Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
JAMES 5
Warning to Rich Oppressors
1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
The Prayer of Faith
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Application Notes
5:1-6 James proclaims the worthlessness of riches, not the worthlessness of the rich. Today's money will be worthless when Christ returns, so we should spend our time accumulating the kind of treasures that will be worthwhile in God's eternal kingdom. Money is not the problem; Christian leaders need money to live and to support their families; missionaries need money to help them spread the gospel; churches need money to do their work effectively. But the love of money leads to sin (1 Timothy 6:10) and causes people to oppress others in order to get more. This is a warning to all Christians who are tempted to adopt worldly standards rather than God's standards (Romans 12:1-2) as well as an encouragement to all those who are oppressed by the rich. (See Matthew 6:19-21 to find out what Jesus says about riches.)
5:4 If we are not the wealthy oppressors, are we to stand idly by? If we are members of a society where oppression is widely practised, we may also fall under God's judgment, even if we are not personally treating others unjustly. James makes it clear that believers need to be a force that combats oppression and treats people who are poor with respect, no matter how much money we have (2:1-7). Allegiance to Christ ought to make a difference in the way we help anyone who is powerless to help and protect themselves, whether the poor and unemployed in our communities or refugees and immigrants arriving from foreign countries. Following Jesus calls us to live generous lives.
5:6 The "innocent" were defenceless persons, probably poor labourers who suffered at the hands of wealthy landowners. Poor people who could not pay their debts were often thrown into prison or forced to sell all their possessions. At times, they were even forced to sell their family members into slavery. With no opportunity to work off their debts, poor people often died of starvation. God called this murder. Hoarding money, exploiting employees, and living self-indulgently will not escape God's notice. Generous and fair treatment of people who are poor and others who depend on us matters to God.
5:7-8 Farmers must wait patiently for their crops to grow; they cannot hurry the process. But they do not take the summer off and hope that all goes well in the fields. There is much work to be done to ensure a good harvest. In the same way, we must wait patiently for Christ's return. We cannot make him come back any sooner. But while we wait, there is much work that we can do to advance his kingdom. Both the farmer and the Christian must live by faith, looking toward the future reward for their labours. Don't live as if Christ will never come. Work faithfully to build his kingdom. The King will come when the time is right.
5:9 When things go wrong, we tend to grumble against and blame others for our miseries (see the second note on Genesis 3:11-13). Blaming others is easier than owning our share of the responsibility, but it can be both destructive and sinful. Before you judge others for their shortcomings, remember that Christ, the Judge, will come to evaluate each of us (Matthew 7:1-5; 25:31-46). He will not let us get away with shifting the blame to others.
5:10-11 Many prophets, such as Moses, Elijah, and Jeremiah, suffered and were persecuted. (For a list of those who were persecuted, see the chart on pages 688-689. For more on the topic of suffering, see the notes on Job 1:1-2:13; 2:10; 3:23-26; 4:7-8; and 42:17; and Job's profile on page 789.)
5:12 Those with reputations for exaggeration or lying often can't get anyone to believe them based on their word alone. Christians should never become like that. Always be honest so that others will believe your simple yes or no. By avoiding lies, half-truths, and omissions of the truth, you will become known as a trustworthy person.
5:14-15 In the early church, expectations of God's direct intervention and healing were part of daily life. James's guidelines for healing prayer would make churches much more personal and effective. Anointing with oil was a practice often used by early believers in their prayers for healing. Scripture describes oil being used as a medicine (see Luke 10:34), but it also symbolises the Spirit of God (as used in anointing kings; see 1 Samuel 16:1-13). Thus, here the oil was a sign of the power of prayer, of healing, and of setting apart people who were sick for God's special attention.
5:14-15 People in the church should not face their illnesses alone. Members of Christ's body should be able to count on others for support and prayer, especially when they are sick or suffering. The elders of a church should be on call to respond to the illness of any member, and the church should be sensitive to pray for the needs of all its members. If your church does not have a time for healing prayer, consider offering it.
5:15 "The prayer offered in faith" does not refer to the faith of the sick person but to the faith of the people praying. God heals, people with faith present the needs to him, and all prayers are subject to his will and greater plan. It is the Lord who makes us well, not any formula or anything we can buy online. But God wants our prayers to be part of his healing process.
5:16-18 As Christians, our most powerful resource is communion with God through prayer. The results are often greater than we would have thought possible. Some people see prayer as a last resort to be tried when all else fails. This approach is backward. Prayer should come first. Because God has infinitely greater power than we have, to rely on prayer from the start only makes sense--especially because God encourages us to do so.
5:16 Christ has opened the way for us to go directly to God for forgiveness. But confessing our sins to each other still has an important place in the life of the church. By "righteous person," James isn't talking about sinless people but rather those who can effectively pray for others because they have confessed their own sins and are in right relationship with God. This verse points us toward several important scriptural principles related to confession: (1) If we have sinned against an individual, we must ask that person to forgive us. (2) If our sin has affected the church, we must confess it publicly. (3) If we need loving support as we struggle with a sin, we should confess the sin to those who are able to provide that support. (4) If, after confessing a private sin to God, we still don't feel his forgiveness, we may wish to confess the sin to a fellow believer to receive assurance of God's pardon. In Christ's kingdom, every believer is a priest to other believers (1 Peter 2:9).
5:17 For more on the great prophet Elijah, see his profile on page 543.
5:19-20 This passage refers to a believer who has fallen into sin--one who is no longer living a life consistent with Christian beliefs. Many discussions have occurred over whether people can lose their salvation, but all interpreters agree that those who fall away from their faith are in serious trouble and need to repent (see Hebrews 6:4-7). James urges Christians to help those who have wandered from the faith return to God. By taking initiative, praying for these people, and acting in love, we can meet them where they are and bring them back to God for his forgiveness.
5:20 The book of James emphasises faith in action. Godly living is the evidence and result of faith. Believers must serve with compassion, speak lovingly and truthfully, live in obedience to God's commands, and love one another. The church ought to be an example of heaven on earth, drawing people to Christ through love for God and each other. If we truly believe God's Word, we will live it day by day. God's Word does not merely give us something to read or think about but something to do. Belief, faith, and trust must have hands and feet--ours!
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)