James (written)

Thursday, 12 September 2019

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. James 5:15

This continues on from what James said in the previous verse. Taken together, these two verses read –

“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. 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.”

Understanding the context, James begins with the words, “And the prayer of faith.” According to Paul, whatever is not from faith is sin (see Romans 14:23). James is obviously speaking of believers, and that they have confidence in their prayers for healing and restoration. To waffle in such confidence would be sin, and the prayer would be wasted breath.

But even what “faith” means here must be understood properly. Is James saying, “You must have faith that the prayer is sufficient to heal”? In other words, is the faith referring to confidence in the fact that the person will be healed? No, this cannot be. That would make the prayer the effective means of healing. But prayer is to be to God, and it is God who heals. Therefore, the one who prays must have full confidence in God and in His ability to heal – whether He does so or not.

From there, James says that “the prayer of faith will save the sick.” The thought here is that when the prayer is made, it is made with confidence in God that He does hear, has heard, and will heal the one who is afflicted. James then says, “and the Lord will raise him up.” Note that it is the elders of the previous verse who have prayed, but it is the Lord who does the raising up. How vastly different than what is seen in Charismatic churches. Though they claim to heal in Jesus’ name, the focus is on the healer. The Lord is an afterthought.

James then adds in a second thought by saying, “And if he has committed sins.” The structure of the Greek indicates “‘be in a state of having committed sins,’ that is, be under the consequences of sins committed” (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). In other words, if the person was a drunkard, and that was the cause of his affliction, or if the person is sick because of illegal drugs then the idea is that forgiveness is seen in the healing.

Having noted these things, the words here say, “will save the sick,” and “will raise him up.” These adamant words (many translations say “shall”) are to be taken in the light of God’s sovereignty. One cannot know if God intends for the sickness to continue in order to bring Him glory through it. It would be presumptuous and inappropriate to claim healing over the person. That is an implicit demand that God must respond according to our will, not His.

God did heal through the apostles. Such is true with Paul who is seen to have been the means of healing, raising a dead person, etc. However, Paul also almost lost a person, Epaphrodites, through sickness. The context of his words implies that he had no ability to bring about healing. That account is seen in Philippians 2:25-30.

Again, Paul is said to have left Trophimus sick in Miletus. That is found in 2 Timothy 4:20. And Paul also did not heal Timothy of his frequent stomach problems. Instead, he told Timothy to drink wine instead of just water (1 Timothy 5:23). Further, Paul had his own affliction in his body (see 2 Corinthians 12 and Galatians 4) that he desired to be removed. He asked the Lord three times to remove it, but in the end, it remained. Instead, he noted that the Lord’s grace was sufficient.

These are given to show us that James’ words here are not to be taken in the absolute sense, but are to allow room for God to decide what the outcome will be.

Life application: From the references to sickness which were not healed, it is clear that not all illnesses are covered in James’ words. All things are in the Lord’s providence and if it is His will to heal, then healing will come about.

There is no such thing as a “faith healer,” but there is “faith healing.” God responds according to His sovereign plan and not according to the wiles of TV evangelists and unscrupulous charlatans. Likewise, it is imprudent at best to hold to the doctrines of denominations that forbid medicines, surgery, and the healing hand of trained physicians.

Be careful to take all things in context and, above all, to acknowledge the Lord’s sovereignty in the healing process. Always let your prayers reflect that His will be done.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not allowing Your hand of providence to rule our hearts when dealing with sickness, disease, and even death. Yes, you have instructed us to pray for healing and restoration, but too often we pray according to our desires without including Your will. Help us to always remember this in the future that You may be glorified. Amen.

Wednesday, 11 September 2019

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. James 5:14

James now prescribes treatment for those who are sick. He first asks a question concerning the matter, “Is anyone sick among you?” It is a general question directed to his readers. It cannot be that he is only speaking to the people alive at the time because the epistle is included in the Bible. However, this does not mean that it is an all-encompassing thought which can expect universal results. This is evident from other parts of Scripture.

However, as a general rule, he gives guidance concerning the sick person by saying, “Let him call for the elders of the church.” The word here is presbuteros. It signifies an elder, a mature man who is wise in judgment. The feminine singular of the word, presbytera, does not occur in Scripture. The feminine plural, presbyteras, is seen once in 1 Timothy 5:2, and it is referring to older women in the church, not women in a leadership capacity.

Noting these elder men here, however, does not mean that churches were bound to a certain type of structure. Variations of church structure are noted in Acts and in the epistles, and none is placed as the premier example of how a church is to be structured. In this case, James cites what he knows is the case with his audience, probably because the churches whose attendees were mostly Jewish would be structured in a manner similar to the synagogues.

And so, he continues by saying of the elders, “and let them pray over him.” Prayer is a thing which obviously assumes free will in man. These elders are told to pray, and they may do so or not. If they pray, their prayers are expected to be heard. And if heard, there will be hopes of a favorable result. God knows the end from the beginning, and the outcome of all things are known to Him in advance. And yet, if we are told to pray, then it means that God must have factored in the prayers of people before they were ever uttered.

James then says, “anointing him with oil.” This is a practice referred to in Isaiah 1:6, where he speaks of soothing wounds and bruises with ointment. Jesus referred to it in Luke 10:34, in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Mark again notes this in Mark 6:13, where it says that the apostles “cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.”

James then adds in that the oil is to be anointed “in the name of the Lord.” This is then in conjunction with the prayers themselves. The people are to pray, the afflicted area (or the afflicted one) is to be anointed with oil, and the name of the Lord is to be invoked in the process. James is relying on this means of treatment, combined with prayer, to obtain an expected result. That expected result will be seen in the next verse.

Life application: James’ words in this verse and the following two produce lots of tension and disagreement in denominations around the world. A conservative reading of these and all such verses is probably the best approach. Oil was used in ancient times as a healing agent just as Neosporin or Vicks VapoRub is today. This is the significance of Jesus’ words in Luke 10:34, referred to above. There it says –

“So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”

Therefore, when it says that the elders of the church are to take the actions given in the verse, they should be read in the context of the time and situation. They were to pray over the afflicted person as indicated. Prayer is the Christian’s single most effective tool in the battle against illness. No matter how potent the medicine, no matter how skilled the doctor, no matter how tender the hands of the nurses – without the Lord’s providential blessing, then no healing will result.

Concerning the oil, however, as this is shown to be an ancient remedy for healing, then the symbolism of the gesture is that, in addition to prayer, effective medicines are to be given to the person. To assume that an application of oil is definitely going to produce the healing effects will lead to over-spiritualization of the account and even to disappointment and confusion if healing is not effected.

Oil of whatever type does not have any particular magic qualities, so be careful that the credit for any healing is directed to the Lord and that appropriate medical attention is given as well.

Christians need to exercise wisdom concerning illness, disease, and physical trauma which may occur. We are not to forsake the intelligence we have been given concerning seeking out trained doctors and other health-care officials. Likewise, we should not discount medicines which have been produced to bring about healing. Above all, however, let us never forget that prayer should be our first and last offering during the healing process.

Lord God, help us to be wise in seeking out cures for the healing of our afflictions. May we not assume that a supposed “faith-healer” has the answer to whatever ails us. Your word tells us to pray for healing, and we shall do so. But we also have the obvious responsibility to seek out those things which have been developed for our healing as well. Give us wisdom concerning the care of our bodies when such times arise. Amen.

Tuesday, 10 September 2019

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. James 5:13

James is now going to give a few verses of instruction for specific instances which may arise in the life of the believer. Although he states several of these almost as foregone conclusions concerning the results which can be expected, they are not necessarily to be taken in that light. This will be seen in the coming verses, such as praying for healing. James seems to indicate that taking certain actions will definitely result in receiving the desired healing. This, however, is certainly not the case.

For now, he begins with two questions, each of which is followed by an exhortation. His first question is, “Is anyone among you suffering?” The word translated as “suffering” is used twice by Paul in 2 Timothy 2:9 and then 2 Timothy 4:5. It signifies the experiencing of painful hardships.

The purpose of prayer in such an instance is to find relief or strength. It is certain that if one believes in the Lord and His ever-present nature with His people, then finding comfort and strength is going to happen. One cannot logically pray to God for comfort in his affliction and then not feel peace that the request has been heard. However, if relief from the suffering is what is desired, that may not come about.

Paul’s uses of the word imply that the suffering is ongoing. In fact, using the same word, Paul tells Timothy to “endure afflictions.” Therefore, it is expected that they will continue and not be taken away. James’ exhortation is one which is surely general in nature, and must be directed more to finding comfort in the affliction rather than it is for the affliction to be removed.

He then asks, “Is anyone cheerful?” The word here is opposite to the state of suffering which has just been stated, and so the exhortation is suited to the state. This is the last of three uses of the word in Scripture and it gives the sense of being in good spirits. James says that if one is in good spirits, he should sing psalms.

It is a single word, psalló. It signifies playing on a stringed instrument, plucking on it such as on a harp. It can also signify making music in general, or even the simple act of singing. It is where our word “psalm” comes from. The word comes from a root meaning “to rub.” Thus, one gets the sense of vibrations which turn into sound. Paul uses the word four times, all in relation to singing. This is its last use in Scripture.

James would have the person who is in good spirits make an external display of his state before God and man, returning music to the One who brought him to such a state.

Life application: The words of this verse ought to be the norm and not the exception, but as is too often the case among us, we fail to put the admonitions of the Bible into practice. Instead of praying when we have trouble we tend to fret, worry, lose sleep, get angry, etc. James tells us that when we face trouble we should pray. This should be the first and not the last thing we do when troubles come.

When times of joy and happiness come, we should sing songs of praise. Too often we skip this step and go on to celebrating with friends, reveling in our prosperity, and being excited about how well things are going. But the first thing we should do, and the thing we should constantly do, is to sing songs of praise. How often do you stop and really thank the Lord when something good comes your way? How often do you simply break out in a song of gratitude for the wonders that keep showing up on the doorstep of your life?

This isn’t something that only James thought of. Paul tells us to express our joy in this way in his writings. One example is found in Colossians –

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16

If you are facing troubles, get on your knees and pray. Ask friends to join you down there if the problem is big enough. God listens and He responds to the prayers of His children according to His wisdom. And when things get corrected and life hands you blessings and happiness, don’t forget to respond to the Lord with songs of joy and psalms of thanksgiving. He is worthy of the praise you send His way!

Heavenly Father, how often we fret, worry, and have stress when we ought to be sending our prayers to you. And likewise, how unfaithful we are to take time to acknowledge Your goodness to us with simple words of thanks or even songs of praise. Forgive us for our thoughtlessness, and turn our thoughts to correct priorities in the future. To Your honor we pray. Amen.

Monday, 9 September 2019

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. James 5:12

James now steps onto another path of warning and command. He begins with “But above all.” The Greek reads, “However, before all things.” It is the preeminent thought that must be considered. After this, he again (for the fourteenth time in the epistle) addresses the “brethren,” calling them the personal “my brethren.”

With this note of importance and yet with a personal touch to indicate that this is a matter from his heart to theirs, he says, “do not swear.” This is not speaking of profanity, but rather it refers to the taking of an oath of some sort, be it a promise or a vow or the like.

From there, he then says, “neither by heaven or by earth.” It is an all-inclusive statement concerning the created order. Nothing which is a part of creation should be considered as a point of making an oath, such as, “I swear by the stars,” or “I swear by my bank account.” The reason for this is that it is idolatry. It places a value and an importance upon something less than God, which is reserved to God alone.

From there, he says, “or with any other oath.” Someone may simply swear an oath without attaching something of value to it – “I swear that I will do this thing.” James says that we are not even to do this. There are two reasons for this. The first is that it implies that our vow stems from a point of self-worth. In other words, the idolatry of self is actually involved in it. Secondly, there should be no need for such a vow.

When we speak, our words should simply be taken at face value as reliable. As James then says, “But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’” The words from our mouths should be clear enough to be understood without ambiguity, and they should be reliable enough that when another hears us speak, he should understand that the word is confirmed by the character of the man.

James then explains why this is so by saying, “lest you fall into judgment.” He is referring to the entire thought. Judgment will come if we turn our vow into an idolatrous one by swearing when it is connected to something else – be it a created thing, or even self. Judgment will also come if we speak Yes or No, and yet we are not truthful in our words. We have both lied, and we have proven that we cannot be trusted. How much worse is this when we speak as Christians and thus bring discredit upon the name of the Lord because of that title which we bear!

Jesus explains this same precept in Matthew 5 –

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ ³⁴ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:34-37

Understanding these things, this verse is unfortunately taken to an unintended extreme by those who attempt to appear more pious than the Bible intends. The way they do this is to refuse to make any vows at all. First, this is contradictory to Scripture because vows are found not only under the law but in other dispensations as well. Secondly, when a vow or an oath is made under the law (which Jesus would not contradict the law in His words), the people of Israel were instructed to take their oaths in the name of the Lord –

“You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.” Deuteronomy 6:13

“You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.” Deuteronomy 10:20

The reason why this is both acceptable and appropriate is that it is rightly placing the Lord as the surety of the vow. It is not idolatry because it is acknowledging that He is the source of all things, and that He alone is worthy of this honor. If Jesus and James had intended for their words to be exclusive of this precept, they would have explicitly said so. But instead, they focused on that which is created and left the precept concerning the Creator untouched, and thus confirmed, as an appropriate precept.

Life application: We have gone through four and one-half chapters of James imploring his reader to live in certain ways, reject various evil attitudes and practices, and to be careful in all kinds of situations. And yet, he comes to this thought and says, “But above all.” In other words, this is hugely important and will guide us to where we can easily attain the other admonitions he has already given us.

Think on how terrific life would be if everyone stuck to James’ words and could be trusted with their simple words of Yes or No! Instead, when someone makes a claim, he will often add in, “Really, I swear!” James says this is sin. If you can’t be trusted with the statement without such a vow, then you can’t be trusted when you make it with such a vow. Adding in more only makes it worse – “Really, I swear on my mother’s grave!” Now he has not only added folly to his statement by swearing, but he has committed idolatry by including an oath connected to something other than the Creator.

By doing this, he has exalted his “mother’s grave” above God! The Lord mandated that vows be made in His name because they are the only oaths which can be acceptable. There is no higher vow that can be made. This is also why the testimony of atheists is of no value. Their moral corruption can never be trusted under any circumstances.

The state of Tennessee understood this precept and included in their constitution this statement – “No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments, shall hold any office in the civil department of this State.” If a person denies God, then nothing he says can be trusted. When you speak, may your words be of such a high caliber that you can be trusted with a mere “Yes” or “No.”

Lord, we know people who possess high integrity, and we wish to be considered among their ranks. Give us wisdom when we speak so that we will utter words that can be trusted by all. And give us the greater wisdom to follow through with the words we have spoken – confirming the trust placed in our words by others. Amen.

Sunday, 8 September 2019

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. James 5:11

In the previous verse, James spoke of the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, using them as his example of suffering and patience. He now states of such people, “Indeed we count them blessed who endure.” He uses a verb found only here and in Luke 1:48 where Mary says that all future generations would call her blessed.

There is a blessing for faithful endurance through suffering, and James highlights that in his thoughts. It is a commendable thing to bear up under suffering when it is for the glory of the Lord. Such was the case with the Old Testament’s premier example of suffering, Job. James brings him into his thoughts now by saying, “You have heard of the perseverance of Job.”

Though not a Hebrew, Job was known for his faithful endurance through suffering even among the Jews. The book which bears his name is an integral part of their canon of Scripture, and it reflects the high regard that the Lord had for Job as a person of righteousness and as a person willing to maintain his composure before the Lord, even in the most difficult times of suffering, loss, and sadness.

Because of this, James then says, “and seen the end intended by the Lord.” The words “intended by” are inserted for clarity. James makes this unusual statement to show that the sufferings of Job came about not because of God’s displeasure, but because He is sovereign over His creation, and this was His means of teaching both Job and those who read his account about the good end which He has purposed for His people, despite their sufferings. And that good end is found in the fact “that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”

The word translated as “very compassionate” is found only here in Scripture, and it is believed that James invented the word for this particular statement. It is one which means “many-boweled.” The bowels are considered the place of the deepest emotions, and thus it signifies the multi-faceted and heartfelt emotions of God towards His people.

The other word, translated as “merciful,” is found here and twice in Luke 6:36. All three instances are speaking of the mercy of God. As HELPS Word Studies says of this word, it signifies “experiencing deep pity (lamentation) as God has for people who look to Him for help in their difficult situations.”

One can see that these two words signify both the feelings of the Lord and the act by the Lord in relation to those feelings. He is very compassionate, and that state is worked out in His being merciful.

In remembering that this is based on the sufferings of His people, James is showing us (his audience) that this is what we too can expect from the Lord, despite any sufferings we face or may face in the future. The Lord is aware of those things, and He is with us in our woeful state, bringing us to a good end.

Life application: Most people know at least a portion of the story of Job. The book begins with –

“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. ² And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. ³ Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.” Job 1:1-3

Very quickly, the narrative shows that he lost everything mentioned here and was left with only a nagging wife and boils covering his body from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Despite this, Job never swayed in his convictions and continued to praise and exalt God. He understood that God truly is “very compassionate and merciful.”

Towards the end of the book of Job, it records –

“Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys. ¹³ He also had seven sons and three daughters.” Job 42:12, 1

As you can see, Job was given a double portion of everything he had lost; God restored to him and added more. The sadness and pain of the time between his loss and restoration was swept away. The Lord promises to have this same compassion and mercy upon us as well.

Despite facing trials, loss, and death, we can have complete confidence that all wrongs will be righted. This is not a guarantee for prosperity in this life. Instead, we have a greater guarantee – that of eternal life and no lack or want forever. This has been guaranteed to all who follow Jesus Christ. If you are facing the years of trial, sadness, or loss, just remember they have an end. The Lord is ever gracious and merciful and He knows how to care for His beloved children. Let’s praise Him for this –

Yes Lord! We praise You and give You glory and honor for Your tenderness and care. Despite our trials and hardships, we know that You have promised full and complete restoration. May You be praised! May You be praised! Glory, honor, and majesty to You! May You be praised! Amen.