James 5:14-16Miraculous physical healing?I Corinthians 12:9 - “gifts of healing”Miracle + oil (Mark 6:13Miracle + prayer (Matthew 17:21Questions:Why this explanation (miracles are not mentioned)?Why are elders specified?Non-miraculous physical healing?Elders are specified simply because they would certainly be faithful men who would be on ‘praying terms’ with God.Olive oil was often used as a basic medicine in those days.Spiritual healing?Perhaps: whole passage is talking about one overtaken in sin.sick [astheneo, 770]: same root word in I Corinthians 11:30Elders help with spiritual sickness (Hebrews 13:17.Christians praying for one another’s forgiveness harmonizes with I John 5:16.Perhaps the same theme runs through James 5:14-20.Questions:What positive reason do we have for taking this figuratively?What about the oil?