James 5:1-20

What *faith should do

James

Ian Mackervoy

The word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.

Chapter 5

Judgement of the rich 5:1-6

v1 Now, you rich people, weep and cry aloud. There are terrible troubles that will soon be coming to you. v2 Your riches have lost their value. Your beautiful clothes are as if *moths had eaten them. v3 Your gold and your silver have become dirty and stained. The dirt and stains will be evidence against you in the judgement. They are like poison that will eat up your bodies as with fire. That is because you have heaped up a lot of riches in these last days. v4 Listen! You have not paid the wages of those who worked in your fields. The money you kept from them cries out to God against you. The *Lord of all power has heard the cries of the workers. v5 You have lived on earth in luxury. And you have had all that you wanted. You lived to please yourselves. You have made yourself fat, like animals ready for men to kill. v6 You have accused. And you have caused the death of those who were innocent.

Verse 1 James speaks to the rich people as if he were writing to them. But he is not sending this letter to them. Even if they were to receive it, they would not accept what he says about them. James wrote, in this way, to show his Christian readers that it is foolish to trust in *riches. They should not be jealous of those who are wealthy. The rich people, of whom he is writing, are not Christians. They were, at that time, the owners of the land and rich farmers. They were the wealthy people who caused the poor to suffer.

In verses 1 to 6, James accuses these rich people of four things:

• They are foolish in storing up so many riches (verses 1-3). Possessions that are not used spoil and do no good.

• They were not honest in what they did (verse 4). They got their wealth by unfair actions and they cheated their workers.

• They lived a life of luxury while other people were in need of their help (verse 5).

• They were guilty of the crime of murder (verse 6).

James warns about the punishment that would soon come upon these rich persons. He does not call on them to change their ways, to escape the judgement of God. He just speaks about the fate that will come to them. They should weep and cry aloud because it will be so awful. God will not punish them because they are rich. They are guilty because of how they got their riches. And they are guilty because of what they did, or did not do, with them. They are guilty because of the way they cheated other people. They are guilty because they depend on their riches and not on God.

Verses 2-3 The wealth of these rich persons is of three types:

• They had riches, which could refer to all kinds of wealth. But the word also meant grain, oil and food. If they keep these too long in store, they will go bad. And then they will be of no use.

• They had many clothes, which was one of the main types of wealth in the ancient world. The poorer people would have perhaps just one set of clothes. The rich would have many more clothes than they would ever wear. If they stored these clothes and did not use them, *moths would eat into them.

• They had a lot of gold and silver that had become stained and dirty from lack of use. These precious metals have no real worth until the owners use them.

The message is clear that the riches of this world have no lasting value. The stain and dirt on their gold and silver is like a poison. It will be as evidence against them in front of God. The wealth of those who do not trust in God accuses them. They trusted in their riches but riches will be of no value to them. Here is a terrible picture of the last judgement. It will be like a fire that burns up their bodies. It is as if their wealth adds fuel to the flames of that fire. Instead of helping the poor, they kept all their wealth for themselves. Their crime was that they were greedy and selfish. Much of their wealth came from the poor. But they did not care about the poor. The poor suffered at the hands of the rich.

James says that the rich have heaped up wealth in the last days. The last days are the period of time between the first coming and the second coming of Jesus. The days in which we live are the last days. At the end of these last days, there will be the judgement. James has that future event in mind as well. It is as if the wealth of the rich people will increase their punishment. That will be in the day when God *judges them.

Verse 4 James accuses the rich because they had not paid their workmen. They had kept back the wages of the workers who worked in their fields. The law of Moses says that employers must be good to their workers. They must pay the wages to the hired workers for the work that they have done. They must not delay that payment. They should pay it as soon as it is due (Deuteronomy 24:14-15; Leviticus 19:13).

If a worker suffers and cries to God, God will hear the prayer. The wrong done to the poor worker would itself cry out to God against that rich person. It is as if the coins in the rich person’s pockets cry out that they are guilty. God is the *Lord of all power. It is he who will act for the poor against the wicked rich persons. God will punish those who cause the poor to suffer.

Verse 5 The rich people lived in luxury and for their own pleasure. A way of life like that shows that they did not care about the needs of other people. They lived for themselves alone. They lived in the excess of luxury. But they were not aware of the judgement that was soon to come upon them. The farmer feeds his animals to make them fat before he kills them. The rich are just like that. They are preparing themselves for their end. They are making themselves ready for the day when God will *judge them.

Verse 6 James says that the rich had caused the death of innocent people. The picture is of the rich taking the *righteous poor to the law courts. The judges in these courts were themselves rich owners of land. So, the wealthy persons were always able to win. There was no *justice for the poor person. As a result, the courts would decide that the poor person was guilty. That often meant the death of the innocent person. It may also be that the rich, by this means, took from the poor. As a result, the poor would suffer and lack what they needed for living. As they died, the rich had in effect murdered them. The poor could not defend themselves. There was no help for them against the rich persons. They had to be patient in their suffering and put their hope and trust in God.

Patience until the *Lord comes again 5:7-11

v7 Be patient then, my brothers and sisters, until the *Lord comes. See how patient farmers are as they wait for the precious crops to grow on their land. They go on waiting for the rain to come in the autumn and in the spring. v8 You too be patient and be strong in your hope because the *Lord is coming soon. v9 Do not complain against one another, my brothers and sisters. If you do this, God will be your judge and he is already standing at the door! v10 The *prophets who brought messages from God showed us how to be patient, my brothers and sisters. They were patient even when they had to go through times of much suffering. v11 We know that God has blessed people like that. They kept doing what God wanted even when they were in trouble. For example, you have heard of Job and how he kept looking to God for help. You have heard how, in the end, the *Lord blessed him. The *Lord is kind, very loving and does very many good things to us.

Verse 7 James now speaks to his Christian brothers and sisters. They need to be patient until God acts on their behalf. They may have to suffer these troubles as they wait for the *Lord to come. Then the *Lord will punish those who have caused them to suffer. In the meantime, Christians must leave the judgement of the rich to God. They must not do what is wrong against those who do wrong to them. This does not mean that we should not speak out for *justice. It is a Christian duty to look for *justice for all people.

James says that they must be patient until the *Lord comes. When he comes, all suffering will stop. And he will make right all that was wrong. The second coming of the *Lord Jesus will be different from the first time that he came. This time he will appear on the clouds in the sky. All the people will see him. He will gather all that are his to live with him in heaven. As Christians look forward to his coming, it helps them to live with the problems of this life.

Farmers are examples of patience. They dig the ground and sow the seeds. Then they have to wait for the rains. The early rain was the rain in the months of October and November. Without that rain, the seeds would not grow. The late rain was the rain in April and May. Without this rain, the grain would not mature and get ripe. It seems a long time from sowing the seeds until the harvest. But the farmers know that the harvest will come. So, Christians have to wait, with patience, for the coming of Jesus. We do not know when he will come. But the *Lord Jesus will come at the time that God has planned.

Verse 8 The readers must be patient as they look for the coming of the *Lord. They know that he will come. And this should encourage them. James writes that the coming of the *Lord Jesus is approaching. He writes as if it were soon. The idea that he could return soon should cause their trust in God to grow. The thought of the *Lord Jesus coming should give them the courage that they need for their life on earth. Christians should not worry about the date when the *Lord Jesus will come. No one knows when it will be. It is the hope of his coming that is powerful. It is powerful in the lives of those who expect it. As they look for his coming, they will be patient and strong in their trust in God. The certainty that the *Lord Jesus is coming will give them strength to live for him.

Verse 9 Christians are not to complain about one another. To do so would destroy the unity that there ought to be in the church. The *Lord will *judge those who do complain. It is not only what they say that is wrong. It is also the bad feelings toward another person that they keep in their hearts.

The coming of the *Lord is a warning as well as a happy event for Christians. Then, Jesus Christ will be their judge. The judge is almost here. He is coming soon. It is as if his foot is already on the doorstep.

Verse 10 To encourage them to be patient when they suffer, James speaks about the *prophets of the *Old Testament. Many of them suffered death because they spoke God’s message. They had all kinds of problems, *trials and troubles. But, through it all, they remained strong in their trust in God.

Verse 11 We call them happy who have continued trusting God to the end. Those who have died and gone to be with God are really happy. Those who suffer because they belong to Jesus will have great blessing. Jesus taught that (Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 23:29-36; Luke 11:49). He also said that those who keep their trust in God to the end will be safe (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Luke 21:19).

We read about the patience of Job. But he was not patient, as we understand patience. All through the troubles that came upon him, he complained to God. But James still chooses Job to be an example of patience to his readers. Through all his troubles, Job never lost his trust in God. He suffered great testing but he remained loyal to God. He struggled and asked God many questions. But he believed in God even when he could not understand why he had to suffer. He stood firm to the end.

James is urging his readers to be like Job, and to trust God through all their troubles. God allowed Job to suffer for a purpose. That was to prove his trust in God. God allowed the devil to take everything from Job. But through it all, Job’s trust in God was constant. He proved that he would trust God no matter what happened. In the end, God gave to Job much more than he had lost.

From the story of Job, we see that God had a plan and purpose in it all. There is a reason for suffering. Through what he suffered, Job came to understand God’s love for him. The readers, also, should see their troubles as part of God’s design. God works through what they suffer to bring good to them. In the end, if they maintain their trust in him, God will reward them.

Do not swear 5:12

v12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not use an *oath when you make a promise. Do not call on heaven, or earth, or anything else, as witnesses to what you say. Say only, ‘Yes’ when you mean yes. And say only ‘No’ when you mean no. Then you will not come under God’s judgement.

Verse 12 James is not saying that using *oaths is worse than other *sins such as to steal or to murder. But he is saying that this is important. An *oath is to call on God, or some other person or things, to be witness to what is being said. People use *oaths to show that they are speaking the truth. And they use them to add strength to what they say. Not all *oaths are wrong. There are times when there is the need for an *oath. God himself used an *oath (Hebrews 3:11; Hebrews 4:3).

He means that Christians should not use *oaths at all in ordinary speaking. They should not call on heaven or earth as witnesses. They should not use the name of any other person in this way. The use of these is in effect appealing to the name of God. In the careless use of *oaths, there is the danger of not respecting the name of God. In Exodus 20:7, it says that the person who uses the name of God without respect shall be guilty. The Christian’s speech should always be honest. So he or she should not need *oaths. He should speak the truth and his words should be sufficient without an *oath. He should always say what he means. And he should always mean what he says. ‘Yes’ should be ‘yes’ and ‘no’ should be ‘no’. There should be no need of an *oath to convince other people.

In Matthew 5:34-37, we read what Jesus said about using *oaths. He says, ‘Do not use *oaths at all. Do not make an *oath by heaven, because it is where God sits. Do not make an *oath by the earth, because it is a place for God’s feet to rest. Do not make an *oath by *Jerusalem, because it is the city of God. Do not make an *oath by your own head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Anything more than this comes from evil.’

Prayer in all circumstances 5:13-18

v13 If anyone among you is in trouble, that person should pray to God. If anyone among you is cheerful, that one should sing praises to God. v14 If one of you is sick, let him ask for the church *elders to come. They will put oil on the sick person, and pray in the name of the *Lord. v15 The prayer offered in *faith will make the sick person well. The *Lord will heal that person. And he will forgive any *sins that he or she has done. v16 So then, confess your *sins to one another. Pray for one another, that the *Lord will heal you. God does powerful things when a good person asks him. v17 Elijah was a person who, by nature, was just like us. He really prayed to God that it would not rain. So, it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. v18 Then he prayed again and he asked God to send the rain. Rain poured from the sky, and the seeds in the earth began to grow again.

Verse 13 If anyone is in trouble, that person should pray to God. The answer to that prayer may not remove the problem. But it will give help and strength to be able to live through the trouble. Those who are cheerful (who feel good) should praise God. They should sing *psalms or praises to God. James is reminding his readers to turn to God in good times as well as bad. Prayer and praise are important parts in the lives of Christians.

Verse 14 When they are ill, they should ask the *elders to come and pray with them. The *elders are the leaders and *pastors of the church. They can pray and believe that God will answer them. When the *elders have come, they will pray over the sick person. They will put oil on that person in the name of the *Lord. This is a request for God to act, because he is the source of all healing. In those days, people used oil as a medicine. They put oil into injuries to clean them and to aid healing. As an example of this, see Luke 10:34. The Good *Samaritan poured oil into the injuries of the man whom the thieves had attacked. When Jesus sent the *apostles out to *preach, they put oil on the sick people and healed them (Mark 6:13). It could be then, that here oil is a sign of healing. The cure is not by means of the oil but by the power of the *Lord.

Verse 15 Those who pray with the sick person must believe. They must believe that God will answer their prayers. They must be confident that God will heal. It is the prayer with *faith that God uses. It is prayer, not the oil, that leads to the healing of the sick person. In answer to the prayer, God will make the sick person well again. If *sin was the cause of the illness, God will forgive that *sin. ‘If’ makes it clear that not all illness comes from *sin. More often than not *sin is not the direct cause of it.

Verse 16 It is not only the *elders and the sick person who should pray. All the Christians should pray for one another. They should confess their *sins to one another. They must pray for one another that God may heal them. As they confess their faults and pray for one another, God makes them clean. He forgives them and they forgive one another. Those whom God forgives he considers to be *righteous persons. When they pray to God, he will hear them. God does great things in answer to their prayers.

Verses 17-18 Elijah was a *prophet in the *Old Testament. He prayed to God. And then he declared that there would be no rain for a period of time. God answered him and there was no rain for three and a half years. With no rain, the crops did not grow. After that time, he prayed again. And, as a result, it rained. Now the rain had come, the crops could grow again. (These events are in 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Kings 18:42-45.)

Elijah was a *human being who trusted in God. There was nothing special about him. He had no special power. He was a person just like the readers. James is showing them that anyone who is right with God can pray strong prayers. If Elijah could pray in this way, so could the readers.

Bring back those who have gone wrong 5:19-20

v19 My Christian brothers and sisters, if any among you wanders from the truth, you should try to bring him or her back to God. v20 You know that whoever turns a person back to the truth, will save his or her *soul from death. Then God will forgive that person the many *sins that he or she has done.

Verses 19-20 It is possible for a person, who knows the truth about the *Lord Jesus, to turn away from him. This is not when a Christian does something wrong. It is more than that. It is when a person wanders away from Jesus Christ and denies the truth.

Christian brothers and sisters should look after one another. So, when one of them wanders away, the rest should feel it deeply. It is their duty and desire to try to bring back to the *Lord Jesus any who have turned away. Suppose that a person brings another one back to the *Lord Jesus. He should know that by this God has saved that person from death. Most Christians believe that this cannot mean death of the body. James is speaking about the death of the *soul. To bring back a brother or sister to Jesus is a great work. As that brother or sister comes back to the *Lord Jesus, God will forgive all his or her *sins. A person who comes to Jesus with real trust and receives new life from him, can never lose that life. But these verses talk about one of them, that is one of that church, who turns away. This passage speaks about those who have heard the truth but they have not really put their trust in the *Lord Jesus Christ.

faith ~ belief that something is true; trust in someone or something; belief and trust in God and in Jesus Christ his Son.
moths ~ flying insects whose young eat clothes.
Lord ~ a title for God, or Jesus, to show that he is over all people and things. The name that God gave to himself in the Old Testament. He was the One who had made a covenant with the Jews.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
covenant ~ when people agree something together; when God and a person or people agree to a special thing.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
riches ~ the wealth that rich people have.
judge ~ to judge is to do the work of a judge; to test and decide what is right or wrong.
righteous ~a righteous person is right in what he does; or a person whom God says is right.
justice ~ fair and right decisions and actions.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. He can sometimes say what will happen in the future.'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
trials ~ troubles and difficulties that come to us.
oath ~ to make an oath is to use the name of a person, thing or God to witness that what someone says is true.
sin ~ to sin is to do wrong, bad or evil; not to obey God; sins are the wrong things that we do.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel.
Israel ~ the country of the Jews; another name for Jacob, the first father of the Jews.
Jews ~ people who were born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.
elders ~ leaders in the church.
psalm ~ a song for when we are praising God; one of the books of the Old Testament.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the holy things that the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.
pastor ~ a church leader who looks after the believers.
believers ~ Christians.
Samaritan ~ a person from the country of Samaria.
apostle ~ one whom God sends; especially one of the 12 that Jesus chose to be his helpers.
preach ~ to speak out the message from God and to teach his word.'human being ~ a human person.
soul ~ the part of a person that we cannot see; or the mind.