St. James, having warned his readers against worldliness, and exhorted them to humility before God, proceeds to censure the rich for their forgetfulness of their dependence upon God, their proud confidence in their worldly plans, and their arrogant boasting as if they were their own masters; he remi... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:1. GO TO NOW. Whoever may be the persons referred to in the preceding paragraph, we consider that the rich who are here addressed were unbelieving and wicked men not belonging to the Christian community. Some indeed consider that they are rich Christians; [1] but the crime charged upon them... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:2. YOUR RICHES ARE CORRUPTED. We have here a description of the doom that was to befall the rich. Your riches, in which you prided yourselves, and in which you trusted, will be taken from you. Some suppose, on account of the term ‘corrupted,' that riches in grain are to be understood, which... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:3. YOUR GOLD AND YOUR SILVER: the other treasures in which their riches consisted. IS CANKERED: corroded, eaten through with rust. Literally, gold and silver do not contract rust, and hence various explanations have been given, as, for example, vessels plated with gold; but such explanatio... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:4. Now follows a statement of the sins of the rich on account of which they are punished. Three sins are mentioned injustice, luxury, and oppression. The first sin mentioned is injustice. BEHOLD, THE HIRE OF THE LABOURERS WHO HAVE REAPED DOWN YOUR FIELDS, WHICH IS OF YOU KEPT BACK BY FRAUD.... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:5. The second sin is luxury or self-indulgence. YE HAVE LIVED IN PLEASURE ON THE EARTH, AND BEEN WANTON revelled. The Jews at this time were especially addicted to luxury and debauchery. YE HAVE NOURISHED YOUR HEARTS, that is, yourselves, AS IN A DAY OF SLAUGHTER. The conjunction ‘as' is om... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:6. The third sin is the oppression or persecution of the righteous. Y E HAVE CONDEMNED AND KILLED THE JUST, or the just one the just man, as the word ‘just' is in the singular. These words have been usually referred to the condemnation and execution of our Lord by the Jews. [1] He is pre-emi... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:7. The connection with the preceding paragraph is obvious and direct. St. James, having pronounced the doom of the rich oppressors, now proceeds to comfort the oppressed. BE PATIENT: literally, ‘Be longsuffering;' an exhortation both to forbearance toward their oppressors, and to a trustfu... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:7-20. St. James concludes his Epistle with a variety of admonitions. He first exhorts his readers to patience; they are to exercise forbearance toward their oppressors and trust toward God, being comforted by the thought of the nearness of the advent of the Lord. Meanwhile they are to posses... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:8. BE YE ALSO PATIENT: as well as ‘the husbandman; in this imitate his example. STABLISH YOUR HEARTS: possess your souls in patience; ‘be ye stedfast and immoveable.' ‘Not the weak, but the strong hearts are qualified to cherish patience' (Huther). We need strength of mind to be patient; e... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:9. GRUDGE NOT. The Greek verb means to sigh or groan; it is here rendered ‘grudge,' because that word in Old English signified to murmur or repine. Hence ‘murmur not;' be not impatient. This refers not so much to the feeling of envy ‘be not envious to each other' as to impatience and irritab... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:10. TAKE, MY BRETHREN, THE PROPHETS WHO HAVE SPOKEN IN THE NAME OF THE LORD namely, the Old Testament prophets, the inspired messengers of God. FOR AN EXAMPLE. It is an argument for patience in affliction that our sufferings are not peculiar, but that others have likewise suffered, especia... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:11. BEHOLD, WE COUNT. St. James here speaks of this not as his own judgment but as the judgment of all Christians, it may be of all right-thinking men. THEM HAPPY WHICH ENDURE: literally, ‘blessed that endure;' that is not merely who are in a state of suffering, but who exercise patience in... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:12. Next follows a caution against swearing. There does not seem to be any connection between this caution and what precedes. St. James was perhaps led to it by the circumstances of his readers. BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS, MY BRETHREN as a caution of the highest importance SWEAR not. We have in... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:13. IS ANY AFFLICTED? The word rendered ‘afflicted' is a general term, denoting all kinds of affliction sickness, pain, bereavement, disappointment, persecution. Here perhaps it specially refers to inward affliction low spirits, in contrast to merry. LET HIM PRAY, prayer being the natural... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:14. IS ANY SICK AMONG YOU? a particular instance of the general term ‘afflicted;' to be taken in its literal sense, denoting ‘bodily sickness,' and not to be spiritualized as denoting ‘spiritual trouble.' LET HIM CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH: not for the aged men, but for the presbyte... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:15. AND THE PRAYER OF FAITH. Some understand by this, prayer uttered in faith believing prayer confidence in God as the Hearer of prayer. Others, supposing that the reference is to those miraculous gifts of healing with which the primitive Church was endowed, understand by faith what has bee... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:16. CONFESS YOUR FAULTS. Here we are led especially to think on wrongs inflicted upon others offences against the law of love; but there is no reason to limit the term to any kind of sins; it comprehends sins against God as well as against man. ONE TO ANOTHER. On this verse chiefly do the... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:17. ELIAS WAS A MAN SUBJECT TO LIKE PASSIONS AS WE ARE. An instance in the life of Elijah is given as an example of the efficacy of the earnest prayer of a righteous man. As, however, the readers might object that the example of Elijah was wholly inapplicable to ordinary men, owing to his pe... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:18. AND HE PRAYED AGAIN. This, also, is not expressly mentioned in the Old Testament, but it is certainly implied. It is there said that ‘Elijah went up to the top of Carmel, and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees' (1 Kings 18:42); that is, placed himself... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:19. We have in these two last verses the conclusion of the Epistle; and certainly the words form a summary of its nature, its contents, and its design. Its sole purpose was to correct the errors of the Jewish Christians, and to restore them to the truth of the Gospel. BRETHREN, IF ANY OF Y... [ Continue Reading ]
James 5:20. LET HIM KNOW, as an inducement to attempt the work of restoring the erring, THAT HE WHICH CONVERTETH THE SINNER FROM THE ERROR OF HIS WAY restores him to the truth SHALL SAVE A SOUL FROM DEATH. Here, evidently, eternal death is meant, the punishment of the condemned, the death of the s... [ Continue Reading ]