James 5:16

"and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

Key Reflection

This passage emphasizes that sincere prayer, grounded in faith, can lead to physical healing and spiritual forgiveness. It underscores God's power to heal the sick and forgive sins through persistent and believing intercession.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 16. Confess your faults one to another. This seems primarily to refer to those who were sick, since it is added, "that ye may be healed." The fair interpretation is, that it might be supposed that such confession would contribute to a restoration to health. The case supposed all along here (see Jas 5:15) is, that the sickness referred to had been brought upon the patient for his sins, apparently as a punishment for some particular transgressions. See Barnes on "1 Co 11:30". In such a case, it is said that if those who were sick would make confession of their sins, it would, in connexion with prayer, be an important means of restoration to health.

Related Verses

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