James 5
OGCJames 5:1-6
CHAPTER IX
PRETENDED DEBATE WITH A RICH UNBELIEVER
Introduction:
The title of this chapter is itself interpretive, and might introduce some discussion. There is no doubt but that James is here debating with a rich man; but is the rich man an unbeliever? Also, is this rich man present as James speaks, or present in the audience to which James writes? It would be better to settle these problems before beginning a more detailed study of the text.
The section in James 5:1-6 is obviously addressed to the unbeliever. James here makes clear the calamities that are to befall him in the judgment so the persecuted Christian (to whom James is writing) will know that justice will prevail and that vengeance belongs to the Lord. After completing this section, he turns back to the Christian, and says, Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
If James 4:13-17 is addressed to the rich Christian, then there is a break of thought and a change of argument between the close of chapter four and the opening of chapter five. James 4:13-14 of chapter four are in the same vein of condemnation as is the chapter five section. This is not conclusive, of course, but it does seem to be the most obvious and intended meaning.
One might ask, why argue with a person who will not hear the argument? This is done for the benefit of the reader rather than the call to repentance of the rich persecutor. There is no admonition for correction, nor call to repentance, as James made to the Christians in James 4:8. Furthermore, the come now with which he introduces James 4:13 is repeated in James 5:1, indicating James is speaking to the same persons in both sections. This entire section does not contain the word brethren which James uses or implies in nearly every paragraph of the epistle.
All this seems to indicate James is turning aside and speaking to an imaginary figure who will probably never see his epistle. The rich persons being condemned really do exist, but they are not numbered among the brethren. So he tells the brethren what is going to happen to the rich man in this very dramatic fashion.
The style of argument is the diatribe of the Stoic philosophers. The debater turns to an imaginary opponent and argues with him as if he were present. It is a style of delivery that the Jewish and Greek speakers used often, and is effectively used by ministers and public speakers today.
The Christian at the time, even as now, was numbered from among the poorer classes of the world. His most avid persecutors were the enemies of Christ, especially religious people who followed some other doctrine than that of Christ. But the world was also filled with rich people who habitually made a practice of preying upon the poor. The rich man made no exception of the poor Christian. In fact, he was easy prey because of his meek demeanor. For this reason the Christian needed encouragement to hold fast to Christ in the midst of this ill treatment. The time would come when God’s justice would prevail and the rich persecutor would receive that which he had earned. So don-’t give up, brethren, says James, for the Lord will come and make all things right. (See James 5:7-8).
TEN THREE-POINT SERMON STARTERS
THE PRESUMPTION OF MAKING PLANS WITHOUT GOD James 4:13-17
What we will do. (Go to this city, spend a year, trade, etc)
Do we really know what tomorrow will bring? James 4:14 a.
When we will do it. (Today; or tomorrow).
Do we really know when we will die? James 4:14 b
Why we will do it. (To get gain).
We should live to glorify Him. All other glorying is vain. James 4:15-17.
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? James 4:14
It is yours, to plan and do with as you will.
Plans and preparations in this life are a shadow of what will come.
This life is a vapor, soon gone to be replaced by eternity.
WHAT WE KNOW OF TOMORROW James 4:13-17
We think we know what we shall do. James 4:13
We should know it is in God’s hands, not ours. James 4:14-15.
We can know the Lord’s will for us in eternity. James 4:17.
THE LORD’S WILL James 4:15-17
We ought to be surrendered to it, whatever it is. James 4:15.
Our own will and vaunting that is contrary to God’s is sin. James 4:16.
The Lord’s will is good for me; to do good now and receive good in eternity. James 4:17.
THE SIN OF OMISSION James 4:17
What we know of God’s will. (To Him that knoweth.)
A.
The saint, having God’s revelation, knows all things, or all He shall reveal. 1 John 2:20.
B.
The sinner, having the testimony of creation, knows the power and divinity of God, even if he has not heard the Word. Romans 1:20.
We do not that which we know to do. (and doeth it not)
A.
The more we know of His revelation, the more we realize our transgression.
B.
The uninformed sinner has not glorified God nor given Him thanks. Romans 1:21.
We all sin.
(But we have an Advocate and a propitiation, 1 John 2:1-2).
THERE SHALL BE WEEPING AND HOWLING James 5:1
Weeping for the spiritual torment and howling for physical torment.
The miseries of eternal condemnation.
They are surely coming upon the unjust and ungodly.
ROTTEN WEALTH James 5:2-3
Riches are corrupted. (When they are ill-gotten).
Garments are moth-eaten. (When they foster selfishness and pride).
Gold and silver are rusted. (When they are not used to bless God).
TREASURES LAID UP James 5:1-3
The bank that really counts is in heaven.
The treasures of joy laid up in Christ Jesus.
The treasures of fire and torment laid up for the devil.
THE LORD OF SABAOTH James 5:4
The hosts and armies of God.
The leader of His armies.
The enemy of His armies.
DELICATE LIVING James 5:5 (At the expense of others).
It is the taking of ones-’ own selfish pleasure.
It is preparing our hearts for a day of slaughter.
It is condemning and killing the righteous.
James 5:1-7
THE END OF THE UNGODLY RICH
Text 5:1-6
Come now ye rich and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you.
Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth eaten.
Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye have laid up your treasure in the last days.
Behold the hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.
Ye have lived delicately on earth, and taken your pleasure; ye have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter.
Ye have condemned, ye have killed the righteous one; he doth not resist you.
Queries
Where was the term come now last used? Why do you think it was repeated here?
What is the difference between weep and howl?
Is this weep any different from the weeping in James 4:9? If so, what?
What are the miseries that have come upon the rich man? (see the close of Chapter 4).
What does it mean for something to be corrupted? (If you do not know, look it up in a dictionary).
What is the difference between the term corrupted of Jas 5:2 and rusted of Jas 5:3?
Can gold and silver really rust? Then why is the term used?
How could a rusty coin be a testimony against the rich?
Could this idea of rusty coins be a testimony against Christians today? How?
Evidently the rust from the coins will not really eat the flesh. but what does the expression mean? (Be careful, for remember the faithful Christian’s body also rots in the grave!)
What does the expression -as fire-’ tell us about the flesh being eaten?
How do the great material blessings of America make this a particular warning to the churches in America to-day?
What are the treasures of Jas 5:3?
The last days in verse three can have several possible meanings. See if you can think of about three applications.
Why would James say behold when he already had the reader’s attention?
In what way did the rich man practice fraud with his laborers?
What is the subject of crieth out in James 5:4?
How could this possibly cry out? What does it mean?
Sabaoth does not refer to the Sabbath. Look it up in a Bible Dictionary to determine the true meaning.
How will this army react to the cries it hears in James 5:4 b?
How can a rich man live delicately?
Although you may not count yourself as being rich, would it be possible for you to live delicately today? (Don-’t look for the answer just by comparing yourself with some rich who you think have more delicate lives than you. but measure your own possibility of delicate living in terms of what the expression must mean.)
Is he condemning delicate living even though the money for it was not obtained by fraud?
You have taken your pleasure is evidently used in a bad sense. What kind of pleasure is here condemned?
Is it right to have any kind of pleasure? What?
In the days of slaughter, what is to be (or being) slaughtered, and who does the slaughtering?
- Do you think a day of slaughter refers to the rich man’s death, or the final judgment? Why?
What class of people have the rich really condemned and killed?
In what way could it also be said they have condemned and killed Jesus?
He doth not resist you could mean he doesn-’t fight back. Doth not is present tense, suggesting it is still going on. How does this (or should this) fit the Christian’s attitude toward his persecutors today?
Paraphrases
A. James 5:1.
Come, come, now, you class of rich people, weep because of the future wrath of God, and shriek in the misery of what’s coming to you.
Your wealth is rotten, and your expensive clothing is already moth-eaten.
Your gold and silver coins are tarnished, and the rust of your money will be used as a testimony against you; and your well-fed bodies shall be eaten by this rust because you have treasured for yourselves the fire which shall be in the last days.
Consider this now, how you have held back on the wages of your tenant farmers who worked so hard in your fields. The Lord of hosts has heard the cries for justice of them that harvested your fields.
With these wages kept back you have lived luxurious and self-indulgent lives; you have fattened yourselves right down to the day of the slaughter of the Lord.
You have continually condemned and killed the righteous class, and to this day your victims cannot stop you.
B.*James 5:1.
Look here, you rich men, now is the time to cry and groan with violent grief in view of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.
For your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are becoming moth-eaten rags.
The value of your gold and silver is dropping fast, yet it will stand as evidence against you, and eat your flesh like fire. That is what you have stored up for yourselves in that coming day of judgment.
For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. Their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.
You have spent your years here on earth having fun, satisfying every whim, and now your fat hearts are ready for the slaughter.
You have condemned and killed good men who had no power to defend themselves against you.
Summary
You rich people who have slaughtered the weak and innocent only fattened yourselves for the day of your own slaughter in God’s judgment.
Comment
In these six verses James continues his discussion with the non-present and non-Christian rich. His opening remark, come now, is the same remark with which he started the discussion in James 4:13. He is still discussing the same type of rich he mentioned in chapter two, who oppress the Christians and drag them before the courts. Here James is not concerned with their ungodly actions, but with their ungodly destiny.
Since the rich are not present, James must be speaking for the benefit of the Christian who will read his letter. Filled with frustration over an unceasing fraud at the hands of rich people, the saint might begin to wonder wherein is the justice of God. James makes it clear that vengeance belongs to Jehovah, and that Jehovah will exact payment for the oppressive and fraudulent treatment of others, Christian or not. The church of Jesus Christ must have the right perspective concerning the rich. Much of the epistle of James seems to be written for this purpose. There is another perspective the Christian should vision correctly, also. This concerns the terrifying danger of riches. Money brings with it the ability to make money. What we really mean when we say that money makes money, is that he who has money can so manipulate his fellow man, and the law, so that he can make more money. The rich can find legal loopholes about which the poor cannot even dream. The rich have plenty of time to scheme how they shall take money away from others. The poor man is so busy trying to earn his bread he has little time for such scheming. Money buys more than material possessions; it buys temptations, it buys smugness and self-satisfaction; it buys fraud and unchristian action. It also buys a great company of evil men who strive continually to encroach upon those same riches.
The weeping the rich man does is not a weeping of Godly sorrow, but a weeping over the terrible denunciation and future destruction predicted. It is not a sorrow over sin, but a sorrow over the results of sin. If the rich could really see their destiny and realize the justice that will be brought upon them, their weeping would reach the proportions of howling, or shrieking in terror. The miseries that shall come upon them are of such proportions that the very thought of it would make them howl like a dog that has just lost his tail. Some commentators feel that the suffering herein described refers to the destruction of Jerusalem; or of the suffering the rich shalt have in the disappointments of this life. The language is so vivid, however, that both the magnitude and the certainty of the suffering would seem to indicate the justice of the judgment day when the Lord shall come again. The corruption of their riches, the decay of the garments, of gold, and even the flesh of the rich man seem to indicate either a literal decay that shall be brought about by time; or a decay in the realm of spiritual values. In the latter sense, the good the riches could have done was not done, that the reward that could have come from proper usage is corrupted. The garments were used to nurture a body of sin and shameful oppression of the poor. The gold and silver were used to condemn, oppress, and persecute those that had little or nothing; and so their rust (misuse, if this view is correct) shall be a testimony against the rich man on the judgment day. Non use (i.e., non use for the purpose it should have been used) has caused the rust which is inclined to be a testimony to (or against) the rich. In verse three, it is possible that the treasure laid up is the fire. If this is the intended reading, then the rust shall eat your flesh because you have treasured up fire. Thus the fire could be the fire of Gehennathe torture of the lost. Whether the rust shall eat your flesh like (as) fire, or the rust shall eat your flesh because you have treasured up fire, the meaning is not materially changed. In a very striking and vivid description the Holy Spirit here informs the Christian that the rich persecutor’s lot is not one to be envied, but rather one to be pitied. It might seem that James here lays a charge directly against all rich people, but his context makes it quite clear that his charge is against the misuse of their riches. It is possible for a rich man to enter heaven, even though it will take special care and intervention of God Himself (see Matthew 19:23-26). It is also an established fact that the road to riches is so often a road of oppression of the poor and cheating and law circumvention. To become wealthy through covetousness or greed is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)
Rusted riches may also be laid to the charge of many wealthy people who die and leave their wealth to the State in taxes, or to relatives who are not Christian or who have no possibility of using it to glorify the cause of Christ Jesus. Many blessings also bring with them a charge of much responsibility. Worry over the possible misuse of fortunes has caused many rich folk (even Christians) to neglect and overlook the right usage of their fortunes. They finally die with their wealth giving no glory to God but all glory to the contentious and greedy spirit of the devil. No wonder God sees fit to keep so many of his own precious saints in a state that most of the world calls poverty. These saints are the truly rich, for God in His infinite wisdom has kept their lives beyond these temptations that they might not resist.
The rust of these condemned rich people is spelled out in verses four to six in very clear terms. They took advantage of their hired servants. These workmen needed their wages for their daily bread, yet they were robbed to add to the fat and delicate lives of their rich masters. The injustice done to the tenant farmer, or the hired man, will one day be made just. The cries of the persecuted poor will one day be the testimony that will cause the shrieks of their tormentors. The Lord of the Sabaoth will see to this justice. (Sabaoth means armies or hosts).
The rich man who takes his pleasure now from the poor is simply fattening himself for the day of his own slaughter. He has fed himself on the wages of the poor, and prepared his heart like sheep prepared for the kill; and he is already in the chute heading for the great slaughter-house of the judgment day.
As a final tribute to the magnitude of the testimony against him, the Holy Spirit says you have condemned, you have killed the righteous one. The righteous one could be a reference to the death of Christ through the death of His saints (Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me Matthew 25:40). Or, it could be referring to the suffering, even to death, of the righteous man that has been persecuted by the rich. Since this has been the subject of James, the latter seems to be the preferred meaning.
James 5:7-9
HOLD YOURSELF IN CHECK
Text 5:7-9
Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.
Be ye also patient; establish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Murmur not, brethren, one against another that we be not judged: behold the judge standeth before the doors.
Queries
From your previous studies in this book, see if you can remember the true meaning of patience as it is used in the Scriptures.
To whom is James speaking in James 5:7 ff?
What is a husbandman? (If you are not sure, the context explains it. Note what the husbandman does).
How does the coming of the Lord in this section tie in with the warning to the rich in the previous section?
Note the therefore that introduces the reason for the former debate with the non-present rich unbeliever.
What is the reason given?
With what is Jesus comparing the end of the world in James 5:7?
Note the repetition of the word patient in both the admonition and the illustration.
When the husbandman is patient over the fruit of harvest to come, what does this signify? (Remember the Biblical meaning of patience).
James 5:8 says be ye also patient, why do we need this admonition?
How can we establish our hearts?
How can he say the coming of the Lord is at hand when Matthew 24:29 ff says that certain things will come to pass before the coming of the Lord?
Was the coming of the Lord really at hand when nearly two thousand years have passed since this was written?
Is the coming of the Lord at hand today? What would we do in preparation?
How would the expected coming of the Lord keep the brethren from murmuring?
What might tempt us to murmur against one another?
For what were the Israelites judged in the wilderness? (See Numbers 14:29; Deuteronomy 1:27; 1 Corinthians 10:10).
What is the significance of the phrase standeth before the doors?
Paraphrases
A. James 5:7.
Don-’t be quick-tempered, but hold your mind in check until Christ is present again. See how the farmer does not expect his harvest on the day he plants but he is longsuffering in watching for it, giving it time to mature after the spring and summer rains.
In the same way you should hold yourself in check, also; and strengthen your spirits: for Christ will soon be present with us.
Don-’t groan in complaints because of your impatience, brethren, or you will risk the condemnation of the Lord when He comes. Consider He is just around the corner and could come at any moment.
B.*James 5:7.
But on the other hand, you, dear brothers, be patient until the Lord returns. Be like a patient farmer who expects to wait until the autumn for his precious harvest to ripen.
Yes, be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Don-’t grumble about each other, brothers. Are you yourselves above criticism? For see! the great Judge is coming, He is almost here; (let Him do whatever criticizing must be done).
Summary
And now brethren, speaking to you: be patient and constant with mutual forbearance; in view of the certainty and nearness of Christ’s coming.
Comment
When James here says, Be patient therefore. he uses a different word for patience than the ordinary word used in the Scripture. The ordinary word means to stick like glue, or to hang on like a bulldog. This word, however, leans a bit closer to our modern usage of the word patience. It means to have submission, or be long-tempered. There still is a close relation in the meaning of the two words with more similarity than difference. In the middle of the verse James uses the same word to describe the submission to circumstances of the husbandman. There certainly is a sense in which the Christian should be meek and submissive; and this is one of them. When the circumstances of our environment become trying for us, we should execute all the more control to be meek and submissive to the will of the Lord. If we are convinced that God cares for us constantly and that all things both in heaven and on earth are under the authority of our Lord Christ Jesus, we should be all the more careful to be willing to submit ourselves to the trying circumstances He sees fit to allow us to bear. The key to contented living on this earth is not avoidances of trials, but rather the submission to the will of Christ that makes us content in whatever state we find ourselves. Impatience makes a person short-tempered; but James says here we should be long-tempered.
The reason for this holding of our mind in check is that the Lord will soon come. It will not be long, so hold out till He comes. Like a mother comforts her sick child, It will be just a few minutes, honey. The doctor just phoned and said he was on his way over. Don-’t cry, because I think I hear him coming now! So James comforts us in our trials of this life.
Isn-’t it deceptive? you may ask. James said He was coming soon. Now nearly two thousand years have passed, and He hasn-’t come yet! True enough. In Matthew 24:15-22 Jesus makes it clear that the imminent destruction of the temple would take place before the end of the world. After that, He could be expected at any moment. His coming would be sudden and would take people by surprise. James was not deceptive, however; for His coming was soon or imminent. And it still is. The admonition was not to watch for He would certainly come within a few days, but rather to watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh. (Matthew 24:42) Jesus could come shortly from the time you read this; or it could be that He shall come before you ever get opportunity to read this. Then again, it may be years away. Our business is to watch and be ready.
The illustration, like all of those Jesus uses, is very vivid and simple. The farmer does not begin to rail nor show impatience with his wife because there are no crops the week after he has planted. He patiently waits for the normal seasons of rain and sun. His patience holds out even through the second rainy season and the second crop.
Palestine, like many areas the world over, has two rainy seasons for crop growth, thus the reference to the early and latter rain. Grain was usually planted in time for the fall rains and matured with the latter rain of Spring. Even as the farmer is patient in waiting for his crops, so must we be patient in waiting for the Lord. One of the immediate results of lack of patience is groaning in complaint. This murmuring often makes life miserable for those who are closest. In the church it takes the form of groaning against a brother. It is as if he were at fault. He is present and it is the most convenient opportunity for venting the impatience. Likewise; husband or wife may have the same impatient reaction against the one who is most convenient to them. The lack of contentment becomes a miserable tirade against the one they love best. Since such loose usage of the tongue is clearly forbidden in the Scripture, the saint’s impatience may make him in danger of the judgment. Since the judge can be expected at any moment, why let the impatience lead him to action over which he may be judged?
James 5:7-12
CHAPTER X
RESIST FIERCELY, BRETHREN!
Introduction
After the very vivid account of the vengeance that belongs to God, and the just judgment that will come to their persecutor, James turns back to the Christian brethren to whom he is writing. Don-’t let them shake you loose, brethren! You hang on to the very victory that God has promised in the end. This victory is sure to come. God is still our leader and His oversight real. So don-’t murmur nor complain. The Judge has it all in hand, even as He did with the prophets of old. So let your word be as constant and sure as is His Word. Speak the truth without deception and remain on the victorious side of the Lord. Not only does the Holy Spirit in this instance champion the justice that is sure to come against the persecutors, but He assures of the reward of grace that is to be received by His own. The noteworthy thing about the Biblical justice is that God is the judge and the avenger. Justice is His business and He assures us He will take care of it. He has not given to man the authority for vengeance. The sword He has put into the hands of governments is not for vengeance, but rather to give His own army a measure of peace and protection in carrying out the spiritual warfare of this life. Though the earthly murderers fear not the wrath of God, being unbelievers in His Word, they yet fear death through capital punishment and so are forced to inhibit, or at least hide, their murderous actions.
Another point of justice that is clear in both the book of James and in the other Scriptures is God’s insistence upon social justice. In the Old Testament, as well as the New, the prophets have preached vigorously against injustices toward the poor. (Isaiah 5:8; Amos 3:10; Amos 5:11; Amos 8:4-7; Amos 11:28; etc.). Feeding the hungry and caring for the orphans and widows (but not the indolent lay people) is a common concern of God’s Word, A heart that weeps over the suffering of others is God’s kind of heart. So it is that -Jesus wept-’. So it is that He looked over Jerusalem and considered her destiny, and wept. So it is that the horrible lostness that is in the world today brings grief to Him, and to the saint who has His spirit as well. But His weeping over Lazarus-’ death was a grief for the suffering relatives that were left broken hearted. Jesus wept because they suffered.
How often the church neglects this sympathy that is to be shared with Christ. How often the needy are overlooked, and those who suffer for physical needs and in bodily torments are neglected by the prosperous church. Not only do the saints often neglect the visitation and encouragement to the saints in the old folk’s homes, but they often send their own members and relatives to be among those numbers who are forgotten and neglected. Countless numbers in the hospitals who could be won to Christ in their great physical distress are often left to suffer alone. The saints will rally in support of a dramatic case of need reported in the newspapers but they as often neglect the unadvertized and numberless needy on their very doorsteps. Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. James 1:27. The gospel is damaging for social justice, and we do not need the Social Gospel to develop this facet of Christianity. The Holy Spirit has already done so in the Word of God. Nor must we use rejection of the Social Gospel as an excuse for neglecting our plainly revealed duties for sympathetic help to the needy and fair treatment of those who are less fortunate and at our mercy.
FIVE THREE-POINT SERMON STARTERS
WHY BE PATIENT? James 5:7-8
The Lord is coming James 5:7 a
We have the examples -
a.
From the Scripture.
b.
From the farmer.
Precious fruit comes later James 5:7 b
THE REWARDS OF IMPATIENCE James 5:7-12
Murmuring against the brethren James 5:9.
Miss the pity and mercy of the Lord James 5:11.
The precious fruit of the merciful is lost James 5:7 b, James 5:12 b.
CHRISTIANS TELL THE TRUTH James 5:12
No need to confirm his speech with oaths.
His reputation is worth more than the oath of the liar.
He is not under the condemnation of the liars.
THE Judges 5:7-12
He is the Lord Jesus Christ James 5:7-8.
His judgment will come at any moment.
His judgment is to be feared James 5:12 b.
SWEAR NOT James 5:12; Matthew 5:33-37
Avoid all oaths.
Avoid the appearances of evil in loose talk.
(Cheese, for Jesus; Gosh or Golly for God, etc.)
Avoid the condemnation of God.
James 5:10-12
VICTORY WILL COME, FOR GOD IS REAL
Text 5:10-12
James 5:10 Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and patience, the prophets who spake in the name of the Lord.
Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any Other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment.
Queries
What noteworthy example of hardship is omitted here but not in 1 Peter 2:21 ff?
Why were the O.T. prophets a good example to take?
The word for patience in James 5:11 is the usual word meaning to hold tight without giving in. How is this descriptive of Job?
Is the teaching in verse twelve of special importance? Why (from the verse itself) must this be?
Solemn and serious civil and religious oaths or vows were taken on the name of God or His Word, and they still are. Why do you think this particular oath is not mentioned in verse twelve?
Is the subject really swearing, oath-taking, or truth-telling?
What connection is there between swearing and lying?
What are some of the similarities between this verse and Matthew 5:33-37?
Where is lying introduced into the verse?
Paraphrases
A. James 5:10
For an example of a continued faith while enduring suffering, consider the Old Testament prophets. They continued to testify of God in the midst of their suffering.
Look how we call God’s praises upon them because of their endurance. You have heard how Job was stubborn in clinging to the Lord; and you have read how God’s mercy and pity gave Job a double restitution because of His purpose.
And more than this, brethren, watch your daily speech that it is not sprinkled with the double standard of oaths for speaking the truth that you might have an excuse to lie. When you say something, let it be the truth, and this swearing and oath-taking will not be necessary.
B.*James 5:10.
For examples of patience in suffering, look at the Lord’s prophets.
We know how happy they are now because they stayed true to Him then, even though they suffered greatly for it. Job is an example of a man who continued to trust the Lord in sorrow, and from his experiences we can see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, and that the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy.
But most of all, dear brothers, do not swear either by heaven or earth, or anything else; just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and receive God’s curse.
Summary
When we consider the Old Testament examples we know that God’s purpose is to make everything right. So let our word be as constant and sure as these prophets and we will avoid the common practice of swearing and oathtaking.
Comment
James is still referring to how to act under adversity. The major example of adversity of having one’s wages withheld will be added to in the last portion of the chapter. Here he seems to still be commenting upon this particular problem. The prophets, because of their very vocation, suffered the brunt of persecution. Through all of this they refused to murmur against the Lord; but rather continued to speak in His name. It has always been that a man who will take a definite stand, especially on matters pertaining to godliness, will make enemies. He makes the same enemies Jesus made, and in a sense bears the same kind of a cross. This is the plight of all who name the name of Christ as their own, and it must be so. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For. whosoever would save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it (Matthew 16:24-25).
The Job reference uses the same kind of patience that is most commonly used in the New Testament. This refers to his determination to hang on through all sufferings. He clung to the Lord like a bulldog, and the devil could not shake him loose. The important part of the illustration is that Job’s patience was rewarded by the Lord according to the will of the Lord. The end of the Lord refers to the purpose of the Lord. We have seen the purpose of the Lord in the account of Job: to benefit all on the Lord’s side, including Job.
The end of the Lord could also refer to what happens in the end of the matter, or the end of time. Job was rewarded at the conclusion of his suffering; and such is always the end of the Lord. The end of the matter is not always apparent on this earth, however. In the case of the oppressing rich men just discussed, the end of the matter is in the judgment. If heaven is my home and joy unspeakable and full of glory is my destiny, by what ingratitude do I demand it all here and now?
If verse twelve is a continuation of the admonition on how to act in adversity, then it’s meaning is quickly determined. The prophets continued to speak in the name of the Lord when they were persecuted. Likewise we must continue to let our speech be honest and truthful regardless of the persecution. The common practice of that day (and today?) was to use a double standard of speaking. A good (?) business man was expected to lie concerning his business. If a man wanted to verify the fact that he was really telling the truth and not speaking out of the corner of his mouth, he would use an oath. Swearing and oathtaking became so common that if a man really wanted to deceive his fellow man he would sprinkle his conversation with oaths. At the trial of Jesus when the maid accused him of being one of the men with Jesus, on the second accusation Peter not only denied being with the Jesus, but did so with an oath (Matthew 26:72). On the third occasion when he was accused of being a friend of Jesus then he began to curse and to swear, I know not the man. (Matthew 26:74). The oath here, as in many cases, was used as a clear effort to deceive.
Had Peter spoken the truth there would have been no need for an oath. They would have believed him anyway at once. The Christian should have his practice of always speaking the truth. When he says yes, he should mean yes. If he denies something, then those who know him know that his denial is the truth. Most commentators do not believe that this prohibition is referring to the civil and religious oaths or vows that solemnly use the name of God for court uses. There is no mention of an oath that invoked the name or Word of God. We would expect that it would not be mentioned, for the Jews were by tradition most careful not to use God’s name lightly as in street usage or common swearing. The point of the teaching is in the last part of the verse: let your yea be yea and your nay, nay; that ye fall not under judgment. It would seem that this is an application of the example from the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Certainly if this teaching leaves any man with a conscience against taking the solemn oaths of the courts, then it would be a sin to him even if this were not the intended meaning of the text. If this verse is not a continuation of the former discussion, and has as its main purpose any oath-taking rather than truth-telling, then the meaning becomes more difficult to ascertain. Some commentators are convinced the teaching is against the solemn and serious civil oaths that use the name of God, or His Word. If this be the case, then James has interspersed his teaching on the consistent speech of the Christian with a subject that seems to be stuck in, or somewhat out of context. Lest we be led astray on our consideration of the extent of the prohibition, we should humbly concur that James is emphasizing the importance of telling the truth under all circumstances. A man may sometimes hold his own council, but he should never lie. It is far better to make no reply to a question as Jesus did at His trial, than to make a false statement as Peter did at the same trial. The first can be altogether right, where the latter is always wrong. May God help us to be as constant in our word as is our Lord. May we never say yea when we know nay is the answer, nor nay when we know yea is the answer. Since our business is not deceit, but tram-telling, then common oaths and swearing need not be a part of our vocabulary.
James 5:13-20
WHEN THE SAINT SUFFERS
Text
James 5:13 a.
Is any among you suffering? let him pray.
Queries
Does not every Christian, even every person, suffer? Then why the question?
What does the King James translation say instead of suffering?
To whom is this question addressed (i.e. to what group of people?) How do you know?
For what do you think the suffering saint should pray?
The real problem with the sufferer is not the suffering, but something else that arises out of the suffering. What is the real problem with the sufferer?
Do you think James is referring to private prayer, public prayers, or both?
Do you think this solution applies to all types of suffering the Christian may meet, or only to certain cases?
Would this instruction to pray also apply to the Christian situations that follow in the epistle?
Paraphrases
A. James 5:13 a.
Is there any among you Christians suffering a calamity of any sort? Then he should pray concerning it.
B.*James 5:13 a.
Is anyone among you suffering? He should keep on praying about it.
Summary
When you suffer, pray!
Comment
James here bridges the instruction formerly given about suffering because of wages with-held and the instruction to follow about sickness, contention, and sin. The bridge is general instruction about suffering or being in good spirits. The instruction about suffering seems to cover a calamity of any sort whatever. Anything that would cause the Christian’s spirit to sink would be a calamity of sorts. Psychological turmoil, work pressure, physical pain and sickness, spiritual shortcomingthese all would be included. Calamity caused externally would also cause this suffering; a loss of money, an enforced move, a job transfer, out of work, evil accusations, persecutions, etc.
When we look at the number of situations that would be covered by this general instruction, the amazing thing is that Christians do not pray far more often. It is almost as if the Holy Spirit had made a doctor’s call and had prescribed a medicine to be taken constantly.
The King James version here tends to limit the type of suffering intended: but most certainly affliction is included. Of all suffering, affliction is one of the hardest to bear. This is the type of suffering Paul refers to in Hebrews 10:32 ff when he says, But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were enlightened, ye endured a great conflict of sufferings.
Many of the early Jews received affliction at the hands of their family and the Jewish religious leaders when they became Christians. Some were disinherited and disowned, losing their family standing. Paul goes on to describe the affliction; partly, being made a gazingstock both by reproaches and affliction; and partly, becoming partakers with them that were so used. (Hebrews 10:33).
It is not uncommon in this age for young people, especially teenagers, to suffer hardship akin to this when they decide to put on Christ. It would seem that parents often fear the light of the gospel that shines through their children, thus exposing their own disobedience to God. With the prospect that their children might become Christians, parents many times will forbid their children to attend church services, or summer Christian youth camps. It is not uncommon for parents to forbid their children to be baptized into Christ; often with threats ranging all the way to disinheritance. This type of hardship, which we call affliction, is especially hard to bear. It is suffering for righteousness-’ sake. It is suffering that has not been earned. It is suffering at the hands of gainsayers and sinners who strike out at the light of Christ Jesus. It is the suffering of punishment where there was only love and good will given. It is the suffering of Christ. It is His cross! Naturally, the remedy for such a hard affliction would be found through Him who showed us the way. No man ever suffered with such innocence and such intensity as did Christ. Being completely without sin, He suffered as if He had all sin. He bore the results of every man’s sin on His innocent shoulders. He knows how to bear this cross, for He bore it. If any among you Christians suffer, let him pray to God through Jesus Christ who understands all our suffering.
WHEN THE SAINT IS HAPPY
Text
Is any cheerful? let him sing praise.
Queries
Can this saint who is cheerful be the same one who is suffering in the first part of the verse? (Think carefully)
About what can the saint be cheerful?
Will singing help a person even when he might not feel as cheerful as he would wish in the beginning?
What other good will singing about it do?
Isn-’t one song as good as another to sing? Why so or why not?
Just what do you think the Christian should sing when he sings praises?
What do you think Paul and Silas were singing about in Acts 16:25?
What did they have to pray about? (Note that they were both singing and praying).
Paraphrases
A. James 5:13 b
Do any among you Christians have joy in your hearts? Then let your joy in Christ spill out in song so that you can share it with others.
B.*James 5:13 b
Those who have reason to be thankful should continually be singing praises to the Lord.
Summary
When you are happy in Christ, sing it!
Comment
This admonition to sing seems to be in contrast with the first part of the verse. As such it would be a simple statement: When you suffer, pray; when you are happy, sing. Such a simple approach might seem trite, or unnecessary for it is so natural and obvious. Doesn-’t the whole world of people sing when they are happy? Will not most people turn to God in the time of suffering? There is more here than the superficial joy that the man of the world may have in the moment when he forgets the seriousness of life and death. Often the first taste of sin may appear to bring joy, and the drugs and drink people take because of their unsolved problems may seem to bring a moment of cheer in the process of dulling the conscience and erasing the memory temporarily. It is not this giddy forgetfulness or temporary involvement in sensuous pleasure that brings the joy about which James speaks. It is the abiding joy that comes from a contemplation of a saint’s family relationship with God. It is a deep-seated rejoicing in the glory that is to come to all of God’s own people. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. This joy comes from a peace a man has in his heart because he is right with his Maker. The peace is so great his soul is tranquil in the midst of suffering and persecution. Sickness does not remove it. Prisons, swords, and bullets do not kill it. Water will not quench it, nor fire consume it. It is a peace that passeth all understanding.
Paul and Silas has this kind of joy in their hearts. With flesh bleeding and some of their very back muscles torn from the terrible lashing, they lay on the damp prison floor. Their feet were enclosed in miserable stocks that prevented their moving about. The darkness of the inner prison pressed down upon them as if to smother them with the very lack of light. And the Scripture says of them about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25). What a testimony concerning the extent of joy in Christ Jesus!
What is to be sung should also be considered. The Greek word (psalleto) from which we get the phrase -let him sing praise-’ has the significance of -to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song-’ (Thayer, Greek Lexicon) in its New Testament usage. Properly, the word meant to -play on a harp-’, but in the New Testament, as in James 5:13 -sing a hymn-’ (Moulton and Milligan, Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament).
The usage here, is to sing praises unto God. The Christian who is happy in Christ would properly and naturally want to share his joy with others. If he would do this in song, then the words he sings should carry this meaning. How many times do Christians forget this simple truth? Feeling an elation and peace because of their relationship with God, they pick from the radio or television the most popular hit of the day to express their joy. What they say through their song is not joy in Christ Jesus, but joy in sensuous pleasure. This they may not mean, but it is what they testify. -Is any cheerful? let him sing praise.-'
Then again, how careless we often are with the words of even the hymns we sing. All kinds of doctrines and religious beliefs are put to song, and many of them can be found in most hymn books. Some are related to pantheism, with the -I see God everywhere-’ theme. Others, though honoring the person of Christ Jesus, will dishonor His Lordship by denying the necessity for the surrendered and obedient life. We can dishonor Him by using a tune that reminds the world of sensuousness or we can dishonor Him by failing to see that the words we often sing are contrary to His teaching. The point of the text is not limited to what is sung during worship services, but what is sung at any time. What kind of joy do we exhibit with our singing? Our joy is in whom? Why are we joyful? Let us be honest with the messages we tell through what we sing!
WHEN THE SAINT IS ILL
Text
Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing 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.
Queries
What sick people are addressed here, Christians, non Christians, or both? How do you know?
In this case who is it that asks for help?
Whom does he ask?
Is this instruction for a -healing meeting?-'
If not, why not?
Does the sick man go to the elders, or the elders to the sick man?
For what do you think the elders pray?
Does this Scripture indicate whether or not the healing will be through natural means or through miraculous instantaneous recovery?
How many other reasons for anointing a person with oil can you recall from the Scriptures? (Name them, if any).
What does the word -anoint-’ mean? (First, give what you think is the first meaning, then look up the word in a good English dictionary and see what first meaning is given. Then note the second meaning).
Is it possible that the kind of oil used might contribute to the healing? (If so, in what way?).
What is anointing in the name of the Lord? (i.e. tell what a person would do when he anointed in the name of the Lord that would be different from anointing without the name of the Lord).
In verse fifteen, we are told that something shall save him. Save him from what?
What is it that the verse says shall save him?
Will this thing actually do the saving, or does something else do the saving through this thing? (Read the rest of the verse before you answer).
Does this verse imply that sin has caused the illness?
Could it be possible that this sick person does not have sins at this time for which he needs forgiveness? (What in the verse might imply so?).
Do you think the elders might have prayed for his forgiveness as well as his healing?
Does this text indicate yes or no to the last question?
Is this forgiveness automatic because he is sick, or could some condition apply before he is forgiven? (What conditions, if any?)
How could conditions to which he must conform before he is forgiven really apply, when this verse does not state it to be so?
Who will do the forgiving?
Paraphrases
A. James 5:14
Are any of you Christians sick? If you are, then ask for the elders of the church, having applied oil in the name of Jesus, to come and pray over you.
And the prayer of those who trust in God shall be answered in that Jesus will heal the sick and raise him from the sick bed; and if he needs forgiveness and spiritual strengthening at the same time, this too shall be given him.
B.*James 5:14.
Is anyone sick? He should call for the elders of the church and they should pray over him and pour a little oil upon him, calling on the Lord to heal him.
And their prayer, if offered in faith, will heal him, for the Lord will make him well; and if his sickness was caused by some sin, the Lord will forgive him.
Summary
When Christians are sick they should ask the elders to come and pray for them, for it is God that heals.
Comment
Verses fourteen and fifteen present a problem in that it is difficult to determine the exact meaning intended. There are several possibilities of meaning, and it seems that some of the various interpretations given go beyond proper exegesis. The problems involve exactly what is meant by anointing with oil; and in what way God will heal the sick. If the healing is miraculous, then we have the question of whether or not the instruction was intended for the church today. If so, then miraculous healing is valid today, or at least intended to be.
Momentarily discounting the problems, there is here some very valuable information. For one thing, this is not a healing meeting. Nowhere does God instruct the church concerning a meeting where the sick people are told to attend for miraculous healing. There is no example of the New Testament church having such a meeting. The sick Christian is not instructed to attend a church meeting where he will be publicly healed. The elders do not call for the sick, but the sick for the elders. Among you is a phrase that indicates the sick person who is asking for such help is a Christian. He calls for the elders of his local congregation with whom he has, and has had, mutual fellowship and spiritual guidance. Prayer is not a strange thing to this sick person and he is not requesting healing from a stranger-God, but from a heavenly Father and a personal Savior. The sickness is illness of body and not a figurative representation of some spiritual need. Concerning the anointing of the oil; this may be applied in a figurative sense representing medicine given, or the oil may be the medicine itself, or the oil may be applied as a ceremonial function, as when kings and priests were appointed to office.
The first two instances seem the most likely as the application of oil to the sick and wounded was, and still is, done for medical purposes. Mark 6:13 is such an instance in the New Testament. Here the oil is either applied representative of the medicine given, or is the medicine itself.
In Luke 10:34 there can be no question but that the anointing oil is medicine applied directly in the wound. The wine was poured into the wound because of the alcohol content. The antiseptic qualities in the wine served to cleanse the wound and kill the infection. This procedure is often painful (as we know from the application of alcohol today) and continues to burn for some time since the wound is exposed to the air. Application of oil, or any type of ointment that is not readily dissolved by water, serves to cut off the exposure to the air and air-borne infections. The oil feels soothing as well as being medicinal.
The fact that God does the healing in James 5:15 in no way implies that medicine could not be given. Medicine does not have power to heal within itself that operates outside the jurisdiction and blessing of God. In fact, it is the writer’s opinion that any sick person who overcomes his illness does so only because he has received such blessing from God. From the moment a person becomes a sinner, he is under the spiritual death penalty. The penalty of physical death we have inherited from Adam; every descendant of Adam is subject to the dying process. Any delay in this death process is by the mercy of God that there might be time remaining either to repent or to do His work.
Then, why need the Christian pray? you may ask. God does answer prayer, and may give the Christian healing in answer to his prayer when healing would not have been given otherwise. In addition to this, the Christian knows who is his Great Physician, and has the specific responsibility both for seeking the blessing of healing from its source, and of giving Him thanks when the blessing is given.
Just as important, the Christian is not to tempt God by refusing to do his part in the acquisition of the blessing. God helps those who help themselves is an old saying that has much truth. Satan tempted Jesus by asking Jesus to cast Himself down, thus deliberately seeking the interference and help of angelic beings where such help was unnecessary. If Christians should deliberately refuse to consult a physician or apply medicine, demanding that God do it all and that they will do nothing, this is a form of tempting God. Some go even further by deliberately injuring themselves and demanding that God do the healing. This is such an outright tempting of God that it is a wonder that God does not immediately leave them all to die on the spot. An example of this is the handling of poisonous snakes. Such handling is not necessary and has no purpose other than to demonstrate God’s care, thus repeating the devil’s temptation of Jesus. Refusing to summon a doctor or to apply medicine would have much in common with this type of temptation.
Whether miraculous or by providence, the healing is still accomplished by God. If the healing is miraculous, it probably is a part of the spiritual gifts described in 1 Corinthians 12:9 the gift of healing. As such, this gift would have vanished with the ceasation of all the gifts described in 1Corinthians 12. Paul did say that these gifts would cease and be done away (1 Corinthians 13:8-9); and a more excellent way for guiding the church and motivating Christian action would be given (1 Corinthians 12:31; 1 Corinthians 13.).
If the healing is by providence, the admonition is proper for the Christians today. Since the other instruction within the same section is applicable to all saints, this writer tends to prefer the interpretation that makes this calling for the prayers of the elders applicable today. The instruction, however, is seldom followed by most churches. This results in most Christians failing to acknowledge God as the author of their healing, and failing to give Him thanks when this blessing is given. When this happens, the Christian misses so much in spiritual growth and nearness to God that it probably contributes much to the laxity and lack of spirituality in the churches today.
The sins forgiven are probably sins that contributed to the illness. The admonition could, no doubt, apply to any sins for which the sick person needed forgiveness. The forgiveness of sins is not an automatic result of the man’s illness, but comes as a result of the intercessory prayer of the elders as well as the petition for forgiveness by the sick person. Such forgiveness conditioned upon the repentance of the sinning Christian, as is taught elsewhere in the scriptures. If the one calling for the help of the elders turns out to be a sinning Christian, he should be encouraged to become conscious of his spiritual condition that he would be encouraged to confess his sins to God and seek forgiveness. This is probably meant as a condition upon which such a person would seek healing from God for his physical sickness.
WHEN THE SAINTS SIN AGAINST ONE ANOTHER
Text
Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.
Elijah was a man of like passions with us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain; and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.
And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
Queries
Therefore ties two things together. What two things in this instance?
What does the King James Version say instead of sins in verse sixteen?
Which version includes the most, the sins of the American Standard (above) or the word used in King James?
It is generally understood by many saints that confession of sins is made to God and confession of Christ is made to people. Generally speaking, what sins should be confessed to another person?
Since the elders were praying for the sick Christian who had sinned in James 5:15; do you think the another in verse sixteen should be limited to the elders? Why so or why not?
In the light of the Roman Catholic view of confession to the priest, does this passage suggest that a church official (minister, priest, elder, etc.) has the right to* forgive* these sins that are confessed to him?
What if the sins in question No. 472 were committed against the person who hears the confession of them; does he then possess the sole right to forgive them? (Remember what Jesus said on the cross about forgiving them (who crucified Him) and what Stephen said about who should forgive them (who stoned him).
What are two possibilities of the word healed in verse sixteen?
Because of the therefore in verse sixteen, the healed would probably refer to healing of what?
What does supplication mean? (Look it up if you do not know).
What is a righteous man?
Restate the meaning of the last sentence in verse sixteen; in the negative form; (i.e. in your statement, refer to an unrighteous man instead of a righteous man).
In the phrase its working, just what is working, and who does the work?
Can you substitute another word for passions that might be clearer for our English today?
The original language in verse seventeen says he prayed with prayer; how could this be translated (correctly) he prayed fervently?
Look up the passage in 1 Kings 17:11. Did Elijah in the Old Testament account pray for rain?
Then how do you know he really did pray for rain?
How do you harmonize three years and six months with the Old Testament reference to in the third year in 1 Kings 18:1?
How many times did Elijah pray before the servant saw a small cloud coming? (1 Kings 18:20-45).
When the text says that Elijah was like us, does this mean we can, with God’s help, do miracles like Elijah? In what way then was he like us?
Since the heaven gave the rain, what did God have to do with it? (Can not God in the same way give us healing today?).
Paraphrases
A. James 5:16.
Since God is ready to forgive your sins, then confess them to one another and also pray for each other that your sickness will be healed. The petitions of a righteous man avail so much they usually win out.
Elijah was a natural man like us, and he prayed with intensity that it would not rain; and for three and a half years it didn-’t rain.
After that he prayed for rain, and rain came from the sky, and growing things were green again.
B. James 5:16.
Since it is true that God forgives you your sins, then confess to your brother your sins against him, and each of you pray for the other that your sins will be healed. God usually grants requests made through the prayers of sincere Christians.
Elijah had the same kind of desires and troubles we do, and when he sought with prayer that it wouldn-’t rain, it didn-’t for three and a half years.
Then when he prayed for rain, God gave it and the drought was broken.
C.*James 5:16.
Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.
Elijah was as perfectly human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for the next three and one half years!
Then he prayed again, this time that it would rain, and down it poured and the grass turned green and the gardens began to grow again.
Summary
Since God forgives at the request of a righteous man we should confess our sins to each other. God heard Elijah’s prayers, and He will hear ours.
Comment
Therefore ties the previous thought with that which follows. Although the word is not in all the MSS, it does seem to be genuine and belongs in the text as given. The idea is that since God forgives at the prayer requests of saint, we should confess our sins to each other so that we would pray specifically and intelligently for one another. The problem in the verse concerns what is healed in this instance. Since the subject of verse sixteen is primarily the forgiveness of sins, there is a distinct possibility that the healing of this verse is spiritual and concerns the Christians-’ soul, sick with sin. The therefore ties the entire thought of confessing, praying for, and forgiving of sins in verse sixteen with the fact mentioned in verse fifteen that God does forgive sins.
If this be the case, then we have one major thought in verse fifteen: God will heal the body of the sick Christian; and another thought in verse sixteen: God will heal the soul of the sinning Christian. The two thoughts are connected with the phrases: and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. Therefore.. Another possibility which may in some ways seem even more plausible is that James is talking about one major problem in the entire section, verses thirteen to twenty. Those who hold to this view generally claim the central thought to be the healing of the body of the sick Christian. Singing, prayer, suffering, and sinning are all thus related to the central concern, the sick Christian.
To this writer the latter view seems to be an over-emphasis on the importance of sickness of body, there is a sickness that is more serious. Jesus did heal the body and forgive sins in the same instance, but His healing was at times stated to be for the purpose of showing He had authority to forgive sins. Of the two, sin-sickness of soul is by far the more serious. When the information of this section (James 5:13-20) is carefully analyzed James has far more to say about sin than about physical sickness.
And now, supposing the main subject of verse sixteen to be sin, what kind of sin is to be confessed to the brother? All kinds? This could be, and if so it would call for a far greater amount of love, compassion, understanding, and earnest desire for the welfare of each other than many Christians show. The thought would then be that the Christian should not only confess his faults (King James) but all his sins. The idea is to unburden the general sinful trials on one another and join in prayers to God that these burdens will be lifted.
However, confession of sins one to another generally concerns a sin where one man has wronged another. Before a gift is acceptable to God, there must be a reconciliation with the brother (Matthew 5:24). When a brother has sinned against another, the two should discuss it between themselves (Matthew 18:15 ff). A detailed confession of sins, on the other hand, is to be done before God. Nor is a church official, priest or elder, the mediator through which a Christian must go in order to confess to God.
So it would seem quite possible the sin confessed to the brother is the sin committed against the brother. This is the confession that must be made in order to restore harmony. Even as with God forgiveness is conditioned upon repentance, so in the commandments to forgive one another, repentance is implied. A brother who is penitent enough to confess his guilt touches the heart-strings of him who has the responsibility of forgiving. God requires confession and repentance for restitution of the Christian. (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-9).
If we only knew what power there is available through prayer! God has a very sympathetic ear, and He is very reluctant to hold anything back which we as sincere Christians would request of Him. The supplication (entreaty) of a righteous man is like the earnest imploring of an obedient son to his father. The request availeth much in its working, means the way that it is very powerful or mighty in bringing about the desired result. This is the literal meaning of the passage. A man after God’s own heart has a great influence with God through his petitions. This is true both with petitions for the healing of a sick brother and for requests for compassion on a soul-sick brother that has wronged that one who is praying. Jesus prayed for those who had wronged Him even as He died at their hands. Stephen likewise asked for the compassion of God upon those who stoned him to death. James-’ present subject, however, is that the petitions of God’s loving sons really do have a tremendous influence with God. James illustrates this with the case of Elijah’s prayers for drought. The Old Testament account does not actually say that Elijah prayed for the period in which it did not rain, but the thought in no way contradicts the account. The same Holy Spirit that inspired the writing of the Old Testament account also inspired the revealing of this additional information in James: it rained not for three and a half years because of Elijah’s prayers.
Some, without thinking it through, might think that the period of three and a half years contradicts the passage in 1 Kings 18:1 which says that in the third year Elijah was told to go show himself to Ahab. The Old Testament does not say how much longer it was before the drought was broken. (It could have been six months!) Nor does the Old Testament account say from what time the three year period was measured. It could have been counted from some event that happened six months before the drought started. In other words, we could not know for certain how long the drought lasted if the Holy Spirit had not revealed it to us in the James passage, and in the account in Luke 4:25.
The account of Elijah’s prayer for rain is told in detail in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 18:20-45 we find that Elijah prayed seven times before the answer was visible. This is truly an example of a righteous man praying with prayer, or fervently praying. But it is the result that James wants the reader to notice. The drought was in effect because of the fervent request; and the rain came to break the drought for the same reason.
But, one may ask, do we have a right to pray for rain today? Most certainly! This would especially be true if the rain were for a righteous purpose. And God would answer the prayer as He answered Elijah: through natural means. Some may call it miraculous because God actually sends the thing asked. If this is the definition of a miracle, then God performs miracles today as much as He ever did, for He continues to answer prayer. We might note that a cloud (in Elijah’s case) came from the horizon and grew larger. Then when the heavens opened up, they really had a rain! Strictly speaking, this is God working through providence (or through His normal way of working). Had there been no cloud in the sky with the sun shining sparkling and clear, and at the same time a tremendous rain was falling, this would have been God working through the miraculous (or through something other than His normal way of working). Although God sometimes answered prayers through miraculous means in the period when new revelations were being given through the prophets, we have no right to demand that God answer through His miracles today.
Since there are no new revelations being given (God’s Word is complete and final), it is enough that He grants our petitions. In the same way God will grant our requests for healing of the sick. Our petitions are heard and avail much with our heavenly Father. But we would have no right to demand that He must do the healing through miraculous means. There is no new revelation being given to be proved by the miracle. It is enough that He grants our requests and gives the healing. Is not this what we sought? (If we were really looking for a miracle rather than the healing, then our prayers were not honest!) This brings us another thought; is it proper for a Christian to request something of God and remain passive, doing nothing to help, expecting that God will do it all? If God should give us our requests lying at our feet to be picked up, do we have the right to say: God this is your doing and not mine. Therefore, I am not going to stoop over to pick up the blessing. You must place it in my hand so that I will know You did it! How often we tempt God with this attitude! We ask God for healing, but at the same time demand that it must be a miracle; that God must do all of it; and that we shall do nothing. We fervently pray for healing, but refuse to wash the wounds with disinfectant (somehow claiming that God would not be doing the healing if we did). We ask God to heal the broken arm but will not see the doctor to have it set. Is this not tempting God even as the devil tempted Jesus to cast Himself down? Our prayers for spiritual help and blessings are often no better. To pray that God would save a soul while we do nothing to bring it about, is insulting to God in that we are ignoring His revealed scheme of redemption. God has ordained to comfort others primarily through His saints. He desires to help others through making His children givers, even as He is a giver. His plan is that souls will be saved by the witness of His Word through those who already know Him. The New Testament abounds with such phrases as Ye are my witnesses, and through the foolishness of that which is preached. In both parable and commandment we have the admonition to go into all the world. If we could only realize the vanity of asking God for help but demanding that He not work His help through us, nor through natural means, nor through any means He has already chosen. And when He has already revealed His choice of working, it is for us to know and follow that revelation.
WHEN THE SAINT ERRS FROM THE TRUTH
Text
My brethren, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him;
let him know, that he who converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.
Queries
Who is specifically addressed in these two verses? 489. Is the person who errs from the truth a Christian, or non Christian? How do you know?
From what truth is this brother erring?
When he is converted, he is changed from what to what? (See James 5:20 for a clue to the answer).
Is the expression let him know in James 5:20 a commandment? If so, whom do we let know this truth?
The expression could also be second person plural, and as such would read know ye (indicative) or we know (imperative). Which reading makes the most sense in the context: let him know or know ye?
Who is the sinner in verse twenty? (Has he been mentioned before?)
What soul is saved from death?
Whose sins are covered? (Look carefully to see whose sins need covering).
From what kind of death is this soul saved?
Does this passage indicate anything about the value of a human soul?
Explain how a man who held to the once in grace always in grace doctrine might have difficulty with understanding this passage.
How many times in chapter five has James addressed his readers with the affectionate title of brethren?
Paraphrases
A James 5:19.
My dear brothers, if any of you have fallen in sin, and someone changes him back to his former life with Christ;
Let this someone know that anyone who leads a sinning Christian back to the Lord has saved that soul from death and has covered his many sins.
B.*James 5:19.
Dear brothers, if anyone has slipped away from God and no longer trusts the Lord, and someone helps him understand the Truth again,
That person who brings him back to God will save a wandering soul from death and bring about the forgiveness of his many sins.
Summary
Brethren, if any of you sin then turn that one back to the Lord that his soul will be saved.
Comment
James here is referring to the sinning Christian. He is not speaking of someone who has sinned and has already repented. Nor is he speaking of someone who is sinning and has never been a Christian. He is speaking concerning the Christian who has erred from the truth and is now a sinner. If he is not converted, he is in danger of eternal death. His many sins are no longer covered by the blood of Christ because he has departed from Christ. His state is desperate for his soul is in as much danger as one who has never known the Lord Jesus. The cause of this man’s rejection of the blood of Christ is indicated by the expression err from the truth. He has either deceived himself or has been deceived until now he no longer believes nor follows the plain teaching of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. He knows to do good, but is not doing it. He knows the teaching of Christ, but has departed from it. Not only has he departed in heart, but he has departed in deed. He needs to be converted from the error of his way. Some people believe that once a man is a Christian he can never again become in danger of eternal death. They claim that a Christian, though he may sin, cannot sin to the point of damnation. They believe God guarantees his repentance before death.
The doctrine is Calvanistic and contrary to the plain teaching of the New Testament. Hebrews 10:26 makes it clear that a Christian who continues to sin willfully is fallen from grace. In Hebrews 6:1-6 it is clear that while a former Christian remains in the state of sin he cannot be renewed to repentance. The warning is not an idle gesture about something that can never happen. Galatians 5:4 plainly states that Christians who put themselves back under the law system have fallen from grace. Paul warns of the danger of falling away in 1 Corinthians 9:27. All of the epistles of the New Testament are filled with warnings to Christians that they can go back into the mire of sin and lose their souls.
With this fact in mind, the James 5:19-20 passage is very clear in meaning. One who was once a Christian may need conversion as desperately as any other man. When the saint errs from the truth, the brethren should be most concerned to convert him to save his soul from death. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. (Galatians 6:1).
The first phrase in verse twenty offers some difficulty in translation. The MMS do differ, but the let him know of our text is the best reading. The meaning would thus be: If any of you Christians err from the truth, and one man converts him, let that man know that he who converts a sinner. The Vatican MMS reading would be: If any of you Christians err from the truth, and one converts him ye know that he who converts a sinner.. In either case the intention is clear. James wishes to publicize the knowledge that a sinning Christian who is brought back to Christ is a soul saved from death. The death is eternal damnation, the second death of which the Bible warns. Most certainly repentance would not save a man from dying the death of this life, else no sincere Christian would die. The multitude of sins that are covered are the sins of the sinner. Some hold to a peculiar doctrine of doing good to others to cover their own sins, but to so interpret this verse would be a twisted application. James has made it quite clear that the fallen saint has erred from the truth and is a man of sin that needs converting. When he repents, it is the sinner who is saved from death, so quite properly it is the sinner’s sins that are covered by this repentance.
CHAPTER XI
FIVE REMEDIES FOR THE CHRISTIAN
Introduction
The trying situation in which the greedy rich have with-held wages from the poor has already been discussed by James. Following this, he admonishes the saint to be patient in his Christian life during this suffering. Christ will soon come, and the suffering will not be long. Having given this general instruction, James now proceeds to list five differing situations of this life in which the Christian might find himself. In each situation, James gives a recommended action. Four of the five situations are adverse, so the action recommended may be said to be a remedy. One of the situations (happy, or merry) recommends an action that will enhance the situation rather than remedy it. In all of these situations, Christ is the author of the solution. Whether giving Him praise, requests in prayer from Him, asking His intercession, or requesting strength and wisdom, He remains the Great Physician. He lifts the burden, heals the wounds of the soul, administers to the sick, and patches up the broken remains of quarreling saints. In Him, truly, the saint can live and move and have his entire existence. To live in, with, and for Christ is to have the peace that passes all understanding. There is no joy that compares to the joy unspeakable, and no hope other than hope through Him. It is very fitting that this practical instruction from the pen of James should come to its conclusion with the most useful admonition of all. Here is real help for the saint in need. We not only have the source of the medicine given, but are told how to mix and apply it. It is like a string of jewels, each one beautiful as it fills its place on the string. Then, hanging at the end, are five of the most beautiful gems of all. Each one, clear and sparkling, promises joy and peace to its wearer. This is a necklace whose value is more than rubies. It is a chain of jewels for the child of the King!
Many commentators prefer to read this portion of the book as partly applying to Christians of all times, and partly applying to only the early church under the guidance of the special spiritual gifts. This author prefers the view that if a large part of these special instructions apply to the church of all times, then it is probably intended that the entire instruction applies to the church until Christ again comes.
EIGHT THREE-POINT SERMON STARTERS
WHEN THE SAINT SUFFERS James 5:13 a
Let Him Pray:
To God who controls all.
Through Christ who suffered in all points as we.
For strength to bear it, if it need be.
WHEN A CHRISTIAN IS MERRY James 5:13 b
Let him express his joy.
Sing his praise unto God before men.
Refuse to sing words and tunes that promote sensuousness and non-Christian influences.
ANOINTING WITH OIL James 5:14
Practiced when appointed one to office (O.T. examples).
An application upon the sick (Medicinal).
Done in the name of Jesus.
ARE YOU SICK, BROTHER? James 5:14-15
Call the elders of the church
(Doctor and medicine does nothing unless God consents).
Let them pray over him, anointing with oil.
God grants the healing; not the oil, nor the medicine, nor the doctorthough these have their part.
DIVINE HEALING James 5:13-15
The sick call for the elders. (No healing meeting).
God heals the sick. (In answer to prayer, through providence, to give more opportunity for service and/or repentance.
God forgives sins of the sick (When they meet the New Testament requirements for forgiveness).
WHEN WE SIN ONE AGAINST ANOTHER James 5:16
Desire to change the matter.
Confess the fault to the person wronged.
Pray for one another’s repentant life and forgiveness.
WHEN THE CHRISTIAN ERRS James 5:19-20
Our duty is to teach and let all know what to do when a Christian sins.
A Christian’s duty at the time one sins: to convert the sinner.
The sinner’s duty is to repent from the error of his ways.
A CHRISTIAN IN DANGER OF DEATH James 5:19-20
Cause: (a) To err from the truth; (b) To become a sinner.
Remedy: To convert the sinner.
Result: (a) A soul saved from death; (b) A multitude of sins covered.