Anointing with oil
I am having a crisis of faith from reading the early church fathers with regard to anointing with oil. The church fathers claim this is just like baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Why don’t Lutherans anoint with oil?
The foundation of our faith is Scripture not church fathers. When the Bible speaks of anointing with oil (James 5:14), it does so in the context of receiving medical help. In the Scripture verse just cited, James used a Greek word that speaks of a medicinal use of oil (as in the case of the wounded traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:34). James did not use the Greek word that speaks of a ceremonial application of oil. Such application is neither commanded nor forbidden in Scripture.