James 5:16

Verse 16 Confess your faults one to another.

That is to say, where sickness exists, it may be occasioned by some injury done to a brother. A confession of such a fault will be forgiven by the injured brother, and he will join in the prayer for the sick that he may be healed. Repentance, confession and prayer are the conditions upon which an erring brother is forgiven.

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man.

The Syriac has this: "For great is the efficacy of the prayer which the righteous man prayeth." The expression of the inspired text is sufficient without searching for possible meanings. Miraculous cures ceased with the age of inspiration, and, while we have no assurance in the divine volume that such gifts remain in the Church, we gather the idea that all God-loving and God-fearing men and women hould pray for the afflicted, and that such prayer is not unacceptable to our Father in heaven. While this I firmly believe, I can find no warrant for entertaining for a moment the idea that through the prayers of the righteous in this day a miraculous cure can be, or will be, effected.