James 5:7-20
Patience and Prayer
James has finished his condemnation, and turns back
to teaching with the endearing brothers and sisters or
believers. In 5:1-6 the rich are condemned in the coming
judgment, have been warned, and now James encourages the oppressed
believers to wait patiently for that time.
James uses patience or makrothymia in verses
7, 8 and 10. Tamez argues James is calling for militant patience—not
resignation or even neutral waiting, but rather active and heroic
patience, facing the battles the world presents head on (Tamez 43).
The example of Job in verse 11 is one of a man who questions his
suffering and calls on God to explain Godself. James uses the term
endurance or hypomone here, and declares that
those who endure oppression are blessed in their waiting.
What are we to wait for? Certainly the condemnation of the rich
is one of the rewards for the oppressed, but also how the Lord
is compassionate and merciful. James uses Lord in
5:7, 8, 10, and perhaps synonymously, the Judge in verse
9. Although Christ is not mentioned in these verse, James’
language is similar to that of 1 Corinthians 15:23, 1 Thessalonians
2:19 and others, where Christ is clearly intended.
As we wait for Christ’s parousia, or presence
(Moo 221) we are to strengthen our hearts in verse 8 and avoid grumbling
in verse 9. Grumble is more accurately groan or
a sigh, typically “an expression of frustration from
the people of God who are suffering oppression or even judgment”
(Moo 225). It is not just grumbling we should avoid, but, in James
5:12, oaths. This line seems somewhat disconnected from the rest
of the chapter, but perhaps is calling for simple, unadorned speech
in which what we say is what we mean (Johnson 222). Compare this
to Matthew 5:34-37.
The comparison for James 5:13-20 is with the other New Testament
letters. They generally end with encouragement to pray, yet James
has a longer and more detailed exhortation than any of the others
(Moo 235). He offers three reasons for prayer: suffering, happiness
and illness. Illness in the first century is used for those
who are weak, mentally or spiritually impaired, or facing issues
of conscience. Illness is also used as we do today for physical
illness or disability.
Those who are ill are encourage to summon the elders, which implies
an official demand, not a casual request (Johnson 222). Elders in
the early church were guides of the congregation’s spiritual
development (Moo 237). We should not look for a line between spiritual
and physical healing here, they happen at the same time. The role
of forgiveness in the healing of physical ailments is found in Jesus’
ministry. The oil mentioned is widely used for medicinal purposes
in the first century, and for spiritual healing in the traditions
of Israel and of Jesus’ ministry (Johnson 222).
Early theologians thought the righteous person in James
5:16 might refer to Jesus. Yet the verse begins with a call to pray
for one another and proceeds to the claim that Elijah was a
human being like us. Scholars today agree that the righteous
person is an ordinary believer rather than a super saint, or even
a Christian leader (Moo 247). Elijah’s prayer was for rain
for the crops, which connects this to the farmer in James 5:7. It
also makes clear that we are waiting now for the answer to our prayers,
which will come with the parousia, or presence of our Lord.
As we wait, we should encourage one another in verse 19 and 20,
bringing them back from wandering. Again we find an allusion to
Leviticus 19:17 where the law says you shall reprove your neighbor.
You may find the meaning of verse 20 to be quite different in various
translations. The Greek is simply not clear as to whether it is
the sinner’s soul that is saved, or the soul of the faithful
Christian who brought the sinner back into the fold (Johnson 223).
Luke Timothy Johnson, The Letter of James in The New
Interpreter's Bible Volume XII, Leander E. Keck et al, editors.
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2000).
Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James in The Pillar
New Testament Commentary, DA Carson, general editor. (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000).
Elsa Tamez, The Scandalous Message of James: Faith Without
Works Is Dead. John Eagleson, translator. With Study Guide
by Pamela Sparr. (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2002).
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