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. TORREY DIVINE
WHAT R. A SAID ABOUT ABOUT
HEALING
by Dr. Don W . Hillis
“ w h e r e is A s p e c ia l need for a dependable book on I divine healing at this particular time. Every where there is a most extraordinary interest in the subject. People have flocked by the thousands and tens of thousands in different cities to adventurers and ad venturesses who oftentimes not only rob them of their gold but of that which is far more precious than gold.” These words written by Dr. Torrey more than 30 years ago are alarmingly applicable today. In light of the growing interest in this subject, we will do well to take a second look at the views of this great Biblical scholar relative to healing. Dr. Torrey continues, “ There have been, to my per sonal knowledge, some very sad tragedies, insanity, death, and shipwreck of faith arising from this pitiable business. Unfortunate men and women who have been lured, misled, and robbed by plausible male and female adventurers of this sort, have poured their bitter cry into my ears.” These statements do not imply that Torrey did not believe in both the willingness and power of God to heal the sick. He said, “ I believe it because God says it, and I believe it because I have put it to the test by. personal experiment and found it true in my own ex perience, an experience covering more than 40 years.” Dr. Torrey’s deepest convictions on the subject were founded upon his understanding of James 5:14-15 (A.S.V.), “ Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anoint ing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.”
The Roman Catholic church uses this passage as its basis for extreme unction. Extreme unction is that tradi tion of the church which authorizes the Roman priest to anoint the sick with oil and pray over him. Whether the sick person is a good man or evil, whether he desires extreme unction or doesn’t, or'whether he is conscious or unconscious doesn’t seem to matter in Romanism. Nor is it particularly significant as to whether the in dividual recovers or not. If he does not recover, he has, at least, died in the church and has thus assured him self of entrance into Purgatory. To every true Bible student this use of James 5:14- 16 is such a flagrant misinterpretation of the passage that it needs no rebuttal. There is nothing in common between a priest giving extreme unction to an extremely sick or unconscious Roman Catholic and the plain teach ing of the passage. However, we are not surprised to have the Roman church take Scriptures out of context and force them into the framework of church tradition. This appears to be the rule rather than the exception in Romanism. The outline of Torrey’ s exposition of James 5:14-16 includes the following points: “ 1. In the first place we have here very explicit directions as to what a believer is to do when he is sick, (not every time he has a headache or a little pain of some kind, but when he is really sick). The Greek word rendered sick means literally ‘without strength,’ it stands for a very serious sickness that deprives one of his strength. The implication of the context here is of one so sick that he cannot get out, but must send for the elders to come to him. What is he to do? ‘Let him call for (literally, call to him) the elders of the
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JULY, 1965
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