oil
James 5:14
5:14 oil. There is nothing magical in the anointing oil, of course. It could well have been used as merely a soothing ointment to alleviate the suffering (note Isaiah 1:6; Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34). The oil was merely a spiritual symbol, representing God’s hoped-for anointing of the sick person by the Holy Spirit, in order to bring him back to active service for the Lord. This symbol recalled how priests and kings had been anointed in ancient Israel, symbolizing their divine call to service.