James 5:19-20 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.            There are some in our churches today like the Sadducees whom Jesus denounced, saying, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Mat...

James 5:17-18 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 earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.Previously James spoke of the prophets and Job (vv.10-11) to illustrate suffering and endurance. Now he reminds of Israel’s most popular prophet, Eli...

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.Perhaps what James means in v. 16 is that Christians ought never allow themselves to backslide to the point that they actually need to call church elders for prayer. If Christians would simply “confess…sins to one another, and pray ...

1 Corinthians 11:26-30 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eat...

James 5:15b-16 …and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.The context of James’ instruction in 5:14-18 is prayer for the “sick”...

James 5:14-15a …call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…In the context of a spiritually weak believer who is tormented by sin and-or the harsh trials of life, unable to go it alone and in need of prayer, James exhorts them to “...

James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up…            James says that when Christians suffer, they must pray; when cheerful, they must praise (5:13). In v. 14 he asks, “Is anyo...

James 5:13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.           In vv. 10-11, James encouraged Christians, telling them to consider the prophets and Job— how they suffered for preaching God’s word and remaining faithful under trial. The writer of Hebrews speaks of them saying, “…the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of right...

James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.            Though it seems odd that James would bring up swearing in v. 12, profane language is not what he has in mind. What is in his mind is man’s feeble attempt to assert authority and control over the fut...

James 5:10-11 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.            Returning to the topic of patience in the midst of persecution, turmoil, or other difficu...

James 5:9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.            In vv. 7-8 James exhorts his audience to be patient in light of the certainty of Christ’s imminent return. Their patience was needed in light of the fact that many things were upsetting them. Keeping in mind that these Christians had been s...

James 5:8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.            Like the farmer who is longsuffering to wait for nature and God to bring His crops up from the ground in due time in v. 7, in v. 8 James exhorts Christians to be patient in their sufferings in light of Christ’s imminent return. In v. 7, James speaks of the fact of Christ’s coming; in v. 8 he speaks...

James 5:7-8 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.The “therefore” in v. 7 draws a conclusion from the previous context in 5:1-6, for James’ context moves from the stingy “rich”...

James 5:6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.Having accused the stingy rich of hoarding wealth in 5:2-3, cheating workers in v. 4, and living self-indulgently in v. 5, James now condemns them for their own condemnation and murder of the righteous in v. 6—those who do “not resist you” but are unjustly scorned.Though some have surmised that the “righteous m...

James 5:5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.            The rich in James’ crosshairs had “lived luxuriously” while engaging in “wanton pleasure.” The former phrase is one word in Greek (estruphasate), used in the Septuagint (LXX) for an ease of life afforded to Israel (Neh. 9:25; cf. Isa 66:11). It thus h...