James 5

I struggle with reading this chapter "contextually" since James seems to go on a variety of tangents.

It begins with a warning to the rich oppressors who take advantage of their status.  This does tie back to the beginning of the book when he discusses the oppressed poor.

James then discusses how people should be patient in suffering.  He uses the example of Job to illustrate this point.  

It comes across as non sequitur, but after discussing patience in suffering, he mentions that people should not "swear", but rather let their "yes" be "yes" and "no" be "be".  

He concludes the chapter with encouraging faith and prayer.  People who are sick should be prayed for or anointed with oil.  This of course is not an exhaustive list for how to pray for those who are sick, but he encourages people to live on their faith.

Overall, the book of James an feel a little odd since it is hard to parse out a common theme.  He goes on various tangents at certain portions.  If there was one central arching theme to James, it is living out faith.  The tone is generally softer than 1 Corinthians where Paul writes from heartbreak. James gives general advice and it is reflected in the tone.

 In terms of living out the faith, some of the main things we see are 

1.  Faith without works is dead,

2.  Pray for healing,

3.  Pray if you have needs as opposed to creating strife and envy,

4.  Tame the tongue and be wise, use the wisdom of heaven,

5.  Helping the poor

James 4

A few things stand out to me:

The beginning of the chapter (v. 1-4) discusses fights and quarrels among believers caused by envying.  He then makes the point that all we need, we can receive from God.  If our prayers are not answered, it is because we have the wrong motives.  One such wrong motive seems to implicitly be "friendship" with the world.

This is not a comprehensive list of reasons for unanswered prayers.  But it is the only one that James focuses on.  Other areas in the Bible for unanswered prayers are lack of faith (Jesus said he could not perform miracles for this reason) or even weird things happening in the angelic world (see Daniel 10).

James (v. 6) seems to refer to Proverbs 3:34 for the proposition that "God opposes the proud".  If we check these verses in the NIV, it says that "He mocks proud mockers".  In context, "He" is God, but the precise language is different.  James may have been using a different translation or James is putting down his belief of what the Proverb means.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you" (v. 8) - this stands out as a beautiful phrase to remember.

"If it is the Lord's will, we will live" (v. 15) - I have heard a lot of talk about "Carpe Diem", to seize the day.  On one hand, it reflects a Biblical perspective to rejoice in the day the Lord has made.  That said, God can extend our lives.  We do not need to live selfishly or feel that we have to do everything at once today.  We can take our time, relax, and do it humbly before the Lord.

Likewise, Carpe Diem is not a license to live selfishly or against God's plan for us.  Rather, living humbly before the Lord means we have to treat others with respect.


"Anyone who knows the good he ought to do, but does not do it, sins" (v. 17) - this might be a relatively famous portion of the text.  It discusses sins by omitting to do something.  It does imply that sin is contextual to the individual, but only in regards to awareness of what a person ought to do.  For this, I think of someone who is called by God to do a certain action (for example, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh) and the person went the other way (Jonah fled).

Note, it does not say the converse, that "not knowing something is a sin and doing it, is not sin."

Likewise, it also requires a knowledge of what a person ought to do.

Finally, the statement about sins of omissions is probably taken out of context.  It has value as a stand alone phrase, but in the context of James 4, James is discussing boasting v. humility to God.  He says that people know they ought to be humble, but they are not, so they are sinning.

Of tongues and wisdom (James 3)

The first part of James 3 discusses the great power that is concentrated within the tongue.  James likens the tongue to a horse bit in the mouth or a ship that can direct the entire horse or a ship, respectively.  The tongue is a small instrument but can wield immense force.  

He is right and the connection is obvious.  Likewise, in the modern age, our "tongue" also includes emails, twitter post, and Facebook posts.

The second half of the chapter focuses on wisdom.  He contrasts two sources of wisdom - of the devil and of God.  Wisdom from the devil creates bitterness and envy whereas from God, it produces peace.

Since it follows immediately after the power of the tongue, the proximity suggests using wisdom in how we use our tongue.  With our tongue, we can create peace or create bitterness and envy.

Get off the faith-couch and do something! (James 2)

James 2 seems to be usually cited for the passage that "faith without works is dead".  I'll unpack that a bit shortly.

But James 2 also focuses on the problems of favoritism.  We should not show among people, rich or poor.  James uses an example of a meeting where nicely dressed person is given good seat while a shabby-dressed person must sit on the floor.

What does this mean and not mean?  Well, there are legitimate reasons for seating arrangements and there are insulting illegitimate reasons.

Legitimate examples I think having the close relatives of people at a wedding sitting at one table and more distant relatives and friends sit at other tables.  An illegitimate example is requiring the 40 something brother in law who still lives with his parents to sit with the waitstaff simply because he embarrasses the family.

Likewise, it is common in business meetings where the important decision makers sit at the table while the people with supportive roles sit on the edges of the room.  That would be a legitimate example of seating arrangement uses.

Faith and deeds

The more famous part of James focuses on the contrast of faith and deeds.  James says that faith without works is dead.  Likewise, even the demons have faith and belief in God.  But that is not enough.  

Taken together, there must be some sort of life to the faith.  Otherwise, an abstract faith or abstract belief in God has no meaning and is as good as dead.  

In contrast, Paul says that we were justified on faith alone and we cannot earn salvation.

How to reconcile these?  What kind of faith?  I think the common interpretation is a genuine, living faith, which produces some "deeds".  Paul refers to these "deeds" as fruits of the spirit.

It is also important to note want James 2 does not say.  James 2 does not specify which deeds or the magnitude of the deeds.  This is contextual and rhe level of deeds should reflect the level of faith.  For that matter, the deeds (or fruit) need not even be external or visible to other humans.  This would be the case of new believers.

Likewise, I think it is important to remember the audience of James.  James seems to be addressed to people who are more mature in their faith, but who are ignoring the plight of the poor.  So, in that context, James is admonishing them that if they have faith, it would result in more "deeds" to remediate the poor.

Everyone (Poem)

Everyone I know or will ever meet..

Male or female
Married or single
Widowed or newlywed
Orphaned or in families
Big or small
Fetal or geriatric
Young or old
Terrible two or teenage brat
Black or white
American or Zimbabwean
Christian or Muslim
Gay or straight
Criminal or innocent
Liberal or conservative
Pretty or ugly
Handsome or humbly
Sick or healthy
Paralyzed or athletic
Angry or happy
Rich or homeless
Bathed of roses or urine
Watches soaps or football
Educated or illiterate
Selfish or selfless

Is fearfully and wonderfully made