Verses 19-20: My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
The final two verses of James’ epistle provide the readers with invaluable advice about their concern for the spiritual health of other believers. The entire epistle has been full of exhortations examining doctrinal truth and how to live the Christian life, possibly the first of such teachings for the new church age believers. James expresses his apprehension that some may wander away from the word of truth, by which “He brought us forth” (1:18) and be led astray from Divine truth—the wisdom from above (3:17). For James knew that the real danger was his readers reverting back to the bondage of Judaism and as witnesses to others they might exchange grace for works as a means to attain salvation and introduce error in the gospel of salvation.
Some scholars have endorsed the idea that what James means by “turns one back” infers that of someone who has lost their salvation. This is the far from the meaning James intends to convey. Jesus proclaimed eternal security to all those who believe in Him:
“And I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28–30; cf. 1 Peter 1:5)
They would still be saved by their initial faith in Christ, since their salvation can never be lost. The very nature of salvation demands that it is eternally secure. Dr. Chafer points this out:
[I]f salvation is the creation of a new being composed of unchangeable and imperishable elements, and in every aspect of it is made to depend on the perfect and immutable merit of the Son of God, there can be no failure…[this] demonstrates the truthfulness of the assertion that God is not offering a salvation to men which is not eternal in its very nature. [Emphasis added]1
James clarifies this when he states: “he who turns a sinner from the error of his way.” The key is the Greek word for way, which means “way of thinking, feeling, acting, manner of life and conduct.”2 The way which the sinner has taken is the opposite of following truth—divine viewpoint thinking (cf. John 3:21; 8:32; 1 John 1:6). The Apostle Peter describes them as “forsaking the right way, they have gone astray” (2 Peter 2:15). The right way which Peter refers to is “the way of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:21). This is the person James mentions as “being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (1:8). It is the picture of a believer who is of two minds: having believed in Christ but thinks and lives according to human viewpoint.
It should be pointed out that James does not specify a procedure for turning back a sinner from their error. Since they have strayed from the truth, it seems obvious that they must be confronted with the truth. Ideally this should be done by the teaching of their pastor-teacher. But an exemplary life of faithfulness to the truth by fellow believers can also be beneficial in helping someone struggling with their faith and straying from the truth.
There is a two-fold advantage in turning a sinner from error. First, it will save his soul from death. The word save is not always referred to in Scripture as salvation from eternal damnation. There are various definitions for this word: [to] keep from harm, preserve, rescue...bring out safely...free from disease.3 James uses the word here to denote rescuing the sinner from death, specifically physical death.
The word soul refers to a subdivision of the immaterial part of man—soul and spirit. Dr. Zodhiates explains “the soul as the vital principle, the animating element in men and animals.”4 And W.E. Vine indicates that it is used here as referring to specific persons or individuals,5 as it is used elsewhere in this manner in Scripture: Acts 2:41, 1 Peter 3:20 (persons); 2 Peter 2:14.
So what does it mean to rescue a person from death? The Apostle John addresses this same issue in his first epistle where he concludes that there is sin that does not lead to death and there is sin that will lead to death.
If anyone sees his brother committing sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. (1 John 5:16-17 [literal translation])
The sin which leads to death refers to divine discipline for a believer who is living an entirely wayward life of sin—openly defiant of a righteous life of faith. This is a warning of the consequence of a sinful life. The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews explains:
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26–27)
The meaning of “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” is that Christ died once for all sins (1 John 2:2). Those “sinning willfully” do not lose their salvation but instead are under divine discipline in order to urge them to confess their sin and live the righteous life which God desires for all of His own (read Hebrews 12:4-11).
The second advantage in turning a sinner back is that it covers a multitude of sins. The Greek word cover means to remove from sight, “to be overlooked and not punished.”6 It has the same objective as what the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:9, forgiveness of sin and cleansing of all unrighteousness. For when the believer does the right thing and confesses his sins, God will forgive and cleanse every time and withhold His discipline.
Afterword
If you have been following along in these studies in James’ epistle, he has presented Biblical principles for successful Christian living. Of utmost importance, he has demonstrated that belief in Jesus Christ is designed by God to be the normal and ideal life, and that this life of faith is to be actively producing divine good works as witnesses of Christ for the furtherance of the gospel of salvation.
[1] Chafer, L.S. (1976). Systematic Theology. Dallas, TX: Dallas Seminary Press, 3.272.
[2] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, G3598.
[3] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p.805-806.
[4] Zodhiates, G5590.
[5] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.588.
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