by R. C. Oliver
James 5:13-15: “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing
psalms. [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: [15] And the prayer of faith shall save
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven
him.”
Does this reading not teach that Jesus is still performing miracles today? Now, what is the
meaning of this reading? It is simply affirming a fact, namely all whom the elders anointed and
over whom they prayed were made free from their bond of sickness and were made every whit
whole. When James wrote, he wrote unto the brethren during the apostolic era. During this period,
the Lord very definitely worked with his disciples confirming the word with signs following.
Miracles characterized the church of the apostolic period, just like miracles characterized the world
in the beginning. God brought order out of chaos, but just as God has used the law of procreation
to cause things to move along since then, so he now uses the law of the spiritual kingdom with
which to promote his cause. Miracles, in both instances and in both kingdoms, have been caused
to cease. Once miracles had fulfilled their purpose, in the beginning of the natural world, God
caused them to cease. And once they fulfilled their purpose in his spiritual kingdom, the church,
He caused them to cease. So, in James 5:13-15, James is dealing with matters as they existed during
the apostolic period so far as miracles are concerned. Men can no longer cast out devils, or speak
in new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly poison, or lay hands on the sick and cause them to
recover as they could and did during the apostolic age.
In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus promised that certain signs would follow the believers. He said “And
these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt
them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and. they shall recover,” Jesus said this is what would
happen and I believe what Jesus said about it. Not only did Jesus say they would happen, Mark
records in the last verse of this chapter, Mark 16:20, that these very signs did happen. He said that
the Lord worked with his disciples, confirming the word with signs following. Now what signs is
he talking about? Why he is talking about the signs that are mentioned in the context; and what
signs are these?
They are the signs mentioned in verses 17-18. These signs included casting out devils in
Jesus’ name, speaking in new taking up serpents, drinking deadly poison, without either the
serpents or the poison doing any harm to the disciples, and laying hands on the sick and causing
them to recover. With these signs the Lord worked with his disciples confirming the word. I believe
that all the signs followed the believers, and I believe it for two good Bible reasons: Jesus said
they would follow them, and Mark records in verse 20 that they did follow them. Furthermore, if
any one of these signs can be practiced today, all of these signs can still be practiced today. The
same Lord who promised the one promised them all! And it is right here that some so-called
spiritually gifted men meet their Waterloo today. It is right here that they meet their defeat! It is a
defeat that they cannot successfully overcome.
So I again affirm for emphasis that Jesus taught that certain signs would follow the disciples,
and your Bible affirms that all these signs did follow the disciples. Your Bible also affirms that the
purpose of these miracles was to confirm the word as it was spoken by these men. In addition to
this, your Bible also affirms that these miracles would one day cease to exist, and that the time
would be, when that which is perfect is come. Please turn to 1 Corinthians 13:9-10. Here Paul
affirms that “we know in part and we prophesy in part.”
[this article continued next week]