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Practically Speaking, Conclusion

Published January 7, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Prayer, Faith, Responsibility:  James 5:13-20

The connection of this last section of James to the letter as a whole is not instantly clear.  Because of this, these verses are interpreted in different ways.  This is unfortunate because depending on how you view these verses, you will either find them very encouraging or a great disappointment.  Some scholars see them as a bunch of unrelated closing thoughts, others see them as a logical progression of thought.

My own thought is that this closing section on prayer is somewhat connected to the preceding passage, specifically verse 12:

Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

Prayer, not careless words, should be the believer’s response to suffering of any kind.

1.  The power of prayer and praise, verse 13

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

The theme of verses 7-12 is proper Christian behavior in the midst of suffering.  The Greek word used in verse 10 and translated “suffering” is essentially the same word used in verse 13 and translated “trouble,” kakopathei.  You may have noticed that Christians have problems just like everybody else, but James tells us that Christians have a privilege and a duty that unbelievers do not.  In those time times of “trouble,” Christians may commune with God.   It is an ignorant believer who has not learned that:

[I]n all things God works for the good of those who love him.  (Romans 8:28)

If we can remember that, we won’t complain and grumble or make foolish promises when trouble comes.  Indeed, the Christian, who needs patience, will be find it in abundance if he prays.   As Burdick observed so succinctly:

Patience comes from God, and prayer is a good way to obtain it.

Human nature being what it is, James adds:

Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.

Christians are very forgetful in good times.  We forget about God.  James gives us the proper perspective:  we are to be connected to God all the time, in good times and bad.  That is our privilege, and that is our duty.  He is a mighty resource in times of trouble and prayer is a way to tap into those divine resources.  He can give us, not only patience, but grace and the knowledge that we are not alone.  But not only that, when we behave properly and pray the moment problems come, others will see how what we are doing, whether we want them to or not.  And that will  bring glory to Him.

The same is true when we are praising Him.  God can make the good times in our lives even better and more meaningful and others, perhaps who are having problems, will be encouraged when they see and hear us praising the Lord.

2.  The power of faith, verses 14-16

These verses are terribly misunderstood, yet they are so simple when broken down to their basic components.

  • Is any one of you sick? Sickness is one form of “trouble,” and it’s one that all believers will face at some time.  This is why James is mentioning it here.  There are other forms of trouble not common to all believers.  Some of us will never lose all our possessions.  Some of us will never be involved in a car accident.  But all of us will eventually be sick.
  • Call the elders of the church.  The sick person, or someone at their request, must call the elders of the church.  The office of “elder,” presbyter, was one of the very first offices instituted in the church after it was founded.  An elder in the New Testament was one who represented the congregation (Acts 11:30; 21:18), and were men of impeccable character who exercised pastoral oversight of their congregation (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4).  They were appointed by the pastor (a senior elder), not elected, in the New Testament (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5).
  • Pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.  This is part of the verse that people misunderstand.  Two points need to be considered first:
  1. First, the emphasis is not on the oil, but on prayer.  Anointing the person with oil is to be considered a secondary act.  We know this because “pray” is the verb of emphasis, while “anoint” is a participle.  Also, the very next verse deals with prayer in more depth but we never read of anointing the person with oil again.
  2. Second, the application of oil probably has more to do with medicinal reasons than ceremonial.  The word James uses for “anoint” is aleipsantes, and is not the customary word used in the New Testament for the sacramental or ritualistic anointing of a person (Burdick).  In various places in Scripture we see that the Jews viewed olive oil as having special medicinal properties (Luke 10:34; Mark 6:13).  In James’ time, olive oil was to his people like an aspirin is to us today.

Some have viewed anointing the sick with oil as a symbolic act when combined with prayer.  This may be the case, however, it should also be noted that throughout the  book of Acts the apostles healed many people without anointing them with oil (Acts 3:6; 5:15-16; 9:34; 14:8-10; 16:18; 28:8-9).  This suggests to me that the admonition of James is not to be taken as a pattern for all time to be followed when praying for the sick.  In our modern vernacular, we might say, “If you are sick, call for the elders of the church to come and pray for you, and take your medicine.”

  • The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.  Again, this is one of those statements that, if taken the wrong way, leads to a world of disappointment.  James is not giving his readers a promise or a guarantee that the one who is prayed over will recover.  While the Bible does indeed teach the doctrine of divine healing, and while many of us believe that from time to time God does intervene in the affairs of man to perform miracles of healing and restoration, what James is saying here is simply this:  If the sick person recovers some time after being prayed over, it was the Lord who caused this to happen. All healing, whether instantaneous or gradual, whether with the use of medicine or without, is the result of God working in the human body.  No person can heal another person any more than a farmer can make the seed he planted in the ground grow.  All the farmer can do is create the conditions whereby the seed will likely grow.  This is what Christians are called to do:  both the sick person and the elders are to create the conditions whereby the Lord can, if it be His will, heal the person.
  • If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  It was a common habit among the Jews to view all sickness as a result of sin.  Of course, we know this is not necessarily the case.  Although, in a general sense, all sickness is the result of living in a sinful and sin-cursed world.  The fact is, James seems to indicate that there are times when an illness may be the result of some sinful behavior.  The promise is clear; if this is the case, after the sin is confessed, healing will come.

Verse 16 is another verse often misunderstood.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  This sentence should not be taken as a universal practice, but should be understood in its context:  the confession being made by the sick person of the previous verse and the prayer by the elders.

Having established the strict context, there is a broader application to be made.   Unconfessed sin hinders our prayer life and has the power to block God’s blessings.  Unconfessed sin is also an obstacle in our relationships within the body of Christ.   Common sense would indicate that in order to have a healthy relationship with both God and man, there should be nothing coming in between either of them.

While the text says “confess your sins to each other,” this should be exercised with discretion.  If we have sinned against an individual in the church, it is to him, then, we confess.  Curtis Vaughn writes:

Whereas the Roman Catholics have interpreted confession too narrowly, many of us may be tempted to interpret it too  broadly.  Confession of all our sins to all the brethren is not necessarily enjoined by James’ statement.  Confession is “the vomit of the soul” and can, if too generally and too indiscriminately made, do more harm than good.

  • The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  Who is the righteous man?  Some see him as the sick one who has confessed his sin and been forgiven.  His prayer is now able to heard by God, unhindered.   Others see a broader meaning here; the “righteous man” is the one who is in a right relationship with God and member of the body of Christ.  There is another, more ominous reading of this sentence; ominous for those who do not know God.  The only prayer of the unrighteous heard by God is the prayer for salvation.  Therefore, be default, any prayer prayed by a child of God will be powerful and effective, not because of our righteousness or merit, but because of Christ.

Before moving on to the next verse, it would be wise to interject at this point the obvious.  All our prayers must be prayed with the understanding the God’s will must be respected.  Suppose the sick person does not recover.  Is it because of a lack of faith?  Is there unconfessed sin?  Perhaps, but not always.  Recall an incident in Paul’s life, who definitely had the gift of healing.  He seems to have been unable to heal his friend Epaphroditus from a long illness that almost killed him (Phil. 2:27).  There is also a statement in 2 Timothy 4:20 to be noted:

Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.

It’s hard to imagine Paul leaving anybody sick without praying for them first!

3.  An example, verses 17-18

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Again, human nature being what it is, tends to view people within the church who seem to be righteous and seem to have their prayers answered all the time as “spiritual giants” or as extraordinary people.  James gives us an example of an average man, Elijah, who had no super human powers, yet his prayers yielded amazing results.   The prophet’s prayers were answered, so says James simply because:  (1)  he prayed “earnestly” and (2) he was a righteous man.  James’ point:  all believers are capable of such a prayer life.

4.  Our responsibility, verses 19-20

My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

James begins his closing exhortation the same way be began his first:  Brothers.  Although last two verses seem to be independent of the rest of this chapter, they are, in fact, tied together.

The theme of sin and confession is continued; this could relate  back to the sick person who has asked for and received forgiveness;
The ministry of restoring one to the faith is carried out with the same fervent prayer he referred to earlier (Harper)

This section gives us a clue to what is on James’ heart.  Correcting a believer in danger–setting them right–is the responsibility of all believers.   The words “one” and “he” indicate that this loving ministry of “personal evangelism” is something all members of the body of Christ should be engaged it.

The final words of this letter are taken from Proverbs 10:12,

Hatred stirs up dissension,
but love covers over all wrongs.

These words are also quoted by Peter in his letter, 1 Peter 4:8.  What exactly is James, and Peter, saying exactly?  In Proverbs, this verse indicates the sins covered up are the social consequences of sin.  Hatred, as the Proverb says, causes all manner of problems.  Love has the opposite effect, it covers,and  prevents, those problems from happening.  Peter wrote that love covers or prevents anger and retaliation in the other person.  In both Proverbs and Peter’s letter, the action of the righteous man in response to the the sins of the other person is seen having the effect of nullifying the results of the sin of the erring one.  Instead of bullying a fellow believer who has wandered from the truth, if we work to restore that person, we might be able to head off any dissension or other problems.

James’ closing sentence is a fitting way to end this most practical of all Biblical writings.

Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Tasker wrote this:

No duty laid upon Christians is more in keeping with the mind of their Lord, or more expressive of Christian love, than the duty of reclaiming the backslider.

Many Christians  are “long on theory but short on practice.”  Those of us like that would do well to study James’ writing and put into practice the what we have learned.

(c)  2008 WitzEnd

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The Prison Epistles, Part 10

Published November 25, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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The Key to Survival

A Study of Philippians 1:27-2:4

The first part of Philippians is a discussion of Paul’s personal situation and that of the Gospel in Rome.  Beginning with 1:27, Paul takes the spotlight off himself and shines it on his readers.  He is about to give a series of strong exhortations centering around the theme of Christian obedience, both Christ’s obedience (2:8) and that of the Church (2:12).

As we study Paul’s writings, it becomes obvious that in Paul’s mind, one of the greatest virtues a believer may possess is obedience, whether that believer is a servant or a leader.  Obedience to the Gospel is what Paul shares with his readers and it is a common fellowship all believers share.  Whether we stand behind the pulpit or sit in front of it, all of us are to be obedient to the Word of God.

1.  Steadfastness, unity, and fearlessness, 1:27-30

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God.  For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Another way to read the first phrase is:

Only continue to exercise your citizenship in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

The verb Paul uses is politeuesthe, and likely what Paul has in mind is this:  the Philippians (not just the church, but the citizens of that city in general) tended to be proud of their status as Roman citizens.

They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”  (Acts 16:20-21)

But for members of the Church, even though they geographically lived in a Roman city, their true citizenship was in heaven, and their true allegiance should have been to the laws of heaven.  But the word  politeuesthe has a greater meaning.  Originally it meant “to be guided by certain regulations and laws.”  (Nielson)  Philippi was, in reality, an outpost of Rome, literally, it was bit of Rome on foreign soil.  The correlation to the Church’s position on earth cannot be missed here.  Just like Philippi was a piece of Rome in the Mediterranean, so the Church is a piece of heaven on earth.  And members of the Church are obligated to keep both the laws of Heaven and the laws of Rome, but the laws of Heaven take precedence.  That this is the case is borne out in Paul uses of the word mononon, “Whatever happens” (NIV), “Only” (KJV).  It is emphatic, meaning Paul is declaring:  “Let attention to your heavenly citizenship be supreme, no matter what.”

His readers are to “stand firm.”  The Greek is stekete, and is a military term suggesting a soldier was to remain resolute and obedient and that retreat was impossible in spite of enemy onslaughts.  The Philippians were to do this “in one spirit.”  The “spirit”, pneumati, is seen by some as referring to the Holy Spirit, although it is more likely, given the context, Paul is simply referring to a “common spirit” of unity.   MacLaren makes it clear, however, that in the Body of Christ, this “common spirit” is not really possible without the Holy Spirit.  So, we might say that the “common spirit” involves believers getting along with other believers, enabled by the Holy Spirit to do so.

The unity is described by Paul as:

  • contending as one man, NIV
  • striving together with one accord, TNIV

The latter might be more accurate, for the Greek is mia psyche, or “with one soul.”  That is about as unified as human beings can be!  As Hendriksen notes, the unity “envisioned is one of striving or struggling side by side, like gladiators.”  What should be noted, and rarely is, is that this struggle is not against a foe but for the Gospel.   In this part of Scripture, at least, Paul is concerned not primarily with fending off attacks, but mainly in spreading the Gospel of Christ, which is the story of God’s wondrous redemptive truth, centered on the work of Christ, on the Cross, for believer.  This is a powerfully motivating truth which is so often over looked by so many.  The Gospel is to be actively spread, both in word and deed; the Kingdom of God is to advance.

Is this wonderful mission easy?  Paul seems to anticipate this with verse 28:

without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.

In the Greek, “frightened” (pturomenoi) was a term originally used to describe a frightened animal, like a startled or shy horse.   There is no excuse for believers to be scared or frightened as they share their faith with others because the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, ought to compel them to do so.  Similarly, being shy or afraid to speak up for your Christian faith is disobedient to the will of God, and disobedience is a sin, for it disrupts the unity Paul is writing about.  J.B. Philips paraphrases this phrase as only a Brit can:

and not caring two straws for your enemies.

The enemies, in this case, were probably a mixture of hostile Jews and the pagans of Philippi.  The only way the Church can stand against any foe, from within or without, is to be courageous and unified and fight for the Gospel.

A Church that is strong in it’s faith and unified in it’s membership in the face of it’s enemies, is proof that those who oppose that Church are, in fact, on the wrong side, are enemies of God and will ultimately fail because the Church is a force that cannot be stopped.   When a believer stands tall, secure in his faith in the face of any opposition, that is proof that God is working both in that individual and in the Church.

Verse 29 is a shocking verse to some:

For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.

Salvation is a privilege granted only to believers, and that is the privilege we love to talk about and sing about.  However, there are not too many hymns about the other privilege believers have been granted:  to suffer for Christ.

The concept of suffering as a good thing shouldn’t surprise us in light of what the author of Hebrews wrote:

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.  (Hebrews 2:10)

If our Savior was made perfect through suffering, it makes perfect sense that we, too, are perfected through suffering for Him.  Job caught a glimpse of this long before the coming of Christ into the world:

But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.  (Job 23:10)

This is such an important concept, and one that is often so misunderstood.  Suffering is not a mark of God’s anger.

To the Philippians, suffering was the marriage gift when they were espoused to Christ:  the bounty when the enlisted in his service.  Becoming one with him, they entered into the fellowship of his suffering.  (M.R. Vincent)

Paul concludes the paragraph with an encouraging equation of his own suffering (he was in prison) for the Gospel with the Philippians and their struggles.  Acts 16 details the kind of suffering the Philippians had seen Paul experience in their city, and through Epaphroditus they now heard about his present sufferings.  This  must have been a great encouragement for these people; to hear that they and the great apostle himself are suffering the same way for the same cause.  That is unity.

2.  The essence of obedience, 2:1-4

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The idea of unity is carried on in chapter 2 and hearkens back 1:27,

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.

Paul lists four reasons for unity, each introduced by the word “if.”  They are:

  • If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ.   Paul uses the Greek paraklesis to describe this benefit of being united with Christ.  We translate that word “consolation” or “exhortation” or “encouragement,” as in the NIV.
  • If any comfort from his love.  This literally means “incentive.”  Christ’s love for us should motivate us to be “one in purpose.”
  • If any fellowship with the Spirit.  This phrase has evoked a difference of opinion among scholars because pneumatos an be taken either subjectively or objectively.  The NIV has taken it objectively, that is, we have a common fellowship with the Holy Spirit.  Subjectively it is the Holy Spirit that produces the fellowship we should be enjoying as believers.
  • If any tenderness and compassion.  “Tender affections and compassions” is a better way to read this phrase.  These emotions ought to exist between members of the Church.

Paul makes it clear that if his friends in Philippi have all those things in their favor, then they should be able to live and function in a divine unity.  Obviously, with verses like this one, the congregation at Philippi was very close to Paul:

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!  (4:1)

The essence of obedience, implied by Paul, is that since we have been the recipients of so  much from Christ, we should act like Him toward our brothers and sisters.  Paul goes on to list four things believers can do to accomplish this:

  • Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  This clause is incomplete in the Greek, and the word phronountes could be taken to mean, “be of one mind.”  The idea Paul is putting out is everything should be done in humility and without any pride.
  • In humility consider others better than yourselves. Paul may have in mind the problem of Euodia and Syntyche:

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. (4:2)

  • There was a problem of disunity to be sure in this church.  But of note, is that this should be done in humility.  There are believers who run around doing all manner of good things for their brothers and sisters, but they make sure everybody in church knows about it!  Paul says NO to that.
  • Look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.   This verse is in the imperative, meaning the good of others should be as important a goal in the believers life as what is good for their own life.  Believers should actively seek to find ways to better other people.

It becomes evident that Christians are to almost fade into the background as they obey and emulate their Lord.  Paul’s admonitions here echo the teachings of Jesus that the road to greatness among Christians is service to others.  Frank Thielman offers some practical ways to live like this as he paraphrases Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  Christians should:

  • Hold their tongues and refuse to speak an ill word against a Christian brother;
  • Cultivate the humility that comes from the knowledge that we are all sinners and live in His sight by His grace;
  • Take notice of what others need;
  • Refuse to consider their time and calling so valuable that they cannot be interrupted to help with unexpected needs, no matter how small or menial;
  • Bear the burden of their brothers and sisters in the Lord, both by preserving their freedom and by forgiving their sinful abuse of that freedom;
  • Declare God’s Word to their fellow believers when they need to hear it;
  • Understand that Christian authority is characterized by service and does not call attention to the person who performs the service.
(c)  2008  WitzEnd

Practically Speaking: James 9

Published November 20, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Some observations on how we treat each other

James 4:11-17

As we begin reading this group of verses, two things come to mind.  First, the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2,

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

And second, something James said earlier in this letter:

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?  (2:2-4)

What makes this section curious is not necessarily the subject matter, although it seems that believers judging other believers for no apparent reason was all-too common in the early church, and that is something very curious to me.  What is extremely curious is how James address his readers.  Not a handful of verses previously, he called them “double minded” and “adulterous” people.  Now he comes back to refer to them as “brothers” or “brothers and sisters.”   I don’t want to read too much into this, but to me, it is a very comforting thought to know that even when believers behave badly, even to the point of slandering one another, they are still members of God’s family.

Even though it seems like James is launching into a series of unrelated series of topics, it should be noted that verses 11 and 12 are, in fact, very closely related to the preceding passage.  In Psalm 101:5, David actually links slander to a lack of humility:

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

The connection is really very simple.  Slander comes from a person who thinks they are superior to others.  When a Christian begins to drift away from God, they begin to draw away from other believers and begin to be unduly critical of them.  Such was the case of James’ friends.

1.  The evil of evil speaking, verses 11, 12

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  (Verse 11)

This prohibition might better be translated like this:

Do not speak against one another.

The Greek word, katalaleite does mean “to slander,” but it is a more encompassing word.  To slander some one generally means to lie about them or make false or misleading statements about them to others.  But katalaleite properly refers to any form of “ugly speech” against somebody else.  In fact, it refers to more than just the unkind words but also to the way they are spoken.

The grammatical construction of this sentence indicates an ongoing activity.  James is not only prohibiting a nasty habit, but he is telling to stop doing it.  And the reason James gives for stopping this despicable practice is that the one who speaks against his brother will soon find himself in trouble with God.  “The law” to which James refers is “the royal law,” mentioned earlier in the letter.  A/F. Harper’s comments on this verse are extremely helpful at this juncture:

When I violate God’s law of love, I set myself up a judge and say in effect, God’s law is not a good law.  Thus the real evil of speaking evil speaking rests in a sinful pride that refuses to accept and obey the law of God.

The one who slanders a brother literally puts asides the Word and wishes of God and places himself on the same level as God.   Debelius:

Slander is not a transgression of merely one commandment, but a transgression against the authority of the law in general, and therefore against God.

When viewed like this, we can see the seriousness of this sin.  It is not merely against a brother or sister, but against the God of the universe.  Of course, James is not condemning legitimate human judgment, for elsewhere in Scripture believers are encouraged to exercise godly judgment of one another.

But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.  (1 Corinthians 11:31)

Ultimately, as verse 12 says, God is the only Lawgiver who has the ability to administer His law righteously; God shares that position with no human being.  James goes so far as to describe God as:

one who is able to save and destroy

That’s a powerful statement of the sovereignty of God, that finds two parallels:

There is no god besides me.  I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal.  (Deuteronomy 32:39)

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  (Matthew 10:28)

As believers and members of one great Body, we are all guilty of our sins, though we stand forgiven by our heavenly Father.  Still, we are the accused, and therefore rather than standing in judgment of each other, setting ourselves up as their judge, we should encourage, comfort, and love our family in the Lord.  Simply put, you and I are in no position lord it over another in the position of their judge because we ourselves are in need of the grace and mercy of Jesus.  It would do us well focus our attention of Jesus, and direct others to do the same.

2.  Recognize the presence of God, verses 13-17

In this section, James returns to the “arrogant rich,” first to condemn their arrogance and to show their evil end.  However, it is not a new discussion; it relates to the previous verses in that it illustrates the danger of an unchristian attitude toward material gain (verse 2) and to what James has been saying  in regards to pride and humility (verse 6-7, 10).

(A)  Setting the scene

The Jews of the Diaspora, the Dispersion, eventually came to settle in various Roman cities, and once there, they began to settle in and become very successful merchants and traders.  Some of these prosperous Jews converted to Christianity, like Lydia, for example.  Perhaps it was people like her that James had in mind:  Christians who had become comfortable and successful and had either forgotten or failed to see what the true meaning of the Gospel was in relation to life and business.   James advises:  Realize the reality of God in every area of life.

(B)  Ignoring God, verses 13-15

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”  Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.  Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

“Now listen” is serious call to pay attention to what follows and the word “say,” legontes, is in the present tense, which indicated the situation James describes is an ongoing one.  Traveling for business in the first century was very common, and Jews especially were known to have traveled extensively.  Here is a prime example of people who do their planning and engage in their day-to-day work without thinking about God.  By ignoring God, they show as much arrogance as the person who slanders his brother.  It has been said that failing to come to God regularly in prayer is one of the most common offenses in the Church.

James is not condemning the practice of doing business, but he condemning the attitude of people who live as though God does not exist.  To such people–people who carry on their business without regard for God–money is more important than serving the Lord.  People like this are just like the “rich young fool” Jesus taught about in Luke 12:16-21, who failed to realize that he could not add even a minute to his life.  The lesson:  we are all dependent on God.  Calvin notes:

But James roused the stupidity of those who disregard God’s providence, and claimed for themselves a whole year, though they had not a single moment in their own power.

Verse 14 is a  not-so-subtle wake-up call, which Moffatt translates:

You who know nothing about tomorrow…

Even though the Bible is not a medical textbook, it does offer some profound medical truths!  A tiny clot of blood in the brain may cause an instant and unexpected death.  No wonder the Psalmist wrote:

My days are like the evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.  (Psalm 102:11)

In the KJV, that verse is even more graphic:

My days are like a shadow that declineth…

People who make no room for God in their day-to-day lives leave themselves wide open to be knocked about by unforeseen circumstances.  James shows the foolishness of living like this:  they plan way in advance to do something as though they themselves are in control of the future.  Proving his point, James points to the transitory nature of life, comparing it to mist that vanishes in the morning warmth.  There is nothing wrong with making plans, as long as God is in the plan.  That’s the main point of the next verse:

Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Today, the notion of “the Lord’s will” has become almost hackneyed.  Christians use that phrase as a kind of formula in their prayers in hopes of having them answered.  In it’s overuse. “in the Lord’s will” seems to have lost its significance.  Yet it is the most important thing a believer can defer to.

Interestingly enough, this phrase does not appear at all in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament era, Paul used it constantly as if to teach people about its proper use.

  • When he left Ephesus, Paul said to the Jews, “I will come back if it is the Lord’s will” (Acts 18:21)
  • He told the Corinthians, “I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing” (1 Corinthians 4:19)
  • He promised the believers in Corinth to spend some time with them “if the Lord permist” (1 Corinthians 16:7)

But in many other instances, neither Paul nor the other apostles used it.  But they lived according to it.  In other words, believers do not need to use the words “God willing” as a Christians talisman, in a mechanical fashion.  Instead, our entire lives should be lived in the knowledge that we are God’s children and that we are safe and secure in Him and that He holds sway over them, to our benefit.  Mayor’s comments are valuable:

The boaster forgets that life depends on the will of God.  The right feeling is, both my life and my actions are determined by Him.

(C)  From neglect to opposition, verse 16

So, how far can one go in neglecting God before they cross the  line into outright opposition?   The merchants to whom James is addressing, apparently had taken business risks and made a profit.  Success breeds success, and sometimes along with prosperity comes pride and an unhealthy sense of self-sufficiency.  J.B. Phillips’ translation provides a helpful insight:

As it is, you get a certain pride in yourself in planning your future with such confidence.  That sort of pride is all wrong.

The Greek is powerful and literally means:

You are boasting in your arrogant pretensions.

One word in that long Greek phrase is alazoneiais, and refers to one taking pride in their knowledge or cleverness, but implies that those qualities are not really possessed by the person.  Sinful boasting, then, is rooted in unreality.

There is a good boasting.  Paul teaches that one can boast only in the weakness, for Paul had come to realize that in his weakness the power of Christ becomes evident (see 2 Corinthians 11:30; 12:5, 9).   Hahn rightly observed:

A Christian may boast of himself only in so far as his life is lived in dependence on God and in responsibility to Him.

(D)  Sins of omission, verse 17

James ends this part of his letter with a proverbial saying that may have been popular in James’ day. It’s a very stern warning the sin of neglect.

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

Once again, James’ words seem to echo the words of his brother:

That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows.  (Luke 12:47)

Verse 17 is a verse that may be applied to many situations, especially to most of his letter!  Ropes suggests that James is saying something along the lines of:  “You have all been warned!”  Burdick writes:

It is like saying, “Now that I have pointed the matter out to you, you have no excuse.”  Knowing what should be done obligates a person to do it.

Verse 17 really is what Erdman calls a principle of wide scope and great importance.  It is not only wrong to commit an action that we know to be contrary to the will of God, or about which we are uncertain, it is equally wrong to fail to do what we know to be God’s will.

James does not write this to make life hard for his readers or for us.  Doing God’s will fills the believer with joy and satisfaction.  Who else besides a Christian who is living according to the statutes of the Word may say regards of the circumstances:

“If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

(c) 2008 WitzEnd

Practically Speaking: James 8

Published November 20, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Resisting and Fleeing, James 4:1-10

How can war be ended forever?  In a world filled with anger and despair, how eagerly mankind looks for the answer to that question.  We elect politicians who promise to end war and injustice.  But who would have guessed that the most important and yet overlooked book ever written provided the answer 2 millennia ago.  In the King James Version we read this:

From whence come wars and fightings among you?  (James 4:1)

The opening of chapter 4 is in contrast to the end of chapter 3:

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.  (3:18)

Moffatt in his translation uses this striking transition:

But how speak of peace among you? (4:1)

In verses 1-10, James examines in some detail this worldly attitude that causes so much trouble.  He first identifies the source of conflicts (4:1-3); then he reproves spiritual unfaithfulness (4:4-6); and lastly, he pleads for submission to God (4:7-10)  (Donald Burdick).

1.  The source of conflicts, verses 1-3

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?  You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Here is a profound truth:  “Wars without come from wars within.”  This is the truth James wants to drive home to his readers, and to us.  It seems as though James is addressing a problem that existed in the circle of believers to whom he is writing.  Even though he calls them “my brothers” repeatedly throughout his letter, his readers were not living in a climate of peace necessary for the growth of righteousness (3:18).  The progression of James’ argument is obvious and masterful:

If bitter envy and selfish ambition have taken root in a believer (3:14, 16);
If their world view is dominated and shaped by worldly and unspiritual wisdom (3:15);
If they have so alienated themselves from God;
Then they promote “disorder and every evil practice” (3:16).

When all that happens, fights and quarrels become the norm.  The two words, “fights” and “quarrels” are from the Greek polemoi and machai, and are words usually reserved for warfare.

What a stark contrast we have in James’ letter to our perception of the early Church, which is shaped by Acts 4:32–

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.

That picture of harmony was all but gone within a decade, to be replaced by a church full of fights, quarrels, and bickering.  James uses two very strong words as a figurative sense because he asks a deeply penetrating question, phrased in such a way that his readers could hardly disagree.  In other words, to their shame, James’ readers knew they were in the wrong.

Their conflicts were caused by their “desires,” from the Greek hednon, from which we get “hedonism.”  This gives us a glimpse into their psyche.  Believers, scattered to the four corners of the earth were still concerned with their “sensual comforts.”  So concerned, in fact, that his readers were stepping all over each other to get them.  They were certainly not showing Christian charity!

Verse 2 is another powerful verse in which James speaks metaphorically of believers who would go so far to “kill” to get what they want.  Of course, it is unlikely James has in mind his readers physically murdering each other to get what the other has.  The phrase “you want something” is a weak translation of the Greek which is much more forceful.  The sense is that of strong, never ending lusting or coveting, which led to hatred.  In Matthew 5:21-22 and 1 John 3:15 hatred is equated to murder:

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.  (1 John 3:15)

These Christians, and remember they really are Christians, suffered inner tensions and outward conflicts (Harper) because they refused to pray.  In their quest for get the things they wanted, they had wandered so far from God that they did not even take time to talk to Him.   It’s no wonder that they God appeared to not answer their prayers, how could God answer when He hadn’t been asked?  As Kistmaker astutely remarked:

Failure to ask God in prayer results in failure to receive.

John Wesley comments,

And no marvel; for a man full of evil desire, of envy or hatred, cannot pray.

But even when these people actually went through the pretense of prayer, James says in verse 3 it was all for nothing for they were praying with the wrong motives.  Self centered prayers that ignore the will of God go unanswered.  Prayers that lack faith are actually sinful, according to Romans 14:23,

But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Hebrews 11:6 is even more pointed:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

How can God possibly answer a prayer prayed selfishly and without faith?  He cannot.  God does not listen to people who are pursuing selfish pleasure.  Greed is idolatry and that is an abomination in God’s sight.  God does not listen to prayers that come from hearts full of selfish motives.  Covetousness and selfishness are insults to God.

2.  Spiritual unfaithfulness, verses 4-6

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.  Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?   But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

Straddling the fence can be a dangerous thing to do.  Driving down the middle of the road is also dangerous, as every driver knows, for we have been taught to say on their own side of the road.  A Christian was not made for straddling, either.  A Christian cannot be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time.  A Christian cannot pursue their own selfish ambitions and remain loyal to God.  To look at and desire the things of this world is to one’s back on God.

How bad is it to behave like that?  The NIV has inserted the pronoun “you” at the beginning of verse 4, but in the original the verse begins with one single word:  Adulteresses.  In the Greek it is in the feminine.   The reason is not readily apparent, so a word of explanation is in order.

In the Old Testament, God’s people were considered to be His bride, Jeremiah 31:32.  In the New Testament they are the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23-32).  Therefore, anytime God’s people wander away from Him, it like “spiritual unfaithfulness.”  So, James used a blunt word to describe the nature of his readers:  adulteresses.

The phrase “don’t you know” indicates that his readers knew very well the truth but were ignoring it.  James refers to “friendship with the world.”  The word “world” here (kosmos) is referring to all that humans think and do that ignores God and is contrary to His will.   For James, there can be no compromise.  What does it mean to be a “friend” of the world?  Burdick’s comments are enlightening:

It is to adopt the world’s set of values and want what the world wants instead of choosing according to divine standards.  The person who deliberately chooses to be a friend of the world by that choice becomes an enemy of God.

The apostle John sternly warned his readers:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (1 John 2:15)

John Knox once said, A man with God on his side is always in the majority.  But the person who meets God as His enemy stands alone, for the world cannot help him.

It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  (Hebrews 10:31)

Verse 5 is a curiosity and its interpretation has always been difficult due to a number of factors.

Translation.  There are numerous ways to translate this verse and its meaning can actually change from translation to translation.  For example, take something as simple as a punctuation mark.  We take them for granted, but in the Greek manuscripts, there are none!   So is James making a statement or asking a question?   The other translation issue surrounds the word “spirit.”  Does it refer to the spirit of man, or to the Holy Spirit?

Unknown quotation.  James makes reference to a Scripture that no scholar has been able to find.

Consider how the translators of the NIV and the TNIV have wrestled with the verse:

NIV: Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

TNIV: Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

So the NIV connects verse 5 with the preceding discussion on selfish ambition.  But the TNIV assumes that James is now finished with his reproof of his readers worldly conduct and  has begun a kind of appeal for repentance.  This thought is found in the footnotes of the NIV, yet it is in the main body in the TNIV.  Given the context, it is likely that the TNIV is the correct way to understand what James is trying to say.  By favoring the world over God, believers may backslide and lose God.  But this is something that does not happen easily or quickly.  God is a jealous God who will tolerate no rivals.  When we became born again, we were given a new spirit and God yearns over this new life in us.  He uses every effort to convict us of wrongs when we sin and grow careless in our walk.

The first sentence in verse 6 really belongs to verse 5 and further buttresses the TNIV rendering.  God yearns over our often divided hearts and is hurt by our friendship with the world.  He desperately longs for His Holy Spirit to be given total control over our lives, which is something only we can do.  To help us to do that, God gives us special help:  He gives more grace to those who would humbly receive it.  In the Greek it is “a greater grace,” and Knowling comments on this:

The best meaning appears to be that the Spirit of God bestows upon those who submit to the Divine will, and surrender themselves to it entirely, richer supplies of grace to effect that complete surrender to the yearnings of the Divine love, and to count all things as loss in response to it.

But, as long as in our human pride we think we can use our own earthly wisdom, we will never be the beneficiaries of God’s “greater grace.”  The words of Julia Johnston’s hymn are precious:

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!

3.  Submission to God, verses 7-10

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.   Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.   Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.   Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

There is nothing more welcome to the traveler than helpful signs along the road that give direction.  These highway signs are short, descriptive and pointed.  James is about to give his readers some “signs” that will help them–and us–as we travel life’s highway to the destination appoint us.

Submission.  God is eager to help us, but He will not force His help on anybody.  The word is really “obey” and is the same word by Luke when he wrote about 12 year old Jesus who was “obedient to” His parents in Luke 2:51.   While obedience is implied, it is not a blind-kind of obedience, but rather the willing surrender of one’s will, which in turn leads to obedience.
Resist the devil.  Many Christians struggle with this.  They know they should not sin so they try to resist the devil but fail and time and again fall into the devil’s traps.  This happens because they fail to practice submission!  You cannot fight the devil unless you are submitting to God simultaneously.  And you cannot submit to God without resisting the devil.  The promise is clear:  if we resist the devil, he will flee.
Come near to God.   Ross comments:  Draw nigh unto God, as those who long to come into the closest possible relation to Him, in contrast to those who are His enemies and who keep at a distance from Him.  God will then draw night  unto you, to visit you with His salvation.   The call to wash hands is a command to  make ones conduct pure, and to purify the heart implies purity of the inner man.   Hands and hearts stained by sin need cleansing; hearts tainted with love for the world need to be purified, and God has grace to do all that.
Grieve, mourn, wail.  These constitute a call to repentance.  The Greek for “grieve” is talaiporseate and is a strong word meaning “to be miserable.”  James advises his readers to repent in misery.  “Mourn” is pentheo and depicts a grief so intense it cannot be hidden or covered up.  Lastly, “wail,” klausate, is similar to “mourn” in that it is an outward show of emotion, but it is in stark contrast the giddy laughter these people were looking for in their pursuit of worldly pleasures.  Some Christians have taken this verse a little too literally and teach that Christians are in general supposed to be miserable, sad people.  Of course this is not what James is teaching.  James is advising people who have been guilty of frivolity and telling them to get serious and repent.
Humble yourselves.  As if to give emphasis to what James said in verse 6, he admonishes his readers to be humble.  God helps those who are so.

So often do we as believers stray from the Lord and go our own way, we can take comfort from James’ teaching.  There is hope; we may sin and we may behave badly, but it we wash our hands and purify our hearts, God will take us back.

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