James 5
Warning to rich employersverses 1-6
Go to now – you RICH men
weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you
Your riches are corrupted – and your garments are moth-eaten
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
you have heaped treasure together for the last days
BEHOLD – the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields
which is of you kept back by fraud – cries
and the cries of them which have reaped are entered
into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth
You have lived in pleasure on the earth – and been wanton
you have nourished your hearts – as in a day of slaughter
You have condemned and killed the just
and he does not resist you
Patience needed in believersverses 7-11
Be PATIENT therefore – brethren – to the coming of the Lord
BEHOLD – the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth
and have long PATIENCE of it
until he receive the early and latter rain
Be you also PATIENT – STABLISH your hearts
for the coming of the Lord draws nigh
GRUDGE not one against another – brethren – lest you be condemned
BEHOLD – the JUDGE stands before the door
Take – my brethren – the prophets
who have spoken in the name of the Lord
for an example of suffering affliction
and of PATIENCE
BEHOLD – we count them happy which endure
you 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
Warning about taking an oathverse 12
But above all things – my brethren – swear not
neither by heaven – neither by earth
neither by any other oath
but let your yea be yea – and your nay – nay
lest you fall into condemnation
Power of prayerverses 13-18
Is any among you afflicted?
let him PRAY – Is any merry? – let him sing psalms
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
and the Lord shall raise him up
and if he has committed sins – they shall be forgiven him
Confess your faults one to another – and PRAY one for another
that you may be healed
The effectual fervent PRAYER of a righteous man avails much
Elijah 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
and he PRAYED again – and the heaven gave rain
and the earth brought forth her fruit
Restoration of wandering belieververses 19-20
Brethren – IF any of you do err from the truth – and one convert him
let him know – that he which converts the sinner from
the error of his way shall save a soul from death
and shall hide a multitude of sins
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 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. You have heaped treasure together for the last days. (3142 “witness” [marturion] means testimony, providing direct knowledge about a person or event, evidence, proof, or evidence)
DEVOTION: When the LORD judges, people HE requires evidence. HE has a book of life to tell HIM who is supposed to get into heaven because of their relationship to HIS Son Jesus Christ. If a name is not written in the book of Life, they will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels. If they are written in the book of Life, they will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus Christ. It is that simple regarding their place for eternity.
However, there are also degrees of punishment in hell and degrees of reward in heaven. Each place has a different standard. Here James is concerned with those who are rich and how they treat their employees. The rich always have people around them that they pay a wage.
Now we find that the rich people that James is concerned about are not paying a living wage to their employees. They are hoarding their money. They are paying as little as they can and keeping the rest for themselves while their employees are suffering.
When judgment comes, he describes their good and silver as worthless. It is like their gold and silver rusted. We know that precious metals don’t rust but the point is that it has become worthless because God puts no value on it. No matter how much an individual has when he dies, he will leave it all behind and when he stands before God there will only be his person not his money, clothes or influence.
God is interested in his personal relationship with Jesus Christ and how he treated those around him. As of today, how to you stand in these areas?
CHALLENGE: We have to remind ourselves about God’s value system. HE values people over things. HE values giving over keeping. We need to have the same values.)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door. (4727 “grudge” [stenazo] means bemoan, to sigh, murmur, with grief, groan, or complain strongly)
DEVOTION: James knows that Christians can be complainers. He knows that Christians can blame others for what is going on in their lives. He knows that it is easier to criticize someone else to take eyes off themselves.
We don’t like our circumstances when they are bad. It seems that the LORD is not listening to our prayers. It seems like everyone else is getting rich and we are not. It seems like we are being taken advantage of by our employers and even by our church. Nobody really understands what is going on in my life. Too often even Christians can have a pity party for themselves and invite others to join them. If they don’t join then it is easier to pick on those who don’t show up to our pity party.
Do not moan and complain against fellow believers. James doesn’t pull any punches. He wants the believers to show their faith on a daily basis. One of the ways that we show our faith is to be individuals that encourage one another. This world is out to say anything bad they can about fellow believers. Our responsibility is to help our fellow believers be faithful to the LORD.
First we have to be faithful and then we can help others. Does that mean we never say anything negative to our follow believers – NO!! We have to watch what we say. The end of the chapter tells of someone hiding a multitude of sins.
Our responsibility is to help fellow believers turn from sin in a meek way not in a judgmental way. We can help fellow Christians stay away from premature death by our actions of encouragement and warning. This should be happening in our churches. Besides encouraging fellow believers, we are to be out telling others about the wonderful salvation the Lord has provided for them.
We can be so busy saying things against one another that we don’t have time to tell others about Jesus. The warning in this verse is found in the fact that Jesus is standing at the door or could come at any time. We need to be ready for HIS return. If HE were to come back on a day or time when we are criticizing our fellow believers, what would our rewards be???
What should we do if we have something against someone in our church? We need to practice Matthew 18 and be ready to reconcile our relationships with each other. Our orders from Christ are to love one another. Are we loving or murmuring?
CHALLENGE: Remember that the LORD is at the door. It can open at any time!!!
: 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (1843 “confess” [exomologeo] means to admit to a punishable deed or sin, profess allegiance, admit, acknowledge, to agree, to speak out, or to freely acknowledge)
DEVOTION: Is it easy to say that you’re sorry to for hurting someone? The answer is NO! Too often we hurt someone by saying or doing something that hurts them. We hope they will forget it but usually they don’t. Some people won’t say anything but others will to other people and not to the one who hurt them. This is wrong but it is also wrong not to go to someone we have hurt and ask their forgiveness.
Confessing your faults to others is not easy. James says it is necessary for us to have a good relationship with others. Also if we don’t it could lead to the LORD chastening us. One of the ways HE chastens or corrects us is through sickness.
There seems to be a principle in Scripture that states that if we don’t ask for forgiveness for hurting someone God will send sickness until we do. This doesn’t happen all the time but it will happen at times.
Once we ask for forgiveness for hurting someone that individual should pray for us to be healed of our sickness. If the confession is genuine, and the forgiveness of the individual is genuine, than the individual who hurt his fellow will be healed.
James is helping us understand the power of prayer in our life. He wants all believers to trust in the power of their prayers. We are to be prayer warriors for others.
If everyone in a church is practicing this habit God will manifest HIS power in that church. If a family needs to see this power at work they need to put this habit into practice as well.
Fathers should pray with children when something happens. Husbands should pray with their wife when something happens. Families should pray together when there is a conflict that has been settled.
CHALLENGE: Watch for the results of our proper handling of conflict in our home, business and church.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: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. (3663 “like passions” [homoiopathes] means suffering the like with another, of like feelings or affections. [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship])
DEVOTION: Very often when we read about Bible characters, we assume that they are superheroes, and that there is no way that we can be like them. We especially have this view of someone like Elijah, who did all kinds of miracles in the Old Testament. We find it hard to believe that they went through difficult times without getting discouraged.
One of the reasons, though, that the Bible is about the stories of real people is to show us how they reacted when they were confronted with life’s challenges. Some of these were the right way, and some were the wrong way. We tend to remember (because they were emphasized to us often growing up) the right ways. What we forget is that the Bible points out the truth about every one of us, including the people of the Bible, and that also involves the wrong responses of those described in it.
So we need to remember that people like the prophet Elijah were real people, who put on their pants one leg at a time as well! We need to strive for accuracy as we tell the stories of these people, for it is the role of the Holy Spirit to point out the short-fallings of these people and show us how to correct the same deficiencies in our life. Elijah at times doubted God, but he was also described as a man of great prayer. We need to be challenged in our own lives about our lack of prayerfulness. So even after God said that He was going to send a drought on the land of Israel, we find Elijah praying to God and asking Him to keep His promise by giving the drought. Later Elijah prayed to the LORD for rain, and God answered him by providing rain.
CHALLENGE: Read the narratives of the Bible as though they were describing your next-door neighbor (or someone you work with). Imagine the feelings and emotions of the people in the narrative. Then try to retell the story from the perspective of one of the people in the story. (MW)
: 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him. (1994 “convert” [epistrepho] means return, turn, turn back, to cause someone to direct his interest, attention or trust towards something, or to cause someone to direct his interst, attention, or trust towards something)
DEVOTION: All believers wander from the truth of the Word of God during their Christian life. Each of us has a besetting sin that takes control of our life and causes us to wander from the LORD. We might not even be aware of our wandering at times but it happens.
Now we need to have individuals who love us come alongside us to help us get back in tune with the LORD. We might be going to church each Sunday, praying, reading our Bible and giving to the church and still be walking away from the LORD.
A friend or friends can see what is happening quicker than we can see it and need to come alongside and encourage us to make sure we have a proper relationship with the LORD.
The way we can tell that something is happening in someone’s life is that the individual has weakness or sickness comes into his/her life. They might not understand what is happening but those who are spiritually mature Christian that loves the individual will know what is happening. That is when he/she needs to spring into action.
Remember the third step to the LORD chastening an individual Christian is death. That is not something we would want to happen to a friend in Christ. The mature believer needs to come alongside this individual and ask him/her to confess their sin and ask for forgiveness of the LORD. Once this takes place, they are in a position to have their sins forgiven and be restored to a proper relationship with the LORD. This is a relationship with blessing.
When this occurs the one who is restored to a proper relationship with the LORD can become a productive servant of the LORD. The mature Christian who helped will have covered a multitude of sin under the blood of Christ.
CHALLENGE: Warning not all sickness is because of sin in a person’s life. Another warning is that the person who has sinned must know the one coming to them loves them, wants the best for them and is a mature believer.
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Confess your faultsverse 16
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Workers prayerverse 4
Prayerverses 13-18
Pray in the name of the LORDverse 14
Prayer of faithverse 15
Effectual fervent prayerverse 16
Prayer of righteous man avails muchverse 16
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sing psalmsverse 13
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Prophetverse 10
Spoken in the name of the LORDverse 10
Jobverse 11
Elijahverses 17-18
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lordverses 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15
Lord of Sabaothverse 4
Coming of the Lordverses 7, 8
Judgeverse 9
Name of the Lordverses 10, 14
End of the Lordverse 11
Lord is very pitifulverse 11
Lord is of tender mercyverse 11
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Rich menverse 1
Garments are motheatenverse 2
Gold and silver cankeredverse 3
Laborersverse 4
Husbandmanverse 7
Patience of Jobverse 11
Sickverse 14
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Miseriesverse 1
Corruptedverse 2
Heaping treasuresverse 3
Fraudverse 4
Lived in pleasureverse 5
Wantonverse 5
Nourished your heartsverse 5
Condemned the justverses 6, 9
Killed the justverse 6
Condemnationverse 12
Sinsverses 15, 20
Faultsverse 16
Err from the truthverse 19
Sinnerverse 20
Error of his wayverse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Justverse 6
Patientverses 7, 8, 10, 11
Stablish your heartsverse 8
Grudge notverse 9
Suffer affliction verses 10, 13
Happy verse 11
Endureverse 11
Swear notverse 12
neither by heaven
neither by the earth
neither by any oath
Let your yea be yeaverse 12
Let your nay be nayverse 12
Prayverses 13-18
Merryverse 13
Singverse 13
Faithverse 15
Forgivenverse 15
Confess your faultsverse 16
Healedverse 16
Righteousverse 16
Truthverse 19
Convertverses 19, 20
Save a soulverse 20
Hide a multitude of sinsverse 20
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Prophetsverse 10
Spoken in the name of the LORD
Example of suffering affliction
Example of patience
Elijahverses 17-18
Subject to like passions
Prayed earnestly – might not rain
Prayed again – rained
Church (New Testament people of God)
Brethrenverses 7, 9, 10, 12, 19
Sick = call the eldersverses 14-15
pray & anoint with oil
save the sick – Lord raise him up
sins forgiven
Confess to one anotherverse 16
Pray for one another verse 16
Last Things (Future Events)
Miseries shall come upon verse 1
Last daysverse 3
Day of slaughterverse 5
Coming of the Lordverses 7, 8
Judge stands before the doorverse 9
Fall into condemnationverse 12
Deathverse 20
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QUOTES regarding passage
16 From the promise of v. 15 an inference is drawn (“therefore”). Since confession of sin and the prayer of faith bring healing, Christians should confess their “sins to each other and pray for each other.” It is not merely the elders who are told to pray, but Christians in general. If a person has sinned against a brother, he should confess the sin to him. This will no doubt result in mutual confession—“to each other.” Then the two believers should “pray for each other.” If the sin has caused sickness, healing will follow confession and prayer. James proceeds to add the assurance that prayer “is powerful and effective.” The “righteous man” here referred to is the man whose sins have been confessed and forgiven. His prayer is fully able to secure results, such as healing of the sick. (Burdick, D. W. (1981). James. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 204). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
5:16. The conclusion is clear: therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other. A mutual concern for one another is the way to combat discouragement and downfall. The cure is in personal confession and prayerful concern. The healing (that you may be healed) is not bodily healing but healing of the soul (iathēte; cf. Matt. 13:15; Heb. 12:13; 1 Peter 2:24). It is the powerful and effective … prayer of a righteous person that brings the needed cure from God. This of course relates to the closing two verses of James’ letter. If James 5:14–16 refer to physical healing, then those verses seem disjointed with the verses before and after them. (Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 835). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
The Bible nowhere promises that Christians will have an easy life, but the Bible does tell us what to do when trials come. Some Christians will be afflicted, that is, go through a trial specifically planned by God. What should they do? Pray! James does not promise that God will remove the affliction, but he does suggest that God will give the grace necessary to endure it. See 2 Cor. 12. Other Christians will have sickness, and the suggestion in v. 15 is that this sickness is the result of sin (see 1 Cor. 11:30). What should they do? Call the leaders of the church and ask for prayer. This is not a church ritual to prepare a person for death, because James says that it results in the healing of the person’s body. The word “anoint” (v. 14) is the common word for “massage”; it is used in Mark 16:1, where the women wanted to prepare the body of Christ for burial. Oil was a common medicine in that day; physicians often anointed the sick with oil (Luke 10:34). The picture here is of saints not only praying for one another but also using the means God has supplied for their health. In v. 16 James summarizes the lesson: Christians are to confess their sins (when they have sinned against each other) and pray for each other.
James believed in prayer. In fact, tradition tells us that he spent so much time in prayer that his knees became hard and calloused. God works effectually through prayer, but that prayer must come from a clean, dedicated heart. James uses Elijah as the example of the power of prayer; see 1 Kings 17ff. “Like passions” (v. 17) means “with a nature like other men”; see Acts 14:15. It was not Elijah’s natural gifts that made him a great man of prayer; it was his dedication and faith. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (pp. 734–735). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
B. Prayer (5:13–18). Prayer is often mentioned in the last section of New Testament letters: James is no exception. He begins by encouraging us to pray in any circumstance we might face. When “in trouble” we should turn to God for help; when things are going well, we should turn to God with praise (5:13). In the specific trouble of illness also prayer is the main remedy. Here, however, James gives lengthier advice. He encourages the person who is sick to call for “the elders of the church”; they should come to “pray over him” and to “anoint him with oil.” The elders were the spiritual leaders in individual local churches (see Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1). That they should be called to pray specifically for one who is sick is not surprising. But why are they to anoint with oil (see also Mark 6:13)? Although some Roman Catholic theologians find the sacrament of extreme unction “promulgated” in this text (Council of Trent 15.1), there is no basis for the identification. Since oil was a well-known medicinal agent in the ancient world (see Galen, and Luke 10:34), the anointing may have a physical purpose. But it would be unusual to single out the use of oil as applicable for any illness and strange that the elders of the church should apply it. More likely, the anointing has a symbolic purpose. Anointing with oil is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as a symbolic action according to which what is anointed is set apart for God’s service or blessing (while the Greek word chriō was more often used for this, the word aleiphō, found here in James, also occurs [Exod. 40:15; Num. 3:3]). By anointing the sick person with oil, then, the elders are symbolically setting that person aside for the Lord’s special attention as they pray. And since it is prayer to which James returns in verse 15, it is clear that it, not the anointing, is the main agent of healing. By stressing that the prayer of faith is what brings healing, James has carefully qualified the apparently absolute nature of the promise in verse 15. For only prayers that are offered in accordance with the will of God can truly be uttered in faith. When praying for the healing of a person, the elders will often not be sure whether their specific petition is in accord with God’s will. As another aspect of the healing process, the sick person is also encouraged to seek forgiveness for sins (v. 15). The New Testament makes clear that some illnesses (1 Cor. 11:30), though by no means all (John 9), are the result of sin; and that sin will need to be taken care of before healing can come. While James has focused on the role of the elders in healing, he makes clear in verse 16 that all believers can be active in the ministry of healing as we confess our sins to one another and pray for one another.
As an encouragement to pray, James stresses the great effect of the prayer offered by a “righteous man” (v. 16b). By this James does not mean to confine effective prayer to a select group of “super-saints”; “righteous” designates anyone in a right relationship with God. And even Elijah is cited not because he was a prophet or because he had a special spiritual gift. He was “a man just like us,” yet he was able to stop and start the rain by his prayers (vv. 17–18; cf. 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41–45). (Moo, D. (1995). James. In Evangelical Commentary on the Bible (Vol. 3, pp. 1161–1162). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House)
5:16 confess your sins. Mutual honesty, openness, and sharing of needs will enable believers to uphold each other in the spiritual struggle. effective prayer … can accomplish much. The energetic, passionate prayers of godly people have the power to accomplish much. Cf. Nu 11:2. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Jas 5:16). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
5:16–18 Confess: This confession is not necessarily between the sick person and the elders, though this is not ruled out altogether. Instead, this exhortation is intended for the sick person and any person with whom the sick one needs to be reconciled. Effective, fervent prayer … much: This can mean either that (1) prayer is effective when it is used or (2) fervent prayer accomplishes great results. The illustration of Elijah may favor the latter meaning, for he prayed earnestly. (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1673). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers)
This passage has been the subject of considerable controversy, and is admittedly difficult to understand unless we keep in mind the special character of this Epistle, as a last message to the twelve tribes, as such, before the complete separation of Christianity from Judaism which the Epistle to the Hebrews insists upon. God, in condescending grace, meets people where they are, and this is a case in point.
When the twelve apostles went forth to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, they anointed the sick with oil, and God granted healing in response to their faith (Mark 6:13). This is the only other instance in the New Testament where this method is said to have been employed. It is significant because of its definite connection to the testimony to Israel. There may be some truth in the view some have held that the oil was in itself a healing ointment, and that God blessed the means used, in connection with the recovery of those who were ill. But James specifically declares, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick;” though this would not necessarily mean that any virtue residing in the oil itself was ignored, as God often blesses the means used when prayer also is answered.
The sick were to call for the elders of the church, or the assembly. In the present, broken condition of things in the church it might be difficult to say just where these are to be found. In the beginning it was a simple matter. Elders were appointed in every church, either by direct apostolic authority or by apostolic delegates, as in the instances of Timothy and Titus. It seems that where this special oversight was not available, assemblies appointed their own elders in accordance with the instructions given in the pastoral Epistles. With no direct apostolic authority today this is all that can be done, and is acted upon in many places. But are these recognized brethren actually elders of the Church? One does not want to raise needless questions, but in the endeavor to carry out literally the instruction given here in a day of ruin, they need to be faced honestly.
Throughout Scripture oil is the type or symbol of the Holy Spirit; and in connection with prayer for the sick it would have a beautiful significance. But whether any feel free to use it in this way now or not, it is always right for godly elder brethren to meet with the sick for prayer, and it is just as true now as in the beginning of the dispensation that God answers the prayer of faith.
In the case brought before us here it seems to be taken for granted that the illness is part of divine chastening because of sins committed. Therefore when the sick one called for the elders it would in itself be his acknowledgment of his failure. It is not said, however, as Rome would have us believe, that he confessed his sins to the elders: he confessed to God, and if to man also (as in the next verse), it was not as recognizing any special sacerdotal authority on the part of the elders.
It is important also to observe that two very different Greek words are used for “sick” in this verse. “Is any sick among you?” Here the word means “ill,” as with some disease. But where we read, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick,” the word means “weak,” or “exhausted.” It might refer to mental depression such as often accompanies illness, particularly when one is conscious that he is afflicted because of his own sins and indiscretions.
“If he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” This has to do with the government of God in His own family (see 1 Pet. 1:17). The Father judges according to the behavior of His children. When in answer to the prayer of faith the depression of spirit is relieved and the sick one raised up, he may have the assurance of governmental and restorative forgiveness.
In the early days of what is now generally known as “the Brethren Movement,” Mr. J. N. Darby and Mr. J. G. Bellett were called in to many sick rooms in Dublin, where they acted literally upon the directions given here. Many remarkable healings were vouchsafed in answer to the prayer of faith; so much so that attention began to be centered upon these two brethren as special instruments used of God, in a way that troubled them, and they felt it wise to desist from going, but prayed together, or separately for the afflicted in a more private way, acting rather on verse 16 than on verses 14 and 15; God answered in the same grace as when the formal service was carried out.
This is ever faith’s resource. Burdened hearts can and should confess their sins one to another when conscious that their illness is chastening for wrong done against the Lord. Then we can pray one for another that healing may ensue: for the earnest prayer of a righteous man is ever effective.
A Roman priest pointed to this scripture when insisting that it taught confession to one of his order. His hearer responded, “I will confess my sins to you if you will confess yours to me.” He refused to recognize the mutual confession here enjoined. There is nothing official or priestly about it.
Then again, there is no authority here for the Romanist “sacrament of extreme unction,” which consists in anointing with consecrated oil, one who is about to die. But in these verses the anointing is in view of the sick man’s coming back to health, not preparation for death. So readily do Roman apologists seize on the most unlikely passages to bolster up their unscriptural practices and superstitious theories!
Having spoken of the effectiveness of fervent prayer the case of Elijah is introduced as an illuminating example of what is meant. (Ironside, H. A. (1947). Expository notes on the Epistles of James. (pp. 58–63). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
Ver. 16. Confess your faults one to another, &c.] Which must be understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared, in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation; and this is necessary at all times, and especially on beds of affliction, and when death and eternity seem near approaching: wherefore this makes nothing for auricular confession, used by the Papists; which is of all sins, whereas this is only of such by which men offend one another; that is made to priests, but this is made by the saints to one another, by the offending party to him that is offended, for reconciliation, whereby a good end is answered; whereas there is none by the other, and very often bad consequences follow. And pray for one another, that ye may be healed; both corporeally and spiritually: the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Not any man’s prayer; not the prayer of a profane sinner, for God heareth not sinners; nor of hypocrites and formal professors: but of the righteous man, who is justified by the righteousness of Christ, and has the truth of grace in him, and lives soberly and righteously; for a righteous man often designs a good man, a gracious man, one that is sincere and upright, as Job, Joseph of Arimathea, and others; though not without sin, as the person instanced in the following verse shews; Elias, who was a man of like passions, but a just man, and his prayer was prevalent: and not any prayer of a righteous man is of avail, but that which is effectual, fervent; that has power, and energy, and life in it; which is with the spirit, and with the understanding, with the heart, even with a true heart, and in faith; and which is put up with fervency, and not in a cold, lukewarm, lifeless, formal, and customary way: it is but one word in the original text; and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, daily; that prayer which is constant and continual, and without ceasing, and is importunate; this prevails and succeeds, as the parable of the widow and the unjust judge shews. Some translate the word inspired; the spirit of God breathes into men the breath of spiritual life, and they live, and being quickened by him, they breathe; and prayer is the breath of the spiritual man, and is no other than the reverberation of the spirit of God in him; and such prayer cannot fail of success: it may be rendered inwrought; true prayer is not what is written in a book, but what is wrought in the heart, by the spirit of God; who is the enditer of prayer, who impresses the minds of his people with a sense of their wants, and fills their mouths with arguments, and puts strength into them to plead with God, and makes intercession for them according to the will of God; and such prayer is always heard, and regarded by him: this has great power with God; whatever is asked, believing, is received; God can deny nothing prayed for in this manner; it has great power with Christ, as Jacob had over the angel, when he wrestled with him; and as the woman of Canaan, when she importuned him, on account of her daughter, and would have no denial: such prayer has often been of much avail against Satan, who has been dispossessed by it; even the most stubborn kind of devils have been dislodged by fasting and prayer: it has often been the means of preserving kingdoms and nations, when invaded by enemies, as the instances of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah shew; and of removing judgments from a people, as was often done, through the prayers of Moses, as when fire and fiery serpents were sent among them; and of bringing down blessings, as rain from heaven by Elijah; and of delivering particular persons from trouble, as Peter was delivered from prison, through the incessant prayer of the church for him: and this power, and efficacy, and prevalence of prayer, does not arise from any intrinsic worth and merit in it, but from the grace of the spirit, who influences and endites it, directs to it, and assists in it; and from the powerful mediation, precious blood, and efficacious sacrifice of Christ; and from the promise of God and Christ, who have engaged, that whatever is asked according to the will of God, and in the name of Christ, shall be done. The Jews have had formerly a great notion of prayer: the power of prayer, they say, is strong; and extol it above all other services: they sayc, it is better than good works, or than offerings and sacrifices; and particularly, the prayer of righteous men: says R. Eliezer, “to what is תפלתן של צריקים, the prayer of righteous men like? it is like a shovel: the sense is, that as the shovel turns the corn on the floor, from one place to another, so prayer turns the holy blessed God from wrath to mercy.” (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 523–524). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
The Letters of James and Peter by William Barclay:
It is James’s conviction that to concentrate on material things is not only to concentrate on a decaying and corpse-like delusion; it is to concentrate on self-produced destruction and disaster. (p. 137)
The Bible does not condemn wealth as such, but there is no book which more strenuously insists on the responsibility of wealth, and on the perils, which surround a man, who is abundantly blessed with this world’s goods. (p.139)
Truphein comes from a root which means to break down; and it describes the soft living which in the end saps and destroys a man’s moral fibre; it describes that enervating luxury which ends by destroying strength of body and strength of soul alike. The word translated to play the wanton is spatalan; it is a much worse word; it means to live in lewdness and lasciviousness and wanton riotousness. It is the condemnation of the selfish rich that they have used their possessions to gratify their own love of comfort, and to satisfy their own lusts, and they have forgotten all duty to their fellow-men. (p. 140)
Selfishness always leads to the death of the soul. (p. 141)
The early rain was the rain in late October and early November; without it the seed which had been sown would not germinate at all. The late rain was the rain of April and May, without which the grain would not mature. The farmer needs patience to wait until nature does her work; and the Christian needs patience to wait until Christ comes. (p. 143)
The New Testament would urge that no man ought to go to sleep, or end a day, with an unhealed breach between himself and a fellow-man, lest in the night Christ should come. (p. 146)
But the great truth behind all the temporary pictures of the Second Coming is the truth that this world is not purposeless and aimless and planless, but that it is going somewhere, that there is one divine far-off event to which the whole creation moves. (p. 146)
In an honest society no oath is needed; it is only when men cannot be trusted to tell the truth that they have to be put upon oath. And the prevalence of oath-taking was in itself a proof of the prevalence of falsehood. (p. 149)
A very early Church code lays it down that teach congregation must appoint at least one widow to take care of women who are sick. For many centuries the Church consistently used anointing as a means of healing the sick. (p. 153)
Nowadays we cannot make this mechanical identification; but this remains true – that no man can know any health of either soul, or mind, or body until he is right with God. A right relationship with God is a prerequisite of health in every part of a man’s life and being. (p. 154)
FROM MY READING:
Rather than acting justly with their wealth to secure the well-being of their laborers and their families, they had invested it in “frozen” assets that would nevertheless burn in the judgment to come. Is it possible that the phrase “testimony against you” could contain any hope of repentance and salvation? The rich who had been dragging believers into court (2:6) were the ones who would appear in the court of the Lord. The “corrosion” (ios, “rust,” translated “poison” in 3:8 and Rom 3:13) on their hoarded gold and silver would be made to “testify” against the rich oppressors in James’s version of a covenant lawsuit. The rust is personified. The rich had willfully refused to listen to the voice of justice calling for fair wages; now the rust was given a voice declaring their guilt. Thus, instead of paying wages, the gold and silver would be paid to the rust. The hoarded wealth would help pay for the trial against them.25 Again, there was hope for repentance because the judgment was not yet here; nevertheless, to borrow a metaphor from the testimony of John the Baptist, “The ax is already at the root of the trees …” (cf. Luke 3:9). (Richardson, K. A. (1997). Vol. 36: James. The New American Commentary (206–207). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
THE CROSS AND PRAYER
God heareth not sinners. John 9:31
The cross opens the door of heaven to me, and I can begin to pray. And we have all known, have we not, what it is to turn to God in prayer? Some of us remember during the last world war (World War II), and during the 1914-18 war (World War I), reading of the terrible experiences of men torpedoed at sea. There they might be, in their little dinghies, for days on end. The food had ended, so had the water, and they were just drifting, and it seemed that everything had finished, and there was nobody in sight to save them. They were frantic and did not know what to do. Then somebody would say, “What about prayer?” None of them had prayed for years or had ever thought about God, but in their trouble they remembered Him.
We have all known what it is to turn to God in prayer, but the vital question is this: Can we pray? Have we any right to pray? What is prayer? Prayer means entering into the presence of God. It means addressing that almighty, holy God who is in heaven while we are on earth, the God we have ignored and spurned and reviled and rejected. How can we go into His presence? The answer is that we cannot go into His presence as we are.
“God heareth not sinners” (John 9:31). There is only one way whereby a man can pray with any confidence and assurance, and it is in believing in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Listen to the apostle: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.” He is fond of saying this—we find it everywhere. “For through him,” says Paul to the Ephesians—by Christ—“we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (2:18).
A Thought to Ponder: There is only one way whereby a man can pray with any confidence and assurance, and it is in believing in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(From The Cross, pp. 191-192, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
Jesus prays that the Father will make His disciples fruitful and give them future glory.
INSIGHT
The mark of a Christian should be love. In Matthew 22, we read that the two greatest commandments are love for God and love for our neighbor. In John 13:35, Jesus says, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” In John 17:21, Jesus says if Christians have unity (based on love), the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. When our badge is love, the world is convinced that we are genuine disciples of Jesus, rather than hypocrites. (Quiet Walk)
To Be Like Him
“But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16)
Scripture admonishes us as Christians to be like our Lord and Savior in “all manner of conversation,” or all manner of life. We are His earthly witnesses, and we must so order our lives that we are an adequate reflection of Him.
We are to be like Him in the purity of our lives. As our text points out, “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). “Follow…holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
Our daily walk and lives should be patterned after Him. “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another” (1 John 1:7).
Furthermore, we are to be like Him in love. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God…for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). We are to be willing to suffer unjustly without revenge, “because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:21-22).
Being like Him involves a life of service, as well. “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15).
Christ has forgiven each of us many times, even though our sins grieve Him deeply. He stands ready to forgive and restore fellowship, and so should we. With His help, we can emulate Him, even when we are wronged. “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)
When we pray, we are doing more than talking with God; we are acknowledging our need for God to act and our trust that he will act.
When prayer is no longer central to the church we have lost the very life that makes us the unique body of Christ. When we do not pray, we stop being the church and we become a social club, a place for people to meet, encourage one another, and have fun together, but a place that is no longer in vital relationship with God.
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Instead of taking risks and trusting God to provide for the future, we become timid and hesitant. (p. 86, Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
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