James Chapter 5 Part 1

James Chapter 5 Part 1

Warning to the Rich

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Jas 5:1

for your miseries... Greek: talaiporia, bodily hardships; misery. Here; Rom. 3:16. See talaiporos, wretched (Rom. 7:25; Rev. 3:17)

shall come upon... The 1st and last prophecy in James (Jas. 4 & 5:1-8, unfulfilled). Six predictions concerning evil rich men:

1. Miseries will come upon them (Jas. 5:1)

2. Riches will become corrupted (Jas. 5:2)

3. Garments to become moth-eaten (Jas. 5:2)

4. Gold and silver to canker (Jas. 5:3)

5. The rust or poison of their riches will witness or testify of their many sins (Jas. 5:3)

6. The rust or poison of their riches will eat their flesh as it were fire (Jas. 5:3)

Those with more than they need to live. James condemns them not for being wealthy, but for misusing their resources. Unlike the unbelieving rich in Timothy’s congregation (1Tim. 6:17-19), these are the wicked wealthy who profess Christian faith and have associated themselves with the church, but whose real god is money.

For prostituting the goodness and generosity of God, they can anticipate only divine punishment (verse 5).

The rich man spoken of here, is the rich man who has no regard for others. This would be a rich man that would be cruel to his employees. This would be also, a man who would push any of his fellowmen down to acquire his riches.

The only problem this man has is not just that he is rich, but is the fact of what he is doing with his wealth. The miseries that will come upon him are for the way he has treated his fellowman.

Share with Concern

James continued his attack on self-centered merchants who seem to succeed in their business plans and not only turn a profit but are considered rich with their hoarded wealth. Such wealth James declared waste. Spiritual access is found in sharing, not hoarding, possessions. To those who may have been the victims of the heartless conduct of the rich, or who may have been tempted to turn to similar shortsighted goals, James recommended patience. Finally, to all believers, whether blessed, burdened, or backslidden, James appealed for praise, prayer, and persuasion.

James’ concluding remarks center on sharing — sharing one’s possessions, sharing with patience, and sharing in prayer.

Share in possessions

The attack begun in the concluding section of Jas. 4:1-17 is carried into Jas. 5:1-20 but with greater concentration and condemnation. The rich are denounced. James appears to have included all rich people, both believers (cf. Jas. 1:10) and unbelievers (cf. Jas. 2:6). There is no plea for reform, only a grim warning that hoarded wealth brings consternation, ends up in corrosion, and results in condemnation.

Consternation From Wealth

The same exclamatory interjection used in Jas. 4:13 introduces this section: Now listen (lit., “Go now”). The rich people, so often the object of envy, were the object of James’ scorn and condemnation. He put down those who placed their arrogant trust in things which were doomed to decay. Weep and wail, could be elaborated as “burst into tears” (klausate; also in Jas. 4:9) and “howl with grief” (ololyzontes, an onomatopoeic verb used only here in the NT). Money brings merriment only temporarily; wealth eventually results in misery (talaipōriais, from talaō, “to undergo, endure,” and pōros, “a callus” or “hardened concretion”).

Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Jas 5:2

riches are corrupted,... These riches are corrupted instead of cankered as gold and silver. They refer to crops, flocks, stores of grain, wine, oil, and many changes of clothing in the wardrobes.

are corrupted, and... Greek: sepo, to make rotten; putrid; to fester or mortify. Only used here.

We know that the rich man here, must have attained the riches in a corrupt manner. This would be a man who put his wealth ahead of everyone and everything. It is not the riches that are evil, but the use of the riches by this corrupt man.

Corrosion Of Wealth

Riches rot, and fine clothes may be chewed up by moths.

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Jas 5:3

is cankered, and... Greek: katioo, rusted over. Only here.

rust of them... Greek: ios, rust (Jas. 5:3) and poison (Jas. 3:8; Rom. 3:13). Your putrefied stores, your moth-eaten garments, and your tarnished coins are proof of your covetousness and your love of money. See, Luke 12:15.

eat your flesh... This pictures the corroding or rusting of hoarded money as testifying so strongly against the wicked it will burn like flesh diseased with canker.

Ye have heaped... Seven sins of wicked rich men:

1. Heaping together treasures on earth (Jas. 5:3; Mat. 6:19-21; Luke 12:15-21)

2. Defrauding laborers (Jas. 5:4; Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14-15; Jer. 22:13; Mal. 3:5)

3. Living in pleasure at the expense of those defrauded (Jas. 5:5; Mat. 23:14)

4. Living in wantonness or sensual appetites to the uttermost (Jas. 5:5; Rom. 13:13; 1Tim. 5:11; 2Pet. 2:18)

5. Nourishing the heart, or living in luxury and pride (Jas. 5:5)

6. Condemning the just, or perverting the judgment of the poor (Jas. 5:6; 2:1-10)

7. Killing the just to multiply their own riches (Jas. 5:6; 1Ki. 21:1-29)

the last days... The period between Christ’s first and second comings. James rebukes the rich for living as if Jesus were never coming back.

Ironically, they have stored up treasure for their “last days” (retirement), which God will use against them in the last days.

Look with me at the following Scriptures, and see what Jesus had to say about this very thing.

Mat. 6:19-21 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:” “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:” “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

We do know that there is nothing wrong with silver and gold in their selves. God established them as blessings from God, back in Genesis. He established gold, silver, and cattle as true value. Even the fact that silver means redemption and gold symbolizes the purity of God, tells us that the metal is not bad. It is our use, or rather misuse, that is bad.

We see (in verse 3 above), that this rich man, spoken of here, is putting his faith in the gold and silver, rather than in God. All of the gold and silver in the world will not save a person from the wrath of God. It is not wrong, however, to own silver and gold. In fact, they are the only true money.

Corrosion Of Wealth

The story is not from “rags to riches” but from “riches to rags.” Gold and silver are the most sought-after metals and have long been considered the material standards for the world. Though they do not rust, they do become corroded. Gold can darken and silver tarnishes. Their corrosion (ios, or “poison,” as in Jas. 3:8 and Rom. 3:13) is a testimony to the rich man’s folly and will consume his flesh like fire. As metals lose their luster, the poison of greed eats up people. The corrosion of wealth is testimony to this sickness of the wealthy. Hoarding for the last days only gives more fuel for the fire that will consume the lost.

Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. Jas 5:4

the hire of… The rich had gained some of their wealth by oppressing and defrauding their day laborers, a practice strictly forbidden in the Old Testament (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:14-15).

Lord of sabaoth... This term is often used in the Old Testament of God who is Lord of hosts, or Lord of armies, who has infinite power to rule the nations and punish the wicked (1Sam. 1:3, 1:11; 4:4; 15:2; etc.). The meaning the Lord of Hosts (i.e. of armies), describes the omnipotent, avenging character of the God. The One who hears the cries of the defrauded laborers, James warns, is the Lord of hosts (a name for God used frequently in the Old Testament), the commander of the armies of heaven (angels). The Bible teaches that angels will be involved in the judgment of unbelievers (Mat. 13:39-41, 49; 16:27).

Now, we see where the sin comes in. This man is so greedy that he has not even paid the wages to the people who harvested his fields. God will not let this go unnoticed. In our society today, this is the first thing a person must pay.

Condemnation In Wealth

It is not the wealth itself that is condemned, but the greedy attitude toward it and the grisly actions with which it was obtained. God is not deaf to the cries of injustice that rise both from wages withheld in fraud and from the laborers who have been oppressed by the rich. The Jewish converts were well aware of God’s Law forbidding holding back on wages (Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15) and oppressing the poor (Prov. 3:27-28; Amos 8:4-6; Mal. 3:5).

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. Jas 5:5

lived in pleasure... Greek: truphao, to live softly or delicately; fare sumptuously; live in luxury; to be effeminate; to be licentious; to revel. Only here, but the noun truphe occurs in Luke 7:25; 2Pet. 2:13. This leads to vice when a person becomes consumed with the pursuit of pleasure, since a life without self-denial soon becomes out of control in every area. After robbing their workers to accumulate their wealth, the rich indulged themselves in an extravagant lifestyle.

and been wanton... Greek: spatalao, to live riotously and in pleasure (Jas. 5:5; 1Tim. 5:6).

ye have nourished... Greek: trepho. Translated nourish (Jas. 5:5; Acts 12:20; Rev. 12:14); feed (Mat. 6:26; 25:37; Luke 12:24; Rev. 12:6); and bring up (Luke 4:16). Here it has the idea of feasting and surfeiting as men do at the time of the slaughter of many sacrifices at religious feasts.

a day of... Like fattened cattle ready to be slaughtered, the rich that James condemns had indulged themselves to the limit. This is a vivid depiction of divine judgment, in keeping with the metaphor likening the overindulgent rich to fattened cattle.

We see the character of this rich man is under attack here. “Wanton” means to live in pleasure. You can see that this is extreme, because it is expressed twice in the verse above. This means that this man throws extravagant parties and lives extravagantly, as well. He has no regard for the feeling of others. His earthly pleasure is all that interests him.

This day of slaughter, reminds us of the Scripture speaking of the days of Noah. They were eating, and drinking, not having any regard for God. This seems to be the life style here as well. This is a very fleshly man who pleases only his own flesh.

The life of luxury (etryphēsate, “to lead a soft life,” used only here in the NT) and self-indulgence (espatalēsate, “to live voluptuously or wantonly,” used only here and in 1Tim. 5:6), is like so much fat for the slaughter. The sarcastic illustration was vivid for Jewish believers who had seen many fattened sheep and oxen meet their fates in sacrifice.

Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. Jas 5:6

Ye have condemned... This describes the next step in the sinful progression of the rich. Hoarding led to fraud, which led to self-indulgence. Finally, that overindulgence has consumed the rich to the point that they will do anything to sustain their lifestyle. This comes from a word meaning “to sentence.” The implication is that the rich were using the courts to commit judicial murder (2:8).

This is just how bad this man’s sin has become. Of course, this could be not only saying that this man killed to get his money, but also, he helped nail Jesus to the cross for his sin. In the case of Jesus (the Just One), we all nailed him to the cross with our sin.

In the scramble for more wealth, the rich used their influence in courts of justice, and in the process were guilty of bringing condemnation and even death to innocent men who offered no resistance (“innocent men” is lit., “the righteous one” though it probably refers to a class of people rather than to one individual). What began as an interest in money ended as an insensitivity to murder.

A believer who seeks spiritual growth dare not become caught up in the accumulation of wealth for himself. He should share his possessions for God’s glory and the good of others.

Patience in Suffering

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Jas 5:7

Be patient therefore,... The word emphasizes patience with people (1Tim. 5:14), not trials or circumstances (as in 1:3). Specifically, James has in mind patience with the oppressive rich.

coming of the... This refers to the rapture (not the second coming) when the Lord will come in the air to receive the saints to Himself (Jas. 5:7-8; John 14:1-3; Luke 21:34-36; 1Cor. 15:23, 15:51-58; 2Cor. 5:1-8; Eph. 5:27; Phlp. 3:11, 3:20-21; 1Thes. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-17; 5:9, 5:23; 2Thes. 2:1, 2:7-8; Col. 3:4; 1Jhn. 2:28; 3:2; 1Pet. 5:4). The second coming of Christ (Mathew 24:3). Realizing the glory that awaits them at Christ’s return should motivate believers to patiently endure mistreatment (Rom. 8:18).

early and latter... The early and latter rains in Israel, the early rain at seed-time and the latter rain at harvest time (Deut. 11:14), are used here to picture the fruit of the harvest of souls. The early spiritual rain fell at the founding of the church (Acts 2:1-16) and the latter rain will be poured out at the end of this age when the complete harvest of this church age will be gathered (Acts 2:16-21; cp. Hos. 6:3; Zec. 10:1). The “early” rain falls in Israel during October and November softens the ground for planting. The “late” rain falls in March and April, immediately before the spring harvest. Just as the farmer waits patiently from the early rain to the latter for his crop to ripen, so must Christians patiently wait for the Lord’s return (Gal. 6:9; 2 Tim. 4:8; Titus 2:13).

We see from this an encouragement to wait patiently on the coming of the Lord. It seems in this part of the world that James is writing to, the rain came early in planting time and then the rains came again at harvest time. Many believe the early and latter rain, spoken of here, is speaking of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God.

In the Spiritual sense, this could certainly be. The fruit of the Spirit goes along with the outpouring of the Spirit of God. It is the rain (Spirit), which makes the beautiful fruit. We also know, that those you win to Christ, many times are spoken of as the fruit of the harvest.

We should not get impatient, when we plant the seed (Word of God), it takes time for it to take hold and produce fruit.

Share in patience

From the rich, James turned to the restless. For these he again used the friendly address, “brothers.” The tone turns from stark condemnation to sensitive consolation. James excoriated the rich but encouraged the receptive. He appealed to his brethren to be patient. He defined the essence of patience, gave some examples of patience, and indicated an evidence of patience.

Essence Of Patience

Be patient, then (lit., “therefore”), said James as a direct corollary to the coming judgment on the wicked rich. “Be patient” (makrothymēsate) comes from a compound of “long” (makros) and “temper” (thymos). The idea is to set the timer of one’s temper for a long run. Think long. Focus on the final lap in the race of life. Have a long fuse. Look ahead to the Lord’s coming. The essence of patience is furthermore seen in the farmer who waits patiently (makrothymōn) for the needed rains and the ultimate valuable (lit., “precious”) crop.

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. Jas 5:8

stablish your hearts... A call for resolute, firm courage and commitment. James exhorts those about to collapse under the weight of persecution to shore up their hearts with the hope of the second coming, rapture as above.

Lord draweth nigh... The immanency of Christ’s return is a frequent theme in the New Testament (Heb. 10:25).

James, as many other of the penmen, realizes that the great work of salvation takes place in the heart. It is the heart that must be stayed upon God.

2Thes. 3:5 “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

The application is clear. Just like the farmer, every believer should be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. The Lord’s return (parousia) should stimulate every believer to patience and persistence.

Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. Jas 5:9

Grudge not one... Greek: stenazo, groan (see, Rom. 8:23). In the verse above, means to murmur. God does not like murmuring. He does not like anyone holding a grudge either. He says, when you come to the altar, forgive others first, and then come to the altar.

James pictured Christ as a judge about to open the doors to the courtroom and convene His court. Knowing that the strain of persecution could lead to grumbling, James cautioned his readers against the sin (Phil. 2:14), lest they forfeit their full reward (2Jhn. 8).

Judge not, that ye be not judged. Whatever judgment you make on others, is the same judgment God will use on you. The Lord Jesus is the Judge that standeth at the door. He is the True Judge.

James called for the believers to stop groaning lest they be judged, because Jesus the Judge is standing at the door! In view of the hope of Christ’s soon return, believers should cease the petty conflicts to which James alluded in Jas. 4:1-17. As children in a school classroom look out for their teacher’s soon return, God’s children should be on guard for Christ’s return. In so doing, good behavior and mutual harmony are essential.

Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Jas 5:10

an example of... Seven examples of suffering and patience:

1. Joseph (Gen. 37:8-36; 39:1-41:44)

2. Moses (Num. 12:1; 16:2-4; etc.)

3. David (1Sam. 18:1-26:25; 2Sam. 15:1-37)

4. Elijah (1Kgs. 17:1-19:18)

5. Jeremiah (Jer. 11:21; 37:15)

6. Job (Job 5:11; Job 1-2)

7. Many others (Heb. 11:32-40)

Job is the best example I can think of for patience and enduring suffering. He kept the faith in terrible suffering in the loss of his children, and even unto the pain and suffering in his own body. His suffering was not in vain. God rewarded him greatly for keeping the faith.

Most of the prophets were martyred for their belief. The historians tell us that Isaiah was sawed in two. All of the prophets before us are examples to us that we can wait with patience. The following is what Jesus said about this very thing.

Mat. 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”