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James Chapter
Five
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Fourth Trial of
Christians’ Faith ---- the Necessity of a Victorious Life
A. Overcome the entanglement of riches (v.1-6);
1. The helplessness and disaster of riches
(v.1-3);
2. The sin of dealing with the riches (v.4-6);
B. Overcome distressful conditions (v.7-12);
1. Be patient until the coming of the Lord
(v.7-8);
2. Do not grumble against one another (v.9);
3. Learn the perseverance of the prophets and
Job (v.10-11);
4. Do not swear to prove one’s innocence when
treated unjustly (v.12);
C. Overcome physical and mental weakness
(v.13-18);
1. Principle ---- he who suffers shall pray,
and he who is cheerful shall sing psalms (v.13);
2. Effective prayer (v.14-18):
a. Prayers of the elders who anointing the oil
---- be united with the Lord’s body (v.14);
b. Prayer of faith (v.15);
c.Prayer of the righteous man ---- confess
trespasses to one another, and pray for one another (v.16-18);
D. Overcome spiritual weakness (v.19-20);
1. Let the one wandering from the truth turn
back (v.19);
2. Cover many sins (v.20);
II.
Verse by Verse Commentary
James. 5:1
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!”
YLT: “Go, now, ye rich! weep,
howling over your miseries that are coming upon ;”
Meaning of Words:
“weep”: wail; “howl”:
shriek; “misery”: hardship, wretchedness, calamity;
Literal Meaning:
“come now, you rich”, according to the context, the
rich are those who are rich and yet unmerciful. The Holy Bible does not condemn
the rich, for example, Abraham possessed great property (see Gen. 13:6), but he
was called the friend of God (James 2:23). However, the improper usage of money
is condemned by the Holy Scriptures.
“Weep and howl”, if one has not repented
or lamented for his improper usage of money in the past, miseries will come upon
him because of God’s judgment. Then he will weep and cry and even wail in
mourning.
“For your miseries that are coming upon
you”, “miseries that are coming”: the coming judgment that will bring about
unbearable suffering because of punishment;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Riches can be dominated by men, and can
dominate men. Apparently, the rich possess wealth, but actually they may be
occupied by wealth and be bondservants of wealth and be dominated and ruled by
wealth.
2) Though wealth is good, it still has negative
effects. Man’s enjoyment and joy obtained by wealth are short and superficial.
However, the disaster and distress caused by wealth are long and deep.
3) If we are willing to lose the enjoyment of
soul life, we will receive more abundant spiritual life. However, if we want to
keep our soul life, we will lose spiritual life (see Matt. 16:25). The focal
key lies in our attitude toward wealth.
James. 5:2 “Your riches are
corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.”
YLT:
“your riches have rotted, and your garments have become moth-eaten;”
Meaning
of Words: “corrupted”: rotted,
perish;
The Background: at that time, the rich took the following three
marks as wealth: 1) the large amount of substance especially grains of all
kinds; 2) gorgeous garments; 3) gold and silver and riches; the rich sought
eagerly and spared no efforts to store such three things, but never thought to
share with others. Finally, they received little profit and yet were harmed by
them (see Luke 12:16-21; 16:19-31).
Literal
Meaning: “your riches are corrupted”, “riches”:
properties especially grains of all kinds; “corrupted”: the property were
stored so long that they became corrupted.
“And your garments are moth-eaten”, “garments”, it is one of the marks
of the rich (see Luke 16:19); “moth-eaten”, the overmuch garments stored in
clothes chests were eaten by moths.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Since the earthly treasures may be corrupted
and spoiled (see Matt. 6:19), they are not worthy of costing too much energy or
mind or time of us nor of being trusted in at all.
2) Treasures and garments symbolize the
temporary and unreliable things now. They have no eternal value and yet will
cover our spiritual insight and make us ignore the eternal things.
3) Riches cannot guarantee themselves, so they
can by no means keep our life. If we entrust our precious life to these things,
we are too foolish.
4) If treasures leave unused, they will be
naturally consumed. Indeed, believers should not waste money, but we shall also
not be slaves of moneygrubber. Instead, we have to give unsparingly for the
sake of the Lord and men.
5) The true value of riches is manifested in
normal usage. If they leave unused, they will depreciate in value and bring
miseries to the owners (see v.1, 3).
James. 5:3 “Your gold and silver are
corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your
flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”
YLT:
“your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a testimony shall
be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye made treasure in the last
days!”
Meaning
of Words: “corroded”: rust
down; “corrosion”: rust, poison; “heap up”: lay up, keep in store, treasure up;
Literal
Meaning: “your gold and silver are corroded”, gold
and silver are originally uneasy to be corroded. However, here the
moneygrubbers know only to store up and are unwilling to use them properly and
let them circulate. Gradually, gold and silver fade away and change in
appearance.
Note that “are corrupted” and “are moth-eaten” (see v.2) and “are
corroded” here are all in the past perfect tense in the original. Here the
author sees the inevitable end of treasures with spiritual eyes and reveals the
vanity and uselessness and uncertainty of wealth (see Luke 16:9).
“And their corrosion will be a witness
against you”, the physical change of the gold and silver that are not
circulated or properly used is a proof, proving that the owners have failed to
fulfill the responsibilities entrusted by God and are thus judged.
“And will eat your flesh like fire”, after
judgment, the subsequent punishment will be painful as that the flesh is burned
by fire.
Note that the future tense of “will be a
witness against you” and “will eat your flesh like fire” shows that our
conditions after the coming judgment depend on our present ways of dealing with
properties.
“You have heaped up treasure in the last
days”, “the last days”: the days before the Lord’s coming. Here it shows that
we do not have many days. “Have heaped up treasure”, here it does not condemn
deposit, but condemns the deposit for one’s own without knowing the
responsibilities after receiving the riches given by God. In other words, God
will judge those who know to heap up treasure without knowing using them.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The desire of men’s hope for obtaining
wealth is like the corrosion of metal, corroding their bodies and souls
mercilessly. And the great irony is that men heap up treasure for them but such
treasure will finally become fire burning these men.
2) According to this verse, heaping up
“treasure” is like laying up “fire”. If we “know only” to heap up treasure, we
are treasuring up the fire of judgment in the last days. And the more treasure
we heap up, the fiercer the judging fire will be.
3) God bestows wealth to us for the purpose of
not only our own enjoyment but also entrusting us with a duty that we have to
care for the need of others.
4) John Wesley said, “Christians shall earn
much money and save much money and then give much money”. It is not wrong of
earning and saving money. But the unwillingness of giving money is wrong.
5) There is much harm of laying up treasures
upon the earth. And there is more and greater profit of laying up treasures in
the heavens (see Matt. 6:19-24)? If harm can be changed into profit, why not?
6) In the last days, the all important thing we
have to know is not “how to lay up treasures” but how to “use money properly”.
The principle of believers’ financial operation is not measuring outgoings to
income, but measuring income to outgoings.
James. 5:4 “Indeed the wages of the
laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the
cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”
YLT:
“lo, the reward of the workmen, of those who in-gathered your fields, which
hath been fraudulently kept back by you -- doth cry out, and the exclamations
of those who did reap into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth have entered;”
Meaning
of Words: “kept back”: defraud,
destitute; “cry out”: call aloud, entreat; “cries”: shout; “the Lord of
Sabaoth”: “the Lord of Armies”;
Literal
Meaning:
“the laborers who mowed your fields”,
“laborers”: servants or workers; “mowed your fields”: work for the purpose of
increasing the output of the land; it also refers to any work for the purpose
of increasing value or treasure, including direct and indirect works.
“You
kept back by fraud”, it includes practices of exploitation such as lowering the
wages, and delaying the time of payment and taking out some of the wages by an
excuse etc;
“Indeed the wages of … cry out”, this is
personification writing, revealing that any practice of exploitation of wages
will cause penalty.
“And the cries of the reapers”, “reapers”: those who are exploited; “cries”: the
voices of complaints, including appealing to public opinion, administrative
petition, industrial action, judicial proceedings or even complaint in no way
and yet only groaning or praying to God etc.
“Have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth”, “the Lord of Sabaoth”: the almighty and fearful God, who is the Lord of
judgment upon all; “have reached the ears of …”, God has received the petitions
of those who have cried (see Deut. 24:15; Ps. 18:6).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) It is the law of nature that workers should
receive wages (1Tim. 5:18). God tells us that we have to work and eat by our
own hands (2Thess. 3:10) and He pleases that man works to distribute to him
that has need (Eph. 4:28). Therefore, anything that owes money has directly
gone against the will of God, and God must judge such things.
2) Apparently, workers work for the masters on
the earth. However, no matter workers or masters, both of them are working for
the Lord in the heavens (see Eph. 6:5-9) and are servants of “the Lord of
Sabaoth”. Therefore, receiving and giving of workers and masters should be done
according to the will of God.
James. 5:5 “You have lived on the
earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of
slaughter.”
YLT:
“ye did live in luxury upon the earth, and were wanton; ye did nourish your
hearts, as in a day of slaughter;”
Meaning
of Words: “pleasure”: live
extravagantly and easefully; “luxury”: indulge in luxury; “slaughter”: kill,
butcher; “fat”: nourish, bring up;
Literal
Meaning: “you have lived on the earth in pleasure and
luxury”: live on the earth to seek the enjoyment of soul and covet for
pleasures;
The word “pleasure” is derived from the word “dissolution”, which
suggests that the earthly pleasures will finally corrode and destroy our bodies
and souls. And the original word “luxury” describes the ugly performance of
indulgence in lusts.
“In the day of slaughter”, in the day of judgment, God’s judgment will
be upon the evil men as slaughter of animals (see Is. 34:5-6; Jer. 12:3;
25:34).
“You have fattened your hearts”: follow
one’s inclinations to satisfy his flesh and lusts; it is an irony here ---- the
masters who raising cattle always choose the fat ones to slaughter first. Now,
those who covet for pleasures fat themselves and have not realized that they
have treasured up the wrath of God unto themselves and made them the objects of
God’s slaughter.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The rich men know only to seek fleshly
pleasures by wealth to satisfy their lusts, forgetting their social
responsibilities. Therefore, they will eat their bitter fruit in the last days.
2) Eating and drinking and entertainment cannot
do without slaughter of animals. However, in the last days, man himself shall
be slaughtered as animals. Please remember today you cut the flesh of animals
and the other day God may cut your flesh.
3) He who “fats” his heart today before God is
just like the fat animals that will be slaughtered. Such man shall be the
object of God’s slaughter in the last days.
James. 5:6 “You have condemned, you
have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”
YLT:
“ye did condemn -- ye did murder the righteous one, he doth not resist you.”
Meaning
of Words: “condemn”: pronounce
guilty; “resist”: oppose, range oneself against;
Literal
Meaning: “you have condemned, you have murdered the just”, “the just” the
definite article is before the singular word, so “the just” is a collective
group, namely, believers who keep the faith in Christ ---- they are united with
the suffering and death of “the just one” (Acts 7:52; 3:13), the Lord Jesus
Christ (
“He does not resist you”, it shows that He does not go against you, for
believers do not war against blood and flesh, but against the devil and evil
spirits (see Eph. 6:12).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The Lord Jesus is the holy and righteous one
(Acts 3:18). The governor Pilate declared repeatedly, “I have found nothing
criminal in this man” (Luke 23:4, 14, 22). But the Jews would kill Him (see
John 19:7), and He did not resist (see John 19:9-11).
2) Christ has died for our sins, just for
unjust (1Pet. 3:18). All those who believe Him shall be justified (Gal. 2:16;
Rom. 3:26). Therefore, we have to deal with carefully all believers who have
been justified, lest we should commit the fault in this verse.
3) The principle of Christians is not resisting
evil (Matt. 5:39), and being reviled, reviling not again (1Pet. 2:23), not
avenging yourselves, but give place to wrath (Rom. 12:19).
James. 5:7 “Therefore be patient,
brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious
fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and
latter rain.”
YLT:
“Be patient, then, brethren, till the presence of the Lord; lo, the husbandman
doth expect the precious fruit of the earth, being patient for it, till he may
receive rain -- early and latter;”
Meaning
of Words: “patient”: patiently
endure, suffer long (note: “patient” from verse seven to ten in the original
belongs to the same subgroup of word, and “perseverance” in verse eleven belongs to another subgroup of
word); “coming”:
presence, being near; “precious”:
dear, honorable; “fruit”:
production, outcome;
Literal
Meaning: “therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the
Lord”, “therefore”, it teaches us that we shall
not be as the above-mentioned rich men who regard the present and yet ignore
the future; “be patient”: it suggests that the present life of the brethren is
not so ideal and they have to be undergo various trials (see 1:2); “until the
coming of the Lord”, when the Lord comes, every problem before us shall be
resolved.
“See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the
earth”, the farmers labor in cultivation, and enjoy in
harvest. Here it takes the example of farmers to show the basic attitude of
Christians in conversation ---- do not covet for coziness in life but confront
various difficult situations and seek spiritual growth in life with diligence
and endure to wait for the maturity of life and bear spiritual fruit.
“Waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and
latter rain”, “early rain”: the
source of water that is needed when the seed is sprout after sowing; “latter
rain”: the source of water that is needed when the crops grow and bear fruit;
the whole sentence shows that though we have to labor with diligence, we still
need to look upon God to perfect us through the Spirit so as to obtain full
fruit.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Christians shall obey all the guidance and
arrangements of God in our life thanksgiving and meekness. We need to look upon
the mercy and grace of God in patience in any situation (1Cor. 13:4-7; Gal.
5:22; Heb. 10:36).
2) The Holy Scriptures have not told us when
the Lord comes again, so we have to prepare us at any moment and wait for His
coming. Though His coming seems to be delayed, it is not delay, but
long-suffering toward us (see 2Pet. 3:9).
3) When we wait for the coming of the Lord with
patience, He, the true farmer, is still waiting for our growth to maturity to
become the first-fruit and harvest of the earth (Rev. 14:4, 14-15). Therefore, we
shall seek the growth and maturity of life with diligence.
4) On one hand, we Christians spare no efforts
to run and work. On the other hand, we look upon Jesus the leader and completer
of faith (Heb. 12:1-2). And in due time the Spirit Himself shall perfect us and
accomplish His work.
James. 5:8 “You also be patient.
Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
YLT:
“be patient, ye also; establish your hearts, because the presence of the Lord
hath drawn nigh;”
Meaning
of Words: “establish”:
strengthen, steadfastly set; “coming”: near;
Literal
Meaning: “you also be patient”, it shows that we
shall also learn the example of the farmer’s patience. The emphasis of
“patience” in the previous verse is “waiting”, and that in this verse is “establishing
your hearts”, namely, “establishing and strengthening one’s heart”
“Establish
your hearts”, all the labor of our patience depends on our
“hearts”. Discouragement of heart is difficult to be patient. Therefore, our
hearts shall be firstly strengthened without any waving.
“For the coming of the Lord is at hand”, “for”, it shows that the following word
is the reason why we shall be patient and establish our hearts; “the coming of
the Lord is at hand”, there are two meanings: 1) it indicates that the “time”
of the Lord’s coming is at hand and we need to be patient for a short time
only; 2) the presence of the Lord is “spatially” at hand. He is near us and in
us. Therefore, we do not endure lonely, but the Lord endures with us.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Christians are not resigned to everything
with patience, but positively equip us to pass the coming judgment (see v.9).
2) “Establish your hearts”, it is a habitual
Hebrew phrase. Sometimes, in the Old Testament, it is used to relate to
strengthening one’s body by food. Therefore, Christians shall still establish
our spirits by the food of life.
3) The steadfast heart and mind are established
upon the Lord Himself, who is the power of our patience unto the end. Without
Him, we will fail.
4) That the Lord’s coming is near is the motive
for our patience. And that the presence of the Lord is at hand is the energy of
our patience.
James. 5:9 “Do not grumble against
one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at
the door!”
YLT:
“murmur not against one another, brethren, that ye may not be condemned; lo,
the Judge before the door hath stood.”
Meaning
of Words: “grumble”: complain,
groan, sigh, make in straits;
Literal
Meaning: “do not grumble against one another,
brethren”, “grumble against one another”, the dissatisfaction with someone that
is manifested in countenance and words; “do not grumble against one another”,
it shows that we shall be patient toward one another (see Col. 1:11; 2Tim.
3:10). This is the other “perseverance” in this paragraph (v.7-11), emphasizing
the perseverance “toward men”.
“Lest you be condemned”, it means that: 1) if one cannot forgive his
brother from his heart, he will be the same treated by the Lord (see Matt.
18:35); 2) grumble means “avenging oneself”, which violates the authority of
the Lord that “vengeance to me” (see Rom. 12:19); 3) the words and deeds of
grumbling may be to an undue extent, which may cause the judgment of the Lord;
4) if one mistakes the things or objects that he grumbles, he has treated
unjustly and shall be more judged.
“Behold,
the Judge is standing at the door!”
“The Judge” refers to Christ. When He comes again, we believers shall receive
His judgment before the judgment-seat (2Cor. 5:10; 1Cor. 4:4-5); “standing at
the door”, it shows that the Lord is near (see Matt. 24:33; Mark. 13:29).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When man falls into distress and undergoes
various trials and sufferings, it is easy to grumble against others and shift
off his sins upon others. Therefore, pay attention to bridling our tongues in
patience and do not grumble against one another.
2) “Grumble”, it contains a meaning of judgment
upon others. Today, if we judge others, He will be under the Lord’s judgment on
that day. With what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us (see Matt.
7:2).
3) If we grumble against one another, men may
suffer slightly. But if we are under the judgment of God, we cannot bear the
serious loss. Therefore, it is not worthwhile grumbling against one another.
James. 5:10 “My brethren, take the
prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and
patience.”
YLT:
“An example take ye of the suffering of evil, my brethren, and of the patience,
the prophets who did speak in the name of the Lord;”
Meaning
of Words: “example”: pattern,
exhibit for imitation or warning;
Literal
Meaning: “my brethren, take the prophets, who spoke
in the name of the Lord”, “spoke in the name of the Lord”, it means: 1) be sent
by the Lord to speak for Him; 2) what they had said revealed the will of the
Lord; 3) speak by the authority and power of the Lord; 4) “name” represents the
Lord Himself. Therefore, when man has been united into oneness with the Lord,
his words equal to the Lord’s words; “prophets” refer to all the prophets in
the Old Testament who were sent by God to speak for Him;
“As an example of suffering and patience”, “suffering”: the suffering of
persecution; “patience”: endure the suffering of persecution; “example”: the
object worthy of learning and imitation;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Do not speak any word that cannot be spoken
in the name of the Lord. The Lord will take all the responsibilities of the
word that is spoken in His name.
2) It seems that speaking for the Lord among
Christians now is rather easy. Many people speak and bear witness and even
preach flippantly without any effect or even persecution. However, the word
truly out of the Lord will prick believers’ hearts and the speaker himself
shall be persecuted (Acts 4:29; 5:18, 40).
3) He who really speaks for the Lord shall pay
the cost of suffering, so he shall endure to the end (see Matt. 10:22). The
Scriptures are full of examples of sufferings and patience for the sake of
speaking for the Lord and thus becoming overcomers (see Rev. 12:11).
James. 5:11 “Indeed we count them
blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end
intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
YLT:
“lo, we call happy those who are enduring; the endurance of Job ye heard of,
and the end of the Lord ye have seen, that very compassionate is the Lord, and
pitying.”
Meaning
of Words: “endure”: persevere,
suffer, undergo, stay under; “count”:
pronounce, call; “end”:
result; “compassionate”:
pitiful; “merciful”:
of tender mercy;
Literal
Meaning: “them … who endure”, “endure”, the word in
the original is different from the word “patient” from verse seven to verse
ten. “Patient” in previous verses contains a meaning of passive patience, and
the word “endure” in this verse means positive perseverance, just like that a
woman suffers the tribulation of giving birth to a child without any fear in
the expectation of a new life. “Them … who endure”, it refers to all the saints
who have undergone tribulations and endure to the end, represented by Job here.
“We count them blessed”, it is generally admitted among the children of
God that they have been favored and blessed by God.
“You have heard of the perseverance of Job”,
“the perseverance of Job”, Job suffered the tribulations of life and endured
the misunderstandings and criticisms and mockery of his friends and yet
persevered in keeping his faith in God steadfastly (see Job 2:9-10; 13:15;
16:19; 19:25).
“And seen the end intended by the Lord”, “end”: the final decision or
solution; “the end intended by the Lord”, it is the end of the Lord according
to the original, containing two meanings: 1) the will and purpose of God who
let Job be tried; 2) the result of Job’s endurance to the end that God granted
him double grace and blessings (see Job. 42:12).
The Bible expositors call “Job’s perseverance” is “the perseverance with
an end”. And one has to undergo the following processes and conditions if he
desires to arrive at the end: 1) such perseverance shall be continued for a
period of days before God; 2) man shall undergo some hard trials; 3) man shall
learn something in the trials; 4) man shall endure and wait for the end of the
Lord.
“That the Lord is very compassionate and merciful”, it means that the
difficult trials God lets Job endure have finally manifested that God’s motive
and His strengthening in the process and final blessings are all out of His
loving and merciful bowel.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The tribulations Christians suffer are not
the final purpose, but a process. And the real purpose is to enable us to
obtain the blessed end intended by the Lord.
2) When we are tried, the problem does not lie
in how much serious the trials are, but whether we have reached God’s goal (the
Lord’s end) through the trials.
3) If we have not reached the end intended by
the Lord, all sufferings and endurance are in vain and we have to learn and
experience again.
4) God is merciful and is faithful, who will
not duffer us to be tempted above what we are able, but will with the
temptation make the issue also, so that should be able to bear (see 1Cor.
10:13).
James. 5:12 “But above all, my
brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.
But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No,"
"No," lest you fall into judgment.”
YLT:
“And before all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by the heaven,
neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, and let your Yes be Yes, and
the No, No; that under judgment ye may not fall.”
Meaning
of Words: “swear”: oath;
Literal
Meaning: “but above all, my brethren, do not swear”,
“do not swear”, one swears because his words are not reliable, so he tries to
show his sincerity by his attitude toward heaven and earth. In other words, one
swears because he cannot bear misunderstanding of others. However, he ignores
the judgment though he has passed the judgment of men.
“Either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath”, “either by
heaven”, because the heaven is the throne of God (Matt. 5:34) and is not ruled
by us; “or by earth”, because the earth is the footstool of God’s feet and is
not dominated by us; “or either any other oath”, any form of oath has violated
the authority of God’s judgment.
“But let your "Yes"
be "Yes," and your "No," "No,"”, the purpose of our words is to manifest
the fact. The more the words approach the fact, the simpler the words are. The
words of us should be simple and frank and true. If our words are more or less
than the fact, they are more or less relevant to lies.
“Lest you fall into judgment”, in the coming day of judgment, our words
shall be the important proof of condemnation or justification (see Matt.
12:36-37). Therefore, let us take heed of our words.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Yes” and “No” can not be in exchange for
one another. Otherwise, we cannot be witnesses of the Lord on the earth.
2) Christians should be faithful and true in
words. Let our “Yes” be “Yes” without any extra proof. We need not to invite
heaven or earth to bear witness, nor say that I do not lie as a Christian (if
one earns trust of others by the confession of a Christian, it also contains a
tone of oath).
3) We should be honest and true in
conversation. Even though men may not trust in us, we need not to defend for
ourselves by swearing, and to believe or not believe depends on each man
himself.
4) If we want to avoid the word of “yes and
no”, we have to speak in Christ, for yes is in Him, did not become yes and no
(1Cor. 1:18-20).
James. 5:13 “Is anyone among you
suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”
YLT:
“Doth any one suffer evil among you? let him pray; is any of good cheer? let
him sing psalms;”
Meaning
of Words: “suffering”: undergo hardship, be afflicted; “cheerful”: be of
good cheer; “sing
psalms”: make melody, play on a stringed instrument;
Literal
Meaning: “is anyone among you suffering?” It indicates that prayer will enable us to be
strengthened by God to endure the suffering.
“Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms, praise is to confess God is the origin of
joy. Through praise and singing psalms, we are kept and remain in the joy of
the Lord.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) When Christians are surrounded by
difficulties and are afflicted, though there is no way around, there is still a
way upward, namely, prayer to God. There is no window in the four sides of the
ark of Noah, and only a light kept above (see Gen. 6:16) for Noah to look upon
God and have fellowship with God.
2) Many Christians learn to pray to God in
suffering, but few have learned to sing psalms when cheerful. We should know
that “God dwells amid the praises of
James. 5:14 “Is anyone 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.”
YLT:
“is any infirm among you? let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let
them pray over him, having anointed him with oil, in the name of the Lord,”
Meaning
of Words: “sick”: feeble, weak;
“oil”: the oil of
olive; “anoint”:
put oil on…;
Literal
Meaning: “is anyone among you sick?”, “sick”: be weak
because of sickness; on one hand, we may fall sick because of physical
infirmity (see 1Cor. 11:30); and on the other hand, we may become physically
infirm because of sickness.
“Let him call for the elders of the church”, “the elders of the church”:
those who shepherd the flocks (Acts 20:28; 1Pet. 5:1-2) ---- they take care of
the flocks before the Lord;
“And let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord”, “in the name of the Lord”: be united with the Lord (see v.10);
“anointing him with oil”: it typifies the anointing and flowing of the Spirit
(see Acts 10:38; Ps. 133:2); the Spirit has flown from the Head (Christ) to the
whole body. If any member is estranged from the body because of sins (see
v.15-16) and then falls sick, he has to firstly invite the elders who represent
the church to anoint the oil to recover the fellowship with the body so as to
receive the provision of life.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) The sickness of believers is sometimes
caused by the violation of the natural physiological law, which requires
medical treatment. However, sometimes it is caused by the infraction of
spiritual law of life, which needs the elders’ prayer. And “anointing of oil”
is connected with both (note that the ancient Jews believed the olive oil was
of the medical effect).
2) Christians should not pay only and ignore
the effect of medicine, lest we have really obtained the word of the Lord. Our
duty is to pray to the Lord for healing, but whether we will be healed lies in
the Lord who heals (anointing of the oil is done in the name of the Lord,
indicating that the final authority is in the Lord).
3) Believers are members of the body of Christ.
It is mentioned in the scriptures that if one member suffer, all the member
suffer with it (1Cor. 12:26). Therefore, the condition of any brother or sister
is closely connected with the church.
4) Watchman Nee said: “if one falls sick
because of violation of God’s administration instead common sins, he will fall
into the hands of God’s administration. His will not be healed until the hands
of God’s administration move away”. The elders’ prayers and anointing of oil
are asking for God’ forgiveness. Once the element that causes his sickness is
eliminated, he will be healed.
James. 5:15 “And the prayer of faith
will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed
sins, he will be forgiven.”
YLT:
“and the prayer of the faith shall save the distressed one, and the Lord shall
raise him up, and if sins he may have committed, they shall be forgiven to
him.”
Meaning
of Words: “save”: heal, cure;
“the sick”: the faint; “forgive”: remit;
Literal
Meaning: “the prayer of faith will save the sick”,
“the prayer of faith” here is not the faith of the sick, but that of the one
who prays; faith is utter reliance on the Lord and complete union with the
Lord. Therefore, the prayer of faith can drive the Lord’s hands to work. Once
the Lord’s hands work, there will be miracles and the sick “will be saved”.
“And the Lord will raise him up”, note that here it is “the Lord” that
raises him up, not “faith” or other elements like “the one who prays” or
“medicine”.
Some Bible expositors think “save” in this verse emphasizes the deliverance
from spiritual death and “raise” refers to the recovering of one’s physical
condition (see Matt. 9:6; Mark. 1:31; Acts 3:7).
“And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven”, “committed sins”,
it is often the reason for sickness (John 5:14), so sins shall firstly be dealt
with. “Will be forgiven”, forgiveness is often the prerequisite for being
healed (see Matt. 9:2, 5-7; Mark 2:5).
Controversial Clarification: “the prayer of faith will save the sick”, there have been two extreme kinds of
views and practices. One is blind reliance on physician and medical treatment,
and the other is the refusal of physicians and medicines but giving prayer to
God for healing by faith. The editor thinks both are right but tend to be
extreme and should be balanced. In fact, seeing a physician does not conflict
with prayers. There are many such records in the Bible. The Lord said, “they
that are strong have not need of a physician, but those that are ill” (Matt.
9:12), showing that it is natural of seeing a physician for the sick. However,
the Scriptures also mention that “Jesus seeing their (not the one who was ill)
faith … he arose … daughter, they faith hath made you whole … according to your
faith be it unto you”; (Matt. 9:2, 22, 29). Therefore, the Lord also approves
prayers for healing by faith.
The
just and balanced seeking for healing should be: 1) if someone suffers, “let
him pray” (see v.13) to seek the reason for sickness; 2) once the sin is found,
we have to confess trespasses to one another (see v
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Two resources avail believers in sickness,
namely, prayers and medicines. Both of them are balanced and supplement each
other without any conflict.
2) Apparently, sickness is the personal affair
of believers, and has nothing to do with the whole church. However, all the
illnesses and needs of each believer in spirit and soul and body are connected
with the church.
3) If prayer is without faith, it is like the
ship without rudder. Rudder is used to control the direction. And faith is as
the rudder, telling us which direction to go.
James. 5:16 “Confess your trespasses
to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The
effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
YLT:
“Be confessing to one another the trespasses, and be praying for one another,
that ye may be healed; very strong is a working supplication of a righteous
man;”
Meaning
of Words: “a
righteous man”: a man who is in
keeping with the heart of God; “pray”:
will, wish; “effective”:
powerful, strong;
Literal
Meaning: “confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one
another”, “confess
your trespasses to one another”, if one member is
sick, the whole body shall be affected. Therefore, believers shall confess
trespasses to one another. “Pray for one another”, not only do elders pray for
the sick, but also the sick prays for the elders.
“That you may be healed”, the result of confession of trespasses and
prayers for one another is to stop the element that causes sickness. Then men
shall be healed.
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails
much”, this verse emphasizes the effect of
prayer. “Avails much”, it shows that: 1) the power of prayer shall be much
great; 2) the power of prayer is manifested in its “effect” or “result”;
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Effective prayer demands for confession of
trespasses to one another and to God. In our life, it is easier to confess
trespass to God, and harder to men. Therefore, James here mentions “the
confession of trespasses to one other”.
2) The power of prayer is infinite. Pray is the
channel of grace and power, through which we obtain the power of God to deal
with all problems in our life.
James. 5:17 “Elijah was a man with a
nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did
not rain on the land for three years and six months.”
YLT:
“Elijah was a man like affected as we, and with prayer he did pray -- not to
rain, and it did not rain upon the land three years and six months;”
Meaning
of Words: “a nature like ours”:
the same character;
Literal
Meaning: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours”, it means that Elijah
is a man of the same nature with us. He is not a super man. We can also do
everything that he can do.
“And he prayed earnestly that it would not rain”, “pray earnestly”: it
is praying with prayer---- he prayed in the prayer according to the will of
God, so his prayer was granted. According to the words of Jewish rabbis, it was
the description of Elijah’s total devotion to prayer that he went up to the top
of Carmel and bowed down on the earth and put his face between his knees (1King
18:43). This is the manifestation of “his earnest prayer”.
“And it did not rain on the land for three years and six
months”, it is recorded in
1King 17:1 and 18:1.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) There is no respect of persons (Col. 3:25).
God heard the prayer of Elijah and also that of us, but the problems is whether
we have prayed like Elijah.
2) Andrew Murray said, “a true prayer is the
indwelling Christ prays to the Christ sits on the throne”. This is the meaning
of “praying with prayer”.
James. 5:18 “And he prayed again, and
the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
YLT:
“and again he did pray, and the heaven did give rain, and the land did bring
forth her fruit.”
Meaning
of Words: “produce”: bring forth, spring up;
Literal
Meaning: “and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain”, it is recorded in
the First Book of Kings (18:42-45).
“And the earth produced its fruit”, rain produces fruit. Rain typifies the Spirit
and the earth typifies believers and fruit typifies the fruit of the Spirit
(Gal. 5:22-23).
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) “Pray” refers to the concentrated prayer
(see v.16). “Prayed
earnestly”, it means prayer
according to the will of God (see v.17). “Prayed again”, it refers to
perseverant prayer (v.18).
2) May the Lord also give us the mind of Elijah
(see Luke 1:17) to pray for the church and all the saints to bring heavenly
blessings.
James. 5:19 “Brethren, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,”
YLT:
“Brethren, if any among you may go astray from the truth, and any one may turn
him back,”
Meaning
of Words: “wanders”: go astray; “turn back”: come again,
convert;
Literal
Meaning: “brethren, if anyone you wanders from the truth”, “wanders from the truth”: be deceived to go astray from the
truth;
“And someone turns him back”, seek back the lost sheep (see Matt. 18:12-14);
Enlightenment
in the Word: many
Christians have zeal for preaching the gospel to sinners, but ignore the
believers lost from the truth and even repel them sometime. Such condition has
gone against the teachings of the Scriptures.
James. 5:20 “let him know that he who
turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover
a multitude of sins.”
YLT:
“let him know that he who did turn back a sinner from the straying of his way
shall save a soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.”
Meaning
of Words: “err”: wrong way; “cover”: hide,
conceal; “a
multitude”: large;
Literal
Meaning: “let him know that he
who turns a sinner from the error of his way”, “sinner”: it is not unbeliever but believer who
has lost from truth; “turns from”: the false way turning aside from the truth.
“Will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins”, “a soul from death”, it is not deliverance
from the eternal perdition, but saving a believer from the chastening of God,
namely, death in the flesh (see 1John 5:16-17). “Cover a multitude of sins”, it
means that forgiving many sins and preventing him from sinning any more.
Enlightenment
in the Word:
1) Prayers of the elders cure believers who are
sick in spirit and soul and body (see v.14-16). Elijah’s prayer makes the
rebellious Israelites turn to God (see v.17-18). If we are really willing to
take care of believers erring from the truth, there will also be great effects
(see v.19-20).
2) There are always many uncommon conditions in
the church ---- weakness, sickness, hardness, withering, error and sins etc.
All believers in normal conditions shall present more prayers instead of
despise or rebuke or repulsion.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
How to Face the Coming Judgment?
A. Deal with money properly, lest it should be
a witness against us (v.1-3);
B. Deal with the workers, lest the cries reach
the ears of God (v.4-6);
C. Be patient and wait for the fruit of the
earth, lest you should be judged by the Lord (v.7-8);
D. Do not grumble against one another, lest you
should be condemned (v.9);
E. Do not swear but speak honestly, lest you
should be fall into judgment (v.13);
Various Sorts of Patience
A. “Be patient until the coming of the Lord” (v
B. “How the farmer waits for the precious fruit
of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter
rain” (v.7b) ---- patience of waiting for being perfected by the Spirit;
C. “You also be patient. Establish your hearts”
(v.8) ---- patience of establishing one’s heart;
D. “Do not grumble against one another” (v.9)
---- patience of being tolerant toward others;
E. “Take the prophets, who spoke in the name of
the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience” (v.10) ---- patience of
being persecuted for the Lord;
F. “Indeed we count them blessed who endure” (v
G. “You have heard of the perseverance of Job
and seen the end intended by the Lord” (v.11b) ---- perseverance with an end;
Responses that Are Required in Various
Situations
A. Do not curse or swear in hard trials (v.12);
B. Pray and sing psalms in sufferings or joy
(v.13);
C. In sickness, let us call for the elders of
the church to pray over us, anointing us with oil (v.14-15);
D. If one member has committed sins, confess
our trespasses to one another and pray for one another (v.16-18);
E. If anyone among us wanders from the truth,
we shall turn him back (v.19-20);
Knowledge of Prayer
A. Let us pray in suffering and sing psalms in
joy (v.13);
B. Let us pray for the sick (v.14);
C. Prayer should be of faith (v.15);
D. Confess our trespasses to one another and
pray for one another (v
E. The effective and fervent prayer of a
righteous man avails much (v.16b);
F. Prayer should be earnest (v.17);
G. Prayer should be perseverant and continued
earnestly ---- “prayed again” (v.17-18);
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Mary Zhou