1 Warning to Rich Oppressors Patience in Suffering The Prayer of Faith James 5:1-20
2 Warning to Rich Oppressors Patience in Suffering The Prayer of Faith James 5:1-20, 1. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6. Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. 7. Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.
3 12. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. 13. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14. Is any sick among you? 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: 15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19. Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20. Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. Introduction: I. Coffman wrote that the powerful denunciation (verses 1-16) of the wealthy was a reference to the rich Sadduceas in Jerusalem who had murdered the Just One. A. Others who were of the same persuasion would be included in James condemnation by association.
4 B. Coffman also stated that James condemnation of the rich remains an eloquent warning for all men who may be tempted to amass their wealth through selfishness and exploitation. C. This condemnation applies to those who claim to be Christians as well as those who don t so claim who are amassing wealth through selfishness and exploitation. D. Scriptures: 1. James 1:10, 11, But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 2. James 2:6, 7, But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? II. Coffman in verses 7-12 wrote that James urged the faithful to be patient because the Lord would avenge the wrongs done to them by influential rich persecutors. III. James concluded the chapter by emphasizing the care Christians should have for each other in times of: A. trouble. B. happiness. C. sickness. D. sinfulness, digression.
5 Commentary: Warning to Rich Oppressors James 5:1, Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. I. Now listen, come now, ye rich, you rich people, A. Holloway wrote that in the Old Testament those with means were to provide for the poor. 1. Deuteronomy 15:4-11, Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it: Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day. For the LORD thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee. If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I
6 command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. 2. Deuteronomy 10:17-19, For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 3. Psalm 35:10, All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like unto thee, which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him? B. Holloway further wrote that the Old Testament rich did not provide for the needy in a consistent manner as God directed. 1. Leviticus 19:13, Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. 2. Deuteronomy 24:14, 15, Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee. C. Consequently, Holloway concluded, the selfish rich fell under the judgment of God. 1. Isaiah 5:8, Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
7 2. Amos 2:6, 7, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: 3. Amos 5:11, Forasmuch therefore as your treading is upon the poor, and ye take from him burdens of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink wine of them. 4. Amos 8:4-6, Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat? D. Coffman well said that nowhere are the rich condemned simply because they are rich. 1. Abraham and Job were wealthy. 2. Those who are rich must be extremely aware that riches pose a spiritual danger. E. Holloway wrote that James is here condemning the rich both inside and outside the church who neglect and cheat the poor. F. Holloway rightly stated that those who plan their business dealings without considering God are also likely to cheat on others to gain their wealth.
8 1. James 4:13-16, Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. II. weep and wail (shriek), howl A. How intense is the judgment of God upon the wicked! B. Those judged of God to be evil have every reason to weep and wail! 1. Isaiah 13:6, Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 2. Isaiah 14:31, Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. 3. Hosea 7:14, And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. 4. Amos 8:3, And the songs of the temple shall be howlings in that day, saith the Lord GOD: there shall be many dead bodies in every place; they shall cast them forth with silence. C. Holloway noted that God s judgment on the wicked is described by such words as misery, disaster, calamity, distress, ruin, and destruction. III. because of the, for your miseries which are coming upon you.
9 A. The position and wealth of the Jerusalem hierarchy did not reduce the intensity of the pain suffered in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem destroyed. James 5:2, Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. I. Your riches are corrupted, your wealth has rotted, A. Josephus via Coffman spoke of all the unspeakable horror, disaster, slaughter, famine and total ruin which befell Jerusalem. II. and your garments are moth-eaten, moths have eaten your clothes. James 5:3, Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. I. Your gold and your silver are rusted; corroded A. Gold and silver, precious metals, do not rust, but God s judgment makes wealth useless as in Jerusalem in A.D. 70. B. Coffman noted that the Jerusalem rich had polluted their gold and sliver by fraud, deceit and murder. C. The gold rings and fine clothes of the rich have fallen on to hard times. 1. Job 13:28, And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten. 2. Isaiah 50:9, Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up. 3. Isaiah 51:8, For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness
10 shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation. 4. Matthew 6:19, 20, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: II. and their corrosion, rust shall be for a testimony against you, shall testify against you A. The assets of the rich now become their biggest liability. B. The wealthy had gotten their riches by mistreating the poor. C. Now the poor bring the rich before the judge of all the earth to account for themselves. D. The rich would like to hide the evidence of their wrong doing, their gold and silver. III. and shall eat your flesh like, as fire. A. Punchard via Coffman wrote the wealth of the oppressor burns the hands that clasp them. IV. You have laid up, hoarded your treasures in the last days. A. Wealth was of no value when Jerusalem fell. B. Wealth will be useless at the final judgment. James 5:4, Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
11 I. Look! Behold the wages, hire of the laborers, workmen who mowed your fields, A. These wealthy had not paid their workers a fair wage in a timely manner. B. Holloway plainly said, They steal it by failing to pay their workers. 1. Leviticus 19:13, Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning. 2. Deuteronomy 24:14, 15, Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates: At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee. 3. Malachi 3:5, And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. II. which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth out: A. The wealthy increased the bottom line by fraudulent means. III. and the cries of the harvesters, them that harvested, reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth, the Lord Almighty. A. Coffman wrote that the Lord of Sabaoth means the Lord of Hosts and speaks of God s omnipotence, the Lord Almighty.
12 B. Holloway wrote, The rich thought they could cheat these workers and get away with it because the poor have no one to defend them. The protector of the poor is the Almighty Lord of the heavenly hosts he hears their cry. James 5:5, Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. I. You have lived in luxury, delicately on the earth, A. The rich have always lived well. B. Holloway wrote, they have grown fat off the sports of the poor, 1. Ezekiel 16:49, Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 2. Amos 2:6-8, Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes; That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name: And they lay themselves down upon clothes laid to pledge by every altar, and they drink the wine of the condemned in the house of their god. 3. Isaiah 34:2, For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. 4. Jeremiah 12:3, But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like
13 sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. II. and taken your pleasure; and engaged in self-indulgence. III. You have fattened, nourished yourselves, hearts in a day of slaughter. A. The day of slaughter refers to the day of God s judgment, the destruction of Jerusalem being such a day of slaughter. B. Carson via Coffman said these evil rich had gorged themselves on the eve of their impending doom! James 5:6, Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. I. You have condemned, you have killed, murdered II. the righteous ones; innocent men, A. The ultimate righteous one is Christ who was killed on the cross. 1. Acts 3:14, But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 2. Acts 7:52, Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 3. Acts 22:14, And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. B. Innocent men may include faithful Christians who were persecuted for their faith.
14 III. he doth not resist you, who were not opposing you. A. Coffman gave the meaning of this expression as, You have killed the Christ Do you really think you can escape judgment for such a crime as that? B. Christ did not oppose those who led him to be crucified. C. Righteous martyrs have not fought their persecutors. 1. Matthew 5:39, But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 2. Romans 12:19, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. D. Holloway summarizes the verse this way: You have condemned and murdered the innocent; should not God oppose you? Patience in Suffering James 5:7, Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. I. Be patient therefore, brethren, A. Patience includes endurance of, perseverance in the face of opposition and persecution without wavering. II. until the coming of the Lord however long that might be. A. The time will come when things will be made right!
15 1. James 1:9, 10, Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 2. Matthew 24:3, 37, 39, And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 3. 2 Peter 1:16, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 4. 2 Peter 3:4, 12, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? III. See how the farmers, behold, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, the land to yield its valuable crop A. Matthew 13:39, The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. B. Joel 2:23, Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
16 IV. being patient over it, until it receive the autumn, and spring, latter rain. A. Coffman noted that in Palestine the early rain came in October and November after crops were planted and the latter rain came in April and May when crops were maturing. B. Scriptures: 1. Joel 2:23, Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. 2. Jeremiah 5:24, Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 3. Hosea 6:3, 4, Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. James 5:8, Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. I. You too be patient, A. Holloway wrote, Christians, like the farmer, must wait patiently for the blessings of the Lord. II. establish your hearts: stand firm, III. because the coming of the Lord is at hand, near.
17 A. 1 Thessalonians 1:10, And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. James 5:9, Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. I. Don t grumble, murmur not, brethren, one against another, A. This was an ongoing problem faced by Moses in the wilderness from the murmuring Israelites he was leading to the promised land. B. Dummelow via Coffman paraphrased the verse, Do not let your irritation and soreness at outside oppression vent itself in impatience and grumbling towards one another. C. Holloway concluded The coming of the Lord brings vindication to the oppressed but also judgment against the grumblers. 1. Matthew 7:1, Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2. James 4:1, From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? II. that you be not judged: or you will be judged. III. behold, the judge stands before the doors. The Judge is standing at the door! A. We had better watch our behavior! Why? Christ the Judge is standing at the door! B. If we live with the judgment in mind, what a difference it would make!
18
19 C. Scriptures: 1. James 4:12, There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another? 2. Mark 13:29, So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. 3. Matthew 24:33, So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. James 5:10, Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. I. Take, brethren, for an example of suffering and of patience, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, II. the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. A. There were many of these, but James selected Job as an outstanding example of the point he is making. B. Scriptures: 1. Matthew 23:27, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 2. Luke 11:49-51, Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the
20 temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 3. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15, For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: 4. James 4:12, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 5:11, Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. I. Behold, we call them blessed that endured: we consider blessed those who have persevered. II. You have heard of the perseverance, patience of Job, A. Coffman observed that this is the only mention of Job by name in the New Testament. B. Paul quoted Job one time. 1. 1 Corinthians 3:19, For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 2. Job 5:13, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.
21 C. Job withstood all the devil could throw at him regardless of from where it came, that is, nature, enemies, illness, wife, friends! D. Holloway wrote, he (Job) loudly complains to God. However, it is not quiet patience James has in mind here but heroic endurance. III. and have seen the end of the Lord, what the Lord finally brought about. A. Holloway stated the end of the Lord might mean both culmination and purpose. IV. how that the Lord is full of compassion, pity, and merciful. A. God s compassion, pity, and mercy are illustrated by Job who was wonderfully blessed following his faithful endurance without wavering at all the devil could throw at him! James 5:12, But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. I. But especially, finally, in conclusion, above all things, my brethren. A. Coffman said Jews of that day used all manner verbiage to convince others they were telling the truth. B. Christians were not to participate in that kind of nonsense. 1. Just tell the truth always in all circumstances. 2. Don t swear. Just tell it like it is. 3. Matthew 5;34, 37, But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
22 C. This does not relate to solemn taking of oaths as in court. 1. Exodus 22:10, 11, If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it: Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. 2. Deuteronomy 6:13, Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. 3. 1 Kings 8:31, If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: 4. Matthew 26:63, 64, But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. D. James again addresses the matter of appropriate speech. (Holloway) II. swear not, do not swear,... A. Matthew 5:33-37, Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be,
23 Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. III. neither, not A. by the heaven, B. nor by the earth, C. nor by any other oath: or by anything else. IV. but let your yes, yea be yes, yea, and your no, nay, no, nay, A. Christians should be so known for their honesty and character that a simple yes or no is sufficient for truth and integrity to be recognized and established. V. that you fall not under judgment, or you will be condemned. The Prayer of Faith James 5:13, Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. I. Is any among you suffering?...in trouble? II. Let him pray. He should pray. A. He should not grumble, complain nor blame God. III. Is any cheerful? happy? IV. Let him sing songs of praise. A. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! James 5:14-15, Is any sick among you? 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 the sick,
24 and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. I. Is any one, among you sick? II. let him, He should call for the elders of the church; A. This may be a reference to the miraculous gifts present in the first century church. 1. 1 Corinthians 12:9, To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; B. Holloway stated certain Jewish leaders in both the Old Testament were called elders. 1. Deuteronomy 31:9, To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 2. Numbers 11:16, And the LORD said unto Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee. 3. 2 Samuel 17:4, And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 4. Matthew 26:3, Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 5. Acts 4:5, And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
25 6. Acts 25:15, About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. C. Holloway also wrote that the early church used this same designation for its leaders among whom was James. 1. Timothy 5:17, 19, Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. 2. 1 Peter 5:1, The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 3. Acts 15:2, 13, 23, When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. III. to pray over him, and them pray over him, IV. and anoint him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: A. Mark 6:13, And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. B. Holloway concluded, In the same way, the practice of anointing with oil as a symbol of the power of prayer perhaps should be revived in the church.
26 V. and the prayer offering of faith shall save him that is sick, will make the sick person well; A. Christian saints of all ages have prayed for the sick. B. Effective prayer must be offered in faith. C. The sick person can be healed of his illness and/or have his soul saved if it is not God s will that he physically recover. VI. and the Lord shall, will raise him up; A. The sick now restored to health may be raised up or, if he expires, he will be raised up at the resurrection. VII. and if he have, has committed sins, A. There is a certain relationship between sin and sickness. 1. Deuteronomy 28:58-62, If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee. Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God. B. However, as Holloway wrote, Sickness is not always the result of sin.
27 1. Job s sins did not produce his particular troubles and illnesses. 2. In fact, he suffered because he was righteous. VIII. it shall be forgiven him, he will be forgiven. James 5:16, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. I. Confess therefore your sins one to another, to each other A. The direction here is to confess sins one to another. B. 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. II. and pray one for another, for each other III. that you may be healed. IV. The prayer, supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working, is powerful and effective. James 5:17, Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. I. Elijah was a man of like passions with us, a man just like us. A. Malachi 4:5, 6, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
28 B. Mark 9:2-8, And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. C. James said that Elijah, faithful as he was, was a man just like all of us. II. and he prayed earnestly, fervently that it might not rain; A. 1 Kings 17:1, And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. B. 1 Kings 18:1, 2, 41-46, And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth. And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria. And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea,
29 like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. C. There is every reason to believe that other faithful, you and I, will have their prayers answered as well. III. and it did not rain, rained not on the land, earth for three years and six months. A. Luke 4:25, But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; James 5:18, And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. I. And he prayed again; II. and the heaven gave rain, III. and the earth brought forth her fruit, crops. James 5:19, 20, Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. I. My brethren, brothers, II. if any one of you, among you err, wander from the truth, A. Holloway affirmed that praying for one another leads to physical and spiritual healing.
30 III. and someone, one convert him, bring him back, A. Faithful Christians are to be their brothers keepers, shepherds. 1. Galatians 6:1, Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2. 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. 3. 2 Thessalonians 3:15, Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 4. 2 Timothy 2:25, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 5. 1 John 5:16, If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 6. Jude 22, 23, And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. B. It is not enough to save ourselves. We must save others as well! IV. remember this, let him know that he who turns, converts a sinner from the error of his way V. shall save him, a soul from death,
31 A. 1 Timothy 4:16, Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. B. Tasker via Coffman wrote, No duty laid upon Christians is more in keeping with the mind of their Lord, or more expressive of Christian love, than the reclaiming of the backslider. C. Death here is spiritual death. VI. and shall cover a multitude of sins. A. Psalms 32:1, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. B. Psalms 85:2, Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. C. Proverbs 10:12, Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins. D. Romans 4:7, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. E. 1 Peter 4:8, And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover a multitude of sins. Conclusion: I. Notice, as Coffman observed, that this epistle ends with no signature, no farewell, no formal closure at all. II. Holloway observed that Acts, 1 John and Mark end in similar ways. III. Holloway also stated that these last two verses may be James summary of all that he has said in this entire book.
32 References Holloway, Gary. The College Press NIV Commentary, James and Jude. College Press, Publishing Company. Joplin, Missouri, 1996. Holy Bible. American Standard Version, 1901. Thomas Belson & Sons. Nashville, TN. Holy Bible, New International Version. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530. James Burton Coffman Commentaries, James 1 and 2, Peter 1, 2 and 3, John, Jude, Volume 11. Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene TX, 1979.
33 Questions James 5:1-20 1. Why should rich people weep and wail? 2. Is misery coming on all rich people? If misery is coming on only some rich people, on which ones will misery come? 3. Why had wealth rotted? Why had moths eaten the clothes of the wealthy? 4. Why and how did the corrosion of the gold and silver of the rich testify against their wealth and eat their flesh like fire?
34 5. What evil had the rich done according to verses 3-6? 6. Tell of similar current conduct among the rich and powerful. 7. How much money do you have to have to be considered rich? 8. In what way could James tell his readers that the Lord s coming is near? 9. What lesson did James teach by the use of the farmer in verse 7?
35 10. Be and! 11. Don t against each other! Is this a problem where you work? where you worship? in your home? Explain your answers. 12. What will happen to those who grumble, murmur and complain against each other? 13. Tell of prophets who were examples of patience. 14. Other words which mean the same thing as patience are,,, and. 15. What made Job such an outstanding example of patience? What good did patience bring to Job?
36 16. Give examples of the Lord s compassion and mercy. 17. Why is the command not to swear above all? 18. Describe the speech that should characterize the conversation of Christians. 19. What should the troubled do? What should the happy do? What should the sick do?
37 20. Do the elders of the church where you worship anoint the sick with oil? Why or why not? If yes, what kind of oil do they use? 21. What effect will the prayer of faith have on the sick person? How does the medical profession fit into this scenario? 22. What connection, if any, is there between sin and sickness? 23. What connection is there between confession of sins, prayer and healing? 24. Give examples that show the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
38 25. Is it possible for a faithful brother to wander from the truth? What is our responsibility toward the wanderer? If we turn the sinner from the error of his way, what have we accomplished?
39
40.