Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: JAMES #7 - 5:7-20)
IV. 5:7-20 PRACTICAL LESSONS IN PATIENCE, WORD & PRAYER
1. 5:7-11 LESSONS IN PATIENCE
a. 5:7a Be patient therefore, brothers, until the presence of the Lord.
Ma-kro-thuMEsa-te [3114]oun, a-delPHOI, HEos tes pa-rouSIas [3952]tou KuRIou.
b. 5:7b THE FARMER IS PATIENT UNTIL HARVEST RAIN.
iDOU, ho ge-orGOS ekDEche-tai ton TImi-on karPON ton tes ges,
Lo, the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth,
ma-kro-thuMON ep’ auTO, HEos LAbePROi-mon [4406]kai Opsi-mon [3797].
being patient over it, until it receive the early and latter rain.
c. 5:8 PATIENCE IN THE LIGHT OF JESUS’ SOON COMING
ma-kro-thuMEsa-te kai huMEIS; steRIxa-te tas [4741]karDIas huMON:
Be YOU also patient; stablish your :hearts:
HOti hepa-rouSIa tou KuRIou EGgi-ken.
because the presence of the Lord is at hand.
d. 5:9 THE SOON COMING OF CHRIST REBUKES BACKBITING
mesteNAze-te [4727], a-delPHOI, kat’ alLElon, HIna mekriTHEte:
Murmur not, brothers, against one another, that you be not judged:
iDOU, ho kriTES pro ton thuRON ESte-ken.
lo, the judge stands before the doors.
e. 5:10 THE PROPHETS EXEMPLIFY PATIENCE
huPOdeig-ma [5262]LAbe-te, a-delPHOI, tes ka-ko-paTHIas [2552]kai tes ma-kro-thuMIas,
Take, brothers, for an example of :suffering and of :patience,
tous proPHEtas, hoi eLAle-san en tooNOma-ti KuRIou.
the prophets, who spoke in the name of theLord.
f. 5:11 THE BLESSING OF ENDURANCE SHINES THROUGH JOB’S PATIENCE
iDOU, ma-kaRIzo-men [3106]tous hu-poMEInan-tas [5278]:
Lo, we call them blessed that endured:
ten hu-po-moNEN I-OB eKOUsa-te, kai to TElos KuRIou EIde-te,
you have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of theLord,
HOti poLUsplagchNOS [4184]es-tin ho KUri-os, kai oikTIRmon [3629].
how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
2. 5:12 LESSONS IN SIMPLICITY OF SPOKEN WORD
Pro PANton de, a-delPHOI mou, meomNUe-te [3660],
But above all, my brothers, swear not,
MEte ton ou-raNON, MEte ten gen, MEte ALlon tiNA HORkon [3727]:
neither by the heaven, nor by the earth, nor any other oath:
Etode huMON to Nai, nai, kai to Ou, ou; HIna mehuPO KRIsin PEse-te.
but let your :yes be yes, and the no, no; that you fall not under judgment.
3. 5:13-20 RESULTS OF FERVENT PRAYER
a. 5:13a Is any among you suffering? Let him pray.
Ka-ko-paTHEI [2553]tis en huMIN? pro-seuCHEStho[4336].
b. 5:13b Is any cheerful? let him sing praise. eu-thuMEI [2114]tis? psalLEto[5567].
c. 5:14-15 ANOINTING BY ELDERS: CURE FOR THE SICK
as-theNEI [770]tis en huMIN? pro-ska-leSASthotous pres-buTErous [4245]tes ek-kleSIas;
Is any among you sick? let him call for the elders of the church;
kai pro-seuXAStho-san ep’ auTON, aLEIpsan-tes [218]eLAIo[1637]en tooNOma-ti tou KuRIou:
and let them pray over him, having anointed himwith oil in the name of the Lord:
kai heeuCHEtes PISte-os SOsei ton KAMnon-ta [2577], kai e-geREI auTON ho KUri-os;
15 and the prayer of :faith shall save the weary one, and the Lord shall raise him up;
ka’ ’n ha-marTIas epe-poi-eKOS, a-pheTHEse-tai [863]auTO.
and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.
d. 5:16a Confess therefore your :sins one to another, and pray one for another, that you be healed.
e-xo-mo-loGEISthe [1843]oun alLElois tas ha-marTIas, kai proSEUches-the huPER alLElon, HOpos iaTHEte.
e. 5:16b The supplication of a righteous manavails much in itsworking.
poLU isCHUei DEe-sis [1162]diKAIou e-ner-gouMEne[1754].
f. 5:17 ELIJAH’S EXAMPLE OF EFFECTIVE SUPPLICATION: NO RAIN
E-LEIas ANthro-pos en ho-moi-o-paTHES [3663]heMIN,
Elijah was a man of like passions with us,
kai pro-seuCHEpro-seUxa-to tou meBRExai [1026];
and he prayed fervently that it might not rain;
kai ouk Ebre-xen ePI tes ges e-ni-auTOUS treis kai MEnas hex.
and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months.
g. 5:18 HIS PRAYER FOR RAIN: GRANTED
kai PAlin pro-seUxa-to; kai ho ou-raNOS hu-eTON [5205]Edo-ken,
And he prayed again; and the heaven gave rain,
kai hegeeBLASte-sen [985]ton karPON auTES.
amd the earth brought forth her :fruit.
h. 5:19-20 BLESSING TO THE SINNER THROUGH THE SOUL-WINNER
A-delPHOI mou, eAN tis en huMIN pla-neTHE[4105]aPO tes a-leTHEIas, kai e-piSTREpsetis auTON;
My brothers, if any among you err from the truth, and one convert him;
giNOSke-te HOti ho e-piSTREpsas ha-mar-toLON ek PLAnes [4106]hoDOU auTOU
20 know that who converts a sinner from theerror of his way
SOsei [4982]psuCHEN auTOU ek thaNAtou, kai kaLUpsei [2572]PLEthos ha-mar-tiON.
shall save his soul from death, and shall cover a multitude of sins.
NOTE: This seventh and closing section of the letter by James to Messianic Jewish Congregations both at home and in the Diaspora – but proves again the practical wisdom of the brother of Jesus – and how it is the New Testament link with the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament.
The Numeric paragraphing and sentence structure revealed to Ivan Panin, show how wonderfully the Holy Spirit has used the 33 writers of the 66 books of the Bible. He allows them to use their own vocabulary, life experiences, education and unique individuality, while at the same time divinely guiding all that they wrote. Here we see the merging of Heaven and earth, God and man.
Were the Bible writers aware how marvelously God was using them in this manner? In part, but not in the numeric structure. This is but the wonder of our God.
It is fitting that God would lead James to close his letter with this three-fold lesson. Would you link together Patience, Keeping the Word simple, and Effective Prayer? Not likely. Neither would I. But see how effectively James under the guidance of the Spirit does so! And remember what Paul said about the 14 letters he wrote! He said, “If any thinks himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of what thingsI write you, that it is theLord’s commandment” (1 COR 14:37). In other words, Paul the apostle was totally aware that he was under the immediate guidance of the Lord in allof his writings. People who have problems with Paul’s writings, best be most careful! One day we will all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to answer for our behavior, example and Teaching!
What Paul says about his writings applies equally to all other Bible writers! Peter says, “For no prophecy was ever borne by man’s will; but men spoke from God, being borne onby theHoly Spirit”(2 PET 1:21).
No wonder James says “Be not many teachers, my brothers, knowing that we shall receive greater condemnation”(JAS 3:1).
I shudder for the sake of those who will face judgment for so much bad, false, superficial and careless teaching that abounds today! Thank God, there are those like Ivan Panin, who seriously regarded these words by Isaiah –
“But <for this one> will I look around,
For him who is humbled and smitten in spirit,
And so cares anxiously for my word” (66:2b, Rotherham).
This was the manner in which Panin regarded God’s Word! This is how James and Paul regarded it! These three are worthy examples for all of us. Beware of those who fail to measure up with them.- J.A.W.