated in Christ's transfiguration while in the promised land. I think Moses really appeared even though it's called a "vision" (Matt. 17:9).
Also, I think Biblical faith is more than mere assent. Whether it's faith for justification, or faith for sanctification, or faith for healing (etc.). "There is belief in faith, but faith is more than belief." Equating mere belief and assent to Biblical faith is the error that often leads to Sandemanianism, Easy Believism, No Lordship Salvation, antinomianism. Genuine faith is more than merely mental or intellectual, it's spiritual. Something which only God can give by the Holy Spirit. We can do things that can develop real faith, but both the faith and our ability to develop it are from God according to Calvinism (Isa. 26:12; John 15:5; Phil. 2:13; John 6:37,44; Rom. 9:16; Eph. 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; etc.).
DeleteHere's a link to my blog on Recommended Resources on Divine Healing
http://charismatamatters.blogspot.com/2013/07/recommended-resources-on-healing.html
Is faith trusting God and who He is and even if He doesn't heal me, I will still accept His sovereignty/providence or is faith believing that for sure God will heal me if I don't doubt and "speak to the mountain" ?
ReplyDeleteThis discussion reminds me of Mark 11:22-25, the main text of the whole "Word of Faith" Movement. (But they usually only focus on verses 22-24; and they leave out the context of Jesus' tying the cursing of the fig tree to the lack of fruit of Israel and the corruption in the temple. All of Mark 11 and 12:1-12 and Matthew chapter 21 must be studied together to understand what is going here, it seems to me.
Jesus cursed the fig tree for the lack of fruit - and Matthew 21:43-46 along with the cleansing of the money-changers in the temple and the lack of concern for the nations (Mark 11:17) shows us the lessons that Jesus was teaching behind why He cursed the fig tree.
So, "have faith in God" is not the Word of Faith interpretation of "have the faith of God" - that God operates by faith and calls things into existence, but it is "have true faith in the true God, and not the "god" of the Pharisees, who rejected the Messiah". The "mountain" is the mountain of the temple of the Lord - Isaiah 2:1-4 (Isaiah 2:2 - "the mountain of the house of the Lord"); Isaiah 56:7 (where Jesus quotes from in Mark 11:17 and has the phrase, "My holy mountain".
So, it seems that this is an allusion to the destruction of the temple, because the lack of fruit, corruption, greed, lack of concern for the nations (evangelism and missions) and lack of true faith in the true God.
We should preach and "speak" against the lack of fruit in our own lives, so to speak.
And Mark 11:25 at least hints at the principle in Psalm 66:18 and other passages about prayer.
Once one understands the context and Jesus' meaning behind the cursing of the fig tree, and God's sovereignty in prayer ( 1 John 5:14; Luke 22:42, Matthew 6:10), and that we must search our hearts and motives in prayer and forgive others (Mark 11:25; Psalm 66:18; Psalm 139:23-24, then what does it mean to "believe that what you ask for you have received" (Mark 11:24) and "whatever you say to the Mountain/fig tree" (Mark 11:23), it will be done for you." ?
In Dennis & Rita Bennett's book book "The Holy Spirit and You" they mention an instance of someone allegedly receiving the gift of faith (page 138):
ReplyDeleteQUOTE
A dramatic and true example of the gift of faith coupled with the gift of miracles comes from an Elim missionary in Tanzania. A native congregation had gathered for Easter services, when suddenly an enraged lioness in a wild mood dashed out of the jungle, attacking everything in her path. She killed several domestic animals, then a woman and a child and headed directly for the assembled believers. Bud Sickler, the Elim missionary who received the report from the native pastor, says:
"The congregation suddenly saw the lioness. She had stopped only a few yards from them, snarling ferociously. The people trembled with shock! The preacher shouted, 'Don't be afraid—the God who saved Daniel from the lions is here—the risen Christ of Easter is here.1 He turned to the lioness and cried, 'You, lion, I curse you in the name of Jesus Christ!'
"Then the most amazing thing happened. From the scattered clouds, without a sign of rain, a bolt of lightning struck the lioness and she dropped dead. The preacher then jumped on the carcass and used it as a platform to preach!" The final punch of the story is that not only were the people's lives saved, but the whole village was stirred, and seventeen gave their lives to the Lord Jesus!
END QUOTE
A footnote gives the source as "World Map Digest (Fontana, Calif., 1970), X, 22."