SWEARING TO GOD: JAMES 5:12

Verse 12: But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

I’m certain that we all understand that when James uses the word “swear” he isn’t referring to vulgar language, but instead to the taking of an oath. The point James is making is that there is no reason for the believer to swear to the genuineness of what they are bearing witness to. Jesus stated likewise:

 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.” (Matthew 5:34–35)

In the past, it was a practice for witnesses in the United States courts of law to attest to their truthfulness by swearing on the Bible in this manner: “I solemnly swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” But now it is no longer politically correct to use a Bible or to swear by God as your witness of the truth in our culture. Back then, many believers took James’ command to heart and simply stated they affirm that what they state is the whole truth, instead of swearing by God as their witness.

Note that the Greek construction of do not swear expresses “the cessation of some act that is already in progress.”1 Therefore, what James is saying is that we should stop claiming the holiness of heaven, the God Who created earth or anything else as witnesses to our truth-telling. Just say “yes” to mean yes and “no” to mean no, without any ambiguity or half-truths. This is consistent with Our Lord’s teaching:

“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.” (Matthew 5:37)

Our Lord concluded that anything beyond these statements “is of evil.” For there is a tendency of some to swear to an untruth and by pretense to claim God as their witness—this is evil. So, whether our answer is either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ it is to be the absolute truth. Anything else is considered a lie—“a statement of what is known to be false with intent to deceive.”2

In addition to Our Lord’s instruction, the Scriptures have much to say about falsehoods, deception and lying.

Lying is emphatically condemned in the Bible (Exodus 20:16; Ephesians 4:25). It is wrong because it is contrary to the nature of God (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18) and because it shows that a person is not in touch with reality (Romans 1:25; 1 John 1:6).3

The Origin of the Lie

The first recorded instance of a lie is in Genesis 3:4-5 where the serpent (the devil, Satan) lied to Eve in tempting her to disobey God, telling her that she would not die, as God had warned, if she ate the forbidden fruit. Satan argued that God just didn’t want her eyes opened so she would “be like God, knowing good and evil.”

During Our Lord’s earthly ministry, He characterized Satan as the father of lies in His debate with the scribes and Pharisees:

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

This should cause every believer to stop and consider this: Since Jesus Christ stated that there is no truth in Satan and that Jesus is the essence and personification of truth (John 14:6)—how then can we even contemplate as His representatives ever speaking anything but the truth? We must think this through thoroughly—it can and does have a great affect upon our witness of the gospel and among fellow believers. We need to follow the Apostle Paul’s directive:

And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. (Ephesians 4:24–25)

Summary

James has provided us here with another example of the error of the tongue to add to those which he has previously warned: boasting (3:5ff); slander (4:11); complaining (5:9); and now false testimony. James encourages honest testimony by his cautionary note that there are consequences: “so that you may not fall under judgment.” This is a restatement of Our Lord’s condemnation of untruthfulness—for He hears all and believers who are dishonest in what they say will be judged—divinely disciplined. James emphasized this in 2:12: So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

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[1] Dana, H.E. and Mantey Julius R., (1957). A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. Toronto, Ontario: The Macmillan Company, p.302.

[2] Flavelle, A. (1996). Lie, Lying. In New Bible Dictionary (D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard, J. I. Packer, & D. J. Wiseman, Eds.). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, p. 687.

[3] Youngblood, R. F. (1995). Lie. In Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Bruce, F. F., & Harrison, R. K., Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds.)  Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

EXAMPLES OF SUFFERING AND PATIENCE: JAMES 5:10-11

Verses 10-11: As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

James’ readers have suffered, being treated roughly by the rich (5:4-6) and have given into complaining (v.9). Now he reasons with them by citing the example of the prophets who suffered at the hands of their own people. Take a few moments to consider what kind of rough treatment they endured: Elijah pursued by Jezebel (1 Kings 19:1ff); Jeremiah imprisoned by King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38); Amos accused of conspiracy against King Jeroboam (Amos 7:10-17). The writer of Hebrews compiled a further list of offenses:

And others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (Hebrews 11:36–38)

James instructs them to emulate the prophets in their response to suffering—patience, self-restraint. They were not reactionaries, giving into retaliation or dejection and discouragement. Instead they were proactive, demonstrating patience. And their patience was a result of their faith in the Lord, on whose behalf they spoke. Here is how they responded:

Who by faith conquered kingdoms (cf. 2 Samuel 8), performed acts of righteousness (cf. 2 Samuel 8:15), obtained promises (cf. 2 Samuel 7:11f), shut the mouths of lions (cf. Daniel 6:22), quenched the power of fire (cf. Daniel 3:23ff), escaped the edge of the sword (cf. Exodus 18:4), from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war (cf. Judges 15:8), put foreign armies to flight (cf. Judges 7:21). (Hebrews 11:33–34)

For some reason the translators of the New American Standard Bible have omitted the first word “behold” in verse 11. It is a command in which James is calling the reader’s attention to an important truth: Those who endure ‘rough treatment’ and the adverse eventualities of living in this world, they are considered blessed—beneficiaries of God’s favor. Endurance is the mastery of trials and testing by casting the burdens upon the Lord (Psalm 55:22; cf. 1 Peter 5:8) and trusting that the battle is the Lord’s. Just as David declared prior to battling the Philistine, Goliath:

And that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17:47; cf. 2 Chronicles 20:15)

James provides Job as a perfect example of Godly endurance. He suffered loss of family, possessions and health—all allowed by the Lord—and yet Job was able to say:

 “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21b).

And also,

Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. (Job 13:15)

James assures us that the outcome of the Lord’s dealings with Job was a demonstration of His compassion and mercy. Specifically the Scripture states:

The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold...The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. (Job 42:10, 12a)

In Lamentations chapter 3, Jeremiah characterized his own afflictions as “wormwood and bitterness” (3:19) and yet just like Job, in spite of his anguish he stated:

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:21–23)

The fact that His compassions never cease is what James is emphasizing with the phrase “full of compassion.” And since He faithfully renews His compassions every day, we have reason to be joyful in the midst of trials and testing, as James previously instructed in chapter 1:2-3.

Today, racism, gender/identity, religious rights, reproductive rights, politics, parental rights, education of children, these are the foremost cultural issues facing our country today. Some of the particular elements of these matters are oppressive and infringe upon the believers’ Biblically based convictions. They may cause legitimate suffering for many Christians and violate their consciences.

However, when compared to the sufferings summarized in these verses, our sufferings today does not compare to those of the Job or the prophets. And yet their response ought to be our response. Not a reactionary crusade of ranting and shaking our fists. We are to be totally proactive with total self-restraint.

And here are some steps to follow:

1.     Calm ourselves by claiming a promise of God. For example:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

2.     Concentrate on the eternal reality: Jesus Christ controls history.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15–17)

3.     Consider the Biblical truth concerning this cultural predicament.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31)

By following Divine Viewpoint, we will be able to perceive that He indeed has control of our destiny. He knows our needs and supplies us with His sustainment during times of trials and sufferings. We need to trust in His wisdom and the promise that He will provide.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32)

 

 

 © 2023 David M. Rossi

 

PATIENCE STRENGTHENS THE HEART: JAMES 5:7-9

Verses 7-9: Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

   James now addresses those who have been affected by the abuse of the self-indulgent wealthy (2:6; 5:4, 6), commanding them to be patient. Concerning the word patient, Bishop Trench prefers long-suffering and understands it to imply a “long holding out of the mind before it gives room to action or passion.”1 J.B. Lightfoot concurs, stating that the Greek word refers to “the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong.”2 James desires that his brethren be proactive and not reactionaries, meaning, “With steady, unwavering patience endure all the wrongs that men may inflict upon you”3 (cf. 1 Peter 2:20).

   They are to endure these trials until the second coming of our Lord. And since Jesus stated no one knows, except God the Father, the day and hour of His return (Matthew 24:36, 42, 44; cf. Luke 12:40), they must persevere and rely upon His sustaining ministry in the meantime. As James had instructed them at the outset of his epistle (1:3-4), the testing of their faith will produce endurance leading them to become perfect and complete in their spiritual development.

   James provides an agricultural comparison of waiting with eager anticipation for the Lord’s return. The farmer waits “in readiness to receive”4 his precious fruit; we wait for our precious Savior. The farmer is patient, assured that all that is needed to nurture his crops will be attained; we wait with patience for the Lord, assured that all we need to achieve our spiritual growth will be provided.

   In verse 8, James repeats his command that they be patient and adds another directive to strengthen your hearts. The heart is “the seat of physical, spiritual and mental life…the organ of natural and spiritual enlightenment”5—it is the very core of their spiritual being. The phrase the early and late rains, mentioned in verse 7, is a figurative example of the grace of God, providing the farmer’s crops their growth potential. The believers’ strengthening of their heart requires them to avail themselves to the spiritual skills provided for them by the grace of God contained in His Word. In this way, they are able to reach their spiritual growth potential and derive the benefit of God’s sustaining ministry in the midst of all trials and testing.

   James concludes by providing them with the comforting hope of Jesus Christ’s imminent coming. The word coming is a technical term meaning “a royal visit,”6 and in its New Testament usage it refers to the second coming of Jesus Christ (cf. Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28).

   This should be their confident expectation: that their sufferings, trials and testing perpetrated by others are only temporal and will not last for all eternity. They need to have faith in the teaching of the Psalmist:

The Lord is for me; I will not fear;

What can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6; cf. Hebrews 13:6)

   Doing this is not meant to be a psychological trick of the mind. It is a total assurance in the truth of God’s Word and reliance upon His promises. This is the result of the “strengthening your heart”—achieved by the renovation of one’s spiritual mentality (Romans 12:2), which relies on divine viewpoint instead of human viewpoint.

   The command in verse 9, do not complain, is far stronger in the original Greek. It literally reads: Stop complaining. The Greek word for complain actually means “groaning because of an undesirable circumstance”7 or “of an inward, unexpressed feeling of sorrow.”8 James realizes that because they have suffered the ill-treatment of the wealthy, it has left them feeling sorry for themselves. And consequently they are directing their frustration against one another.

   Regarding this subject of suffering, James has already instructed them to “consider it all joy” (1:2) when they encounter trials and testing. The Apostle Paul proclaimed that when he was “roughly treated” his response was “when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure” (1 Corinthians 4:11-12). This is the Christ-like example we need to imitate—the same as Jesus exhibited during His Passion. Peter explains:

And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. (1 Peter 2:23)

   The reason he wants them to stop groaning and complaining against the brethren is so they will not come under divine judgement—condemnation for their sinful activity of complaining. He warns them to take notice “behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” Not a judge in the legal system, but the Judge. The One James referred to as “the one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and destroy” (4:12). God is the ultimate judge over all the living and the dead which means He will attend to those who defraud and treat us roughly. We are not to be reactive and take out our frustration on our brethren.

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[1] Trench, Richard (1975). Synonyms of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, p.196.

[2] Lightfoot, J.B. (1999). St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians and Philemon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, p.140.

[3] Lenski, R.C.H. (2001). Commentary on the New Testament. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 10.653.

[4] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2.217.

[5] Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1957). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, p. 404.

[6] Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 21.66.

[7] Arndt, et.al., p. 773.

[8] Vine, 2.282.

 

© 2023 David M. Rossi

 

THE WEALTHY'S WICKED WAYS: JAMES 5:4-6

Verse 4-6: Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

In the first three verses of this chapter, James has established the sad truth of how earthly riches which have no eternal value are considered a treasure and accumulated by the wealthy. Now he reveals how they exploit others and squander their riches.

First, they withhold the pay of those who labor for them in their fields. This is a direct violation of the God’s directives:

“You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning.” (Leviticus 19:13)

“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your countrymen or one of your aliens who is in your land in your towns. You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the Lord and it become sin in you.” (Deuteronomy 24:14–15)

Note the personification of money that James uses: “the pay (wages) withheld cries out.” This is a common literary device found throughout Scripture: e.g. “blood is crying” (Genesis 4:10); “the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40). It is obvious that money has no vocal cords, so what James is pointing out is that the withholding of rightfully earned wages is a declaration of the criminal misconduct of these wealthy individuals. This is an inarticulate cry, but it is loud and clear for all within the community to witness this illegal and heartless activity.

Those who have been cheated of their wages their outcry for vengeance has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth—the Lord of Hosts. This term Lord of Hosts is an Old Testament title and one which James’ readers would be familiar with (cf. Isaiah 1:9; 2:12; 6:3). Dr. Ryrie explains its military inference:

[It is] referring to God as the One who commands the angelic armies of heaven (1 Kings 22:19; Luke 2:13; Revelation 19:14) and the armies of Israel (1 Samuel 17:45). The term emphasizes the sovereignty and omnipotence of God1

For the Lord sees and hears the injustices upon His people. We should rest upon the truth that He will exact vengeance and justice (Hebrews 10:30). And for those who are the perpetrators let them beware that “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).

Secondly, they have lived luxuriously or in modern phraseology: they lived in the lap of luxury. The Greek word has the connotation of softness which in turn means they have a soft life. Note that James adds that this all takes place “on the earth”, emphasizing how they have stored their treasures mainly for this lifetime. In addition to their soft life, they are leading lives of wanton pleasure—total self-indulgence in food, wine, sex, etc.—all of the details of life. They have fattened (nourished and pampered) their hearts, the very core of their being, with worldly pleasures. Robertson sarcastically depicts their life of luxury:

They are fattening themselves like sheep or oxen all unconscious of “the day of slaughter.”2

“The day of slaughter” is an allusion to the “day of judgment” and the soon coming of Christ mentioned in 5:8 (cf. Jeremiah 12:3; 25:34). Meanwhile, they have blinded themselves with their self-serving lifestyle, instead of serving God. If these are wealthy believers, they will incur divine discipline. If they are unbelievers, their doom parallels the fate of those prior to God’s judgments of the Flood and of Sodom (Luke 17:26-30). Earth’s inhabitants at that time were simply going about their daily activities in total disregard to God.

Thirdly, they have condemned and put to death3 the righteous man, which means they have pronounced judgement and murdered the righteous. For them to be judge, jury and executioner they must be in control of the legal system. James does not elaborate upon what basis they judge, but one who is self-indulgent probably does so purely on impulse—whatever is of the utmost benefit to them.

Who is this “righteous man” (literally, the righteous)? The Greek construction does not indicate a specific individual, but rather “the selection of a representative or normal individual”4 with emphasis placed on the quality of the individual. Jesus Christ is our supreme example of One Who is righteous. This was attested to by Stephen, before the high priest, using the same phrase, the same Greek construction, prior to his stoning:

“Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.” (Acts 7:52)

The righteous man is representative of the person who obeys God and conforms to His standards. Unlike the abusive rich, the righteous man observe His foremost commands:

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30–31)

The last note James makes is “he does not resist you.” This has troubled many commentators, but it is really quite simple. If the wealthy eliminate (murder) those who are righteous, then they will no longer have any resistance and no Godly example to agitate their guilt complex.

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1 Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 Update (Expanded ed.). Chicago: Moody Press, p. 424, 1 Samuel 1:3 note .

2 Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament. Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, James 5:5.

3 For some unknown reason “put to death” has been inserted by the translators when the Greek word has been consistently translated murder throughout James’ epistle (2:11; 4:2) and elsewhere in the New Testament.

4 Dana, H.E. and Mantey Julius R., (1957). A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. Toronto, Ontario: The Macmillan Company, p. 144.

 

 © 2023 David M. Rossi