Essential Oil Education

A post comment from B Hayden a few days ago got me to thinking about how we do the laying-on of hands in our various church settings. She asked which oils should be used when we do the laying-on of hands.

If we lookat the Early Christian church experience–all we know if that they prayed, laid-on hands and anointed with oil all who were sick and they healed them. Everyone at that time would have known which oils to use so there was no need to actually write it down. They were obviously not thinking of us 2,000 plus years later who wouldn’t have known this common knowledge. That leaves us to research what oils were commonly used in that era–what would have been in their medicine chest. Instead of aspirin and over-the-counter drugs for upset stomachs and skin rashes, they would have had essential oils made from healing plants. Most likely they were prepared in olive oil bases–primarily to make them go further and to be able to rub the oil into the skin with a bit of massaging.

Here are the oils that would have commonly be available: frankincense, myrrh, balsam, cedarwood, hyssop, galbanum, spikenard, cypress, and probably Rose of Sharon (cistus), and a few others. In other words, they would have what we refer to today as the Biblical Oils.

In the many churches that I have helped to get healing ministries established, frankincense has been the oil of choice. There is no need to dilute it unless cost is the primary factor. Frankincense is just as expensive today as it was 2,000 years ago. I would advise not going to a health food store for your oil–you will only find perfume grade oils there. I recommend only therapeutic grade essential oils.

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