Lesson 10 – James Chapter 5:10-20
In the first part of chapter 5 we looked at the plight of the wicked rich and how they should “Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of them.” They would indeed weep and cry out if they knew the judgment that awaits them.
James also instructs the believer to exhibit patience while doing time on planet earth, because the truth is Jesus is coming back, and it could be very soon. Be content, and don’t complain, it’s not easy, but know that God has you in His hand. Whatever we’re experiencing on our journey, God knows all about it, everything must pass through Him first. Remember, life is one big test on this side of eternity.
James 5:10-11
“My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 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.”
In verse 7 James brought up the subject of patience; it’s mentioned in the Bible about 25 times. In verse 10 James is taking us back to the Old Testament, speaking of the prophets, and James also speaks of suffering.
Christians know that patience is necessary in their walk with Christ, but they tend to shy away from the word suffering, which is totally understandable. Who gets up in the morning saying, “I hope I can suffer a little bit today.”
Suffering… (kakopatheia) means the suffering of evil, i.e. trouble, distress, being afflicted. This can come about by the actions of others.
I Peter 2:19
“For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.”
If you’re living for Christ on a daily basis, the time is going to come when you’ll have to endure some suffering. People in the middle-east and in Asian countries suffer all the time for Christ, and many are tortured and killed every day. American Christians don’t know much about real suffering for Christ.
The book “The Heavenly Man” (Brother Yun) is a true story about a Chinese man in prison suffering because of his faith in Christ. Here is a little snippet of what this man went through because of his faith:
“The chief guard waved his electric baton in front of my face and said, “Now is the time for you to wake up!” He ordered me to kneel down before him. I loudly protested, “I will not kneel down before you. I will only kneel down before my God.”
He arrogantly stated, “I am your Lord! I am your God! If you kneel down before me I can release you immediately.”
I spoke angrily to him, “In the name of Jesus, you are not my God! You are just an earthly officer. My Lord is in heaven. I am a heavenly man.” He turned on the power switch on his baton and snarled, “If you are a heavenly man then you won’t be afraid of this electric baton. Come! Use your hands to take hold of it.” Several guards grabbed my arms and forced me to stretch out my hand.
In an instant I was stung with hundreds of volts of electric current, like the sting of a scorpion or as if a thousand arrows had pierced my heart. Feeling like I was about to pass out, I cried out, “Lord, have mercy on me!” Immediately the electric baton malfunctioned! They couldn’t get it to work.”
The prophets suffered for God…
Joseph being thrown in prison, Moses had to put up with the “stiff-necked” Jews, David was hunted by Saul, Elijah faced hostility from the evil king Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, Jeremiah always faced opposition, he came to be known as the “weeping prophet,” and stories go on and on. One thing they all had in common was patience under trial. Reading their stories will provide us a source of encouragement, that the Lord was their strength.
Heb. 12:1-2
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Fixing our eyes on Jesus… this must be our main focus in life. The reason we fall short at times comes back to that familiar battle cry – our flesh, the world, and satan. James reminds us that we’re not alone, this is nothing new, Jesus paid a price for us, and we must realize that there is a cost that comes with living for Christ.
Mark 8:34
“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”
James didn’t understand this while his brother was alive, but he ended up being one of Jesus’ most faithful followers. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he brings God’s many truths to us. The prophets suffered, Jesus suffered, the saints that came before us suffered… can we expect anything less in our walk with Christ?
At the end of verse 11 James brings up the story of Job. Job truly suffered. He was a wealthy man, then he lost everything he had, including his children. By the end of the book of Job, we see that he ends up with twice as much as he had before. What he went through I wouldn’t wish on anybody. But Job was a patient man! He had his moments of doubt and he even questioned God, but he was a man who endured much hardship and difficulties… all because God wanted to show satan what kind of man Job was. In the end it showed that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Heb. 11:6
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Let’s keep the faith and patiently wait for Jesus to return for us.
James 5:12
“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.
Say what you mean and mean what you say. James in a very practical way is saying we should keep our speech simple and straightforward as much as possible.
James is prohibiting the ancient practice of appealing to a variety of different objects, to confirm the trustworthiness of a person’s statement. This came very close to being idolatry, it implied that these objects contained some kind of creditable spirits. We should be very careful how we say things, and not use God’s name in a reckless manner. There’s no reason to say, “I swear to God.” We used to say this all the time as kids.
James 5:13
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”
“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” (NLT)
We just talked about suffering at length and James is saying if you are suffering in any way, you should definitely be praying about it. Again, this could be the result of someone else’s actions. In II Cor. 12 Paul talks about how he was given a “Thorn in the flesh” to keep him from becoming proud, because he had just seen how wonderful heaven really is.
II Cor. 12:8
“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.”
God did not remove Paul’s thorn in the flesh, God declared His grace was sufficient for Paul, just as it is for us. Just because we’re Christians, we’re not promised a rose garden as they say. There are the things God helps us with and there are things that He allows us to go through.
I Peter 5:7
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Are you suffering in any way, do you need some kind of help? Go to God. Are things going well for you? Go to God. Suffering in the context James is talking about has to do with enduring evil treatment by people and not a physical illness. This is about people being persecuted, abused, and treated wickedly. But regardless of our circumstances, Paul says “rejoice.”
I Thess. 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
James 5:14
“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.”
Sick… the Greek word translated is (astheneō); in the context of the physical; it is used 18 times in the New Testament. It is also used to refer to emotional or spiritual weakness 14 times. Many commentaries fall on the side of a physical sickness.
The word Elders literally means advanced in life, or a senior, but it also means a term of rank or office in the local community or in the church. When thinking of elders in the church, we tend to think that they are mature believers with lots of experience with life and spiritual matters in the Christian faith. It makes sense that these men are older than most. The qualifications of an elder or pastor can be found in I Tim. 3:1-7.
Job 12:12 (speaking of an elder)
“Wisdom is with aged men, and with length of days, understanding.”
We will examine verse 14 from two points of view, first from the physical, being physically sick, and second from the spiritual side, being sick spiritually.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him…
Sick… the Greek meaning is to be without strength, powerless, to be weak in means, needy, poor, to be feeble, sick.
This is pretty straight forward for us, if you’re sick physically, call the elders in your church to come and pray over you, that you would get better. I don’t think this applies if you have the sniffles or you have an upset stomach, but if you have some kind of serious illness call for the elders. It’s important to note that it says “elders” in the plural form. The reason is if a healing does come about, no one single elder would be labeled as a great healer. I’m sure you can see how this could happen.
Now let’s look at this from a spiritual stand point. In verse 13 we learned that the suffering that could take place had to do with a person enduring evil treatment by other people and not a physical illness. It’s easy to see in verse 14 that James is implying the person who is sick is weak spiritually speaking.
II Cor. 12:10
“That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (NLT)
The word weak has the very same Greek word for sick (astheneō)
Rom. 8:3
“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,”
Here as well, the word weak is the very same Greek word (astheneō)
John MacArthur; “The weak are those who have been defeated in the spiritual battle, who have lost the ability to endure their suffering. They are the fallen spiritual warriors, the exhausted, weary, depressed, defeated Christians.”
Now that we’ve identified the sick, weak ones, what should they do? Call on the elders, they need the help from those who are spiritually strong.
I Thess. 5:14-15
“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”
Gal. 6:1
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
A man is overtaken in any trespass could definitely be described as one who is spiritually weak and they are in need of prayer and support.
Heb. 13:17
“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”
If anyone is weak or sick, have the elders come and pray.
Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord…
What does it mean to anoint with oil? In the Scriptures we see oil used symbolically as an illustration of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil before they assumed their position of authority. We also see oil used as a medicine, as in the story of the Good Samaritan who put oil on the man along the roadside who was left for dead. (Lk. 10:34)
Mark 6:13
“And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.”
Metaphorically speaking, the anointing of weak and defeated believers with oil carries the responsibility of the elders to encourage, strengthen, and lift up these people. It would be very helpful if one of the elders has the gift of exhortation as well.
II Cor. 13:11
“Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”
In the name of the Lord…
Any truly biblical encouragement must be consistent with who God is. As in any situation, we are Christ’s ambassadors. All our actions should be Christ-like actions. The prayer we offer up should be prayers that Jesus would pray… anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.
John 14:14
“Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!” (NLT)
John 16:24
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
James 5:15
“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.”
The prayer of faith… Whether a believer is healed through medicine or through miraculous means, all healings ultimately come from God – all good things come down from heaven.
I John 5:14-15 (John explains the prayer of faith)
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Jon Courson; “What is the prayer of faith? It is not prayer offered due to working up feelings emotionally or hyping a congregation into a frenzy, but as a result of responding to the Lord personally.”
Praying through and in the faith that God has given us, runs along the same lines as when pray for wisdom as we saw in James 1:6a “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,”
The prayer of faith will save the sick…
No this isn’t speaking of “the word of faith” movement. The Word of Faith teaching is definitely unbiblical. It is not a denomination and does not have a formal organization or hierarchy. Instead, it is a movement that is heavily influenced by a number of high-profile pastors and teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, and Fred Price. They believe words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). This is a false teaching from the pit of hell.
So, we pray. Paul tells us to pray at all times, meaning we are in communion with God all the time. There may come a time when you sense that God is at work and you’ll see a miracle happen. Then there’ll be a time a miracle takes place and you didn’t even pray for it.
The point is, we pray… and sometimes you’ll see people overcome their sickness immediately, and other times people continue in their sickness.
Then there will be those who aren’t healed until they go to heaven. But, there’s just something about getting together with your bothers and sisters in Christ, knowing that He is there listening to our prayers. God knows what’s best for us, He’s working all the time the Scriptures tell us. God will never answer prayers outside His will, nor would you want Him to.
And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven…
Sometimes sin can lead to illness.
John 5:14
“Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
Mark 2:5
“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”
Does this mean sin is always the reason for sickness coming on? No.
John 9:2
“And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
Yet when sin is involved, confession is essential to healing.
James 5:16
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
You should never confess your sins outside its circle of influence, meaning only with those with the mind of Christ. Men pray and confess with other men, and women with women. You confess sin to others because you value them as fellow believers.
That you may be healed… means to be restored in your relationship with God and with others.
Matt. 18:15
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.”
Matt. 5:23-24
“Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
God wants us to always be reconciled to Him and to those around us. That you may be healed, has spiritual connotations to it.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much…
“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (NLT)
This can mean either that prayer is effective when it is used or that fervent prayer accomplishes great results. The word effective (energeō) this is where the English word energy comes from.
The righteous person is the one who has been made right with God, the one whose sins are forgiven. So, the one who is forgiven and in right standing with God can pray in a “useful, advantageous, powerful” way and thus receive excellent results.
Psalm 66:18-20
“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.”
Weak prayers come from weak people, and strong prayers come from strong people… those who are close to the Lord.
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 land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.”
Elijah prayed earnestly… James points out that Elijah was just a man, but he had faith in God so he prayed earnestly. It’s defined simply as prayer addressed to God. The story of Elijah and the drought would certainly be a strange example here if James had physical illness and healing in mind throughout this passage, it just wouldn’t fit in.
John MacArthur; “The picture of rain pouring down on parched ground perfectly illustrates God’s outpouring of spiritual blessings on the dry and parched souls of struggling believers. And He does both in response to the righteous prayers of godly people.”
James 5:19-20
“Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”
“My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.” (NLT)
James closes his letter pointing out that we should be following the Law of Love. What I mean by that is, if you truly love your brothers and sisters, you’re going to keep an eye on them. Nothing intrusive or interfering, but observe how they’re doing spiritually. If you see behavior that is contrary to God’s Word, then you know that you need to do what it takes to reel them back in.
I Tim. 6:11
“But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.”
If you see someone not running from evil things, do what you can to bring them back. You will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.