James 5

Here are final instalment of our online Bible study on the letter of James.

Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. (James 5:1-6)

Is it a sin to be rich? This passage and others by Jesus indicate that the problem is with the unrighteous rich. Being rich is not the problem but taking advantage of others to get and keep rich is definitely a problem. Having said that, the New Testament is unanimous that there are dangers with being rich. There will always be the temptation to do whatever it takes to maintain status.

So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment. (James 5:7-12)

Our present experience, as it takes only moments watching the news to reveal, is that of suffering. That will only end when the Lord returns. This calls for patience and endurance. James uses the example of Job. Job suffered without knowing the reason why and yet he endured. But notice that Job did grieve and mourn his situation. Endurance doesn’t mean pretending everything is all right.

The last part of this passage is controversial. Is this a ban on ever taking oaths? Jesus spoke on something similar. The main point is that people shouldn’t have to wait until we swear an oath before they believe us. We should live lives of integrity that lead to people believing that we are always telling the truth. Intelligent Christians disagree over whether Jesus is also banning official oaths, such as oaths in a court of law. The bottom line is that if you feel it is sin, you should not do it.

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up—and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:13-20)

Part of living in this world before Jesus returns is the experience of physical sickness. The church is to respond to this with prayer and anointing of oil. What does James mean when he says “the Lord will raise him up”? Does this mean that people will be healed every time? Experience tells us that this is not true. But there is an expectation that God will respond in some way.

What about the talk of sin and forgiveness? Is James suggesting that physical sickness is caused by sin? While some sicknesses are caused by sinful activities, there is something else going on. There is also spiritual sickness that requires forgiveness and this is as deadly as physical sickness. Our role is to pray for each other and to help people turn back to the truth.

Discussion Questions

1. Why does the New Testament give so many warnings to the rich?
2. Do you consider yourself to be a patient person? What is most difficult for you to endure?
3. Do you think that James is banning all oaths? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever experienced or witnessed someone else experience a healing? What were the circumstances?
5. Why do Christians still need ongoing spiritual healing and forgiveness even after their baptism?