EXEGESIS: THE CONTEXT: Chapter 5 started with warnings to the rich, who will soon “weep and howl for (the) miseries that are coming on (them),” because the Lord has heard the cries of the laborers whom the rich have defrauded (5:1-6). We most of us take far too little pains to cultivate it, to retain it when it has been granted to us, to regain it when we have lost it or thrown it away. They have been accustomed to regard the worship of the gods as a series of acts which must be religiously performed in order to win the favor of the deities, or at least to avert their Wrath. Let them pray. let him pray — That he may be supported under his affliction, so as to be enabled to bear it with patience and resignation to the divine will, and find it to be sanctified to him, and made the means, as of exercising, so also of increasing his grace, and of purifying him as gold and silver are purified in the furnace. James has gone into great detail to lay out the right behavior of a child of faith. The convert has still to be taught that there can no longer be this divorce of religion from conduct, but that prayer and praise must go hand in hand with work and life. This is most readily shown by praying in response to every circumstance. These are the richest methods of letting forth our abounding nature within the sphere of the blessed and divine. Ask him for wisdom (James 1:5)!He will help you in the right way (Romans 8:28)!”Happy? Yet cheerfulness has its dangers. Grasping that verse, and its meaning, is crucial to understanding what James is and is not saying in this passage. King Ahaziah, a rebel against the God of Israel, did not recover from his sickness because he sought help from the false god Baal (2 Kings 1:16). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. Let them pray. The Prayer of Faith. The reason why some think their prayers go 'unanswered' is because they misunderstand what the Biblical nature and purpose of prayer actually is. Life is going well for them. 5:13-20 is actually a practical passage in which James tells Christians how to respond appropriately in certain scenarios. Is any merry? What does James say to do when facing trouble? But such is the perverseness of men that they cannot rejoice without forgetting God, and when afflicted they are disheartened and driven to despair. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. In James 5:13–18 we see at least three kinds of praying not just one. God only can remove the source of sorrow; he can grant unto us “a happy issue out of all our afflictions;” he can make them the means of sanctifying the soul. Our emotions will thus become instruments for moving us towards God. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. The mind naturally resorts to it, and in every way it is proper. See 1 Corinthians 14:15; Romans 15:9. Submit a Comment Cancel reply. All idolized treasures will soon perish, except as they will … It is the most natural and most generally useful distribution; but it is not the only one, and perhaps it is not the highest. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. Some of it's words are used in more than one way in the Bible, and their meaning must be determined by the context. But now in James 5:14-16 we have a new category of prayer. In this final section of the final chapter James gives us some key advice. This would be a sad world indeed, if it were not for the privilege of prayer. Let him sing.—The word originally applied to instrumental music, the Eastern accompaniment of “psalms.” Praise, like prayer, ought to be individual as well as congregational. let him sing praise. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. It does not refer to physical diseases which will come in the next verse. (13) We now pass on to advice of different kinds—to the heavy-laden or light-hearted, to the suffering and afflicted. лым обращением или гонениями, служило Божье утешение в молитве (ср. 14 Is anyone among you sick? And—. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. Converts from heathenism are by no means the only persons who are in need of this lesson. Steeped in the Old Testament, James knows that sickness is often God’s tool of judgment in the lives of believers as well as unbelievers. Commentary on Mark 9:38-50. It is their only hope of things turning around, of things getting better, of things starting to go their way. James is not talking about the final judgment in this text. James 5:13-15 James 5:16-20 : James 5:1-6 " 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. The setting for this thought is the belief that Jesus would come again, presumably in the lifetime of the hearers (5:8). Don"t do that" (Draper p. 157). This safeguard is clearly indicated by the rules here laid down by St. James. When trouble comes people always turn to God no matter if they know Him or not - at the point of trouble they assume He is there for them, not that He is necessarily. Praise is appropriate to such a state of mind. (James 5:13-16) There have been various ideas about the meaning of this passage. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. James 5:13 Context 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. As is common in many of the New Testament epistles, we find various commands and exhortations as we draw near to the end of the epistle of James 2. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Before leaving these two verses, the sharp distinction between James 5:13 and James 5:14,15 should be marked. He was a Lutheran pastor and theologian, but he was also an incredible Christian man. We need the patience of the farmer who knows that a harvest will come - in time (5:7). Just voicing the frustration of hard times is good for the afflicted, just as singing is good for the merry. Commentary on James 5:13-20. The merry should be sensitive to the afflicted, but the afflicted should also be sensitive to the merry. The Greek word is a rich one with several related meanings. Dr. Mickey Anders . James 5:13-18 - The Waiting Church and Its Duty: James 5:13-18 - Mark a Seifrid; James 5:14-16a - Will God Heal Us--A Re-Examination of James 5:14-16a - Gary S Shogren; Preaching from the Book of James - George Davis; The Theological Message of James - Simon J Kistemaker; The Law in James - M J Evans; The Christology of James - Robert B Sloan; Christology in the Epistle of James - … Let them sing songs of praise. The prayer of faith for the restoration of an erring brother. James 5:13-15. In this respect, as in many others, Christianity has no sympathy with the precepts of Stoicism or Cynicism. In all cases in which the mind is greatly agitated, whether painfully or pleasantly, whether by sorrow, anger, regret, or by joy, pleasure, hope, -the wise thing to do is to take refuge in an act of worship. Then don’t try to escape it by swearing an oath falsely.”, “When in trouble, ask God for strength! "Touching musical harmony, whether by instrument or by voice, it being but of high and low in sounds a due proportional disposition, such, notwithstanding, is the force thereof, and so pleasing effects it hath in that very part of man which is most divine, that some have been thereby induced to think that the soul itself, by nature, is or hath in it harmony. Ask him for, “Christians show their happiness by singing praise to God!” Compare, John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, Robertson's Word Pictures in the New Testament, Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary, Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament, Heinrich Meyer's Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament, Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible, Alexander MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture, Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament, Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, E.M. Zerr's Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament, Stanley Derickson - Notes on Selected Books. Pentecost 18: 27 September James 5:13-20. let him pray.". Concluding instructions, 5:13-20. Those who have no music in their voices, and yet persist in joining aloud in the singing of public service, are wanting in charity. let him pray -, kakopatheiLet him pray - That is, prayer is appropriate to trial. There is a sadness latent in the most jubilant of earthly tunes, but not so with the heavenly; and quiring angels do not scorn to catch our humblest notes, and weave them in their endless song, if they be raised in thankfulness to Him Whom they and all creation praise. Compare with Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13. afflicted. Only here and 2 Timothy 2:3, 2 Timothy 2:9; 2 Timothy 4:5. {Psalms 34:1] But if praise is as suitable as prayer for suffering, prayer is as suitable as praise for cheerfulness. this passage is not is a call for a gift-of-the-Spirit type of healing as was performed in Acts 3:6. 11 … God only can remove the source of sorrow; he can grant unto us "a happy issue out of all our afflictions;" he can make them the means of sanctifying the soul. Argument. Missionaries tell us that this is a frequent difficulty in their work. Let him pray. James 2:1-13. Afflicted, [ kakopathei (Greek #2553)] - 'evil treated:' "suffering affliction" (James 5:10). Prayer is the only course for those that are down and out. Some have lost friends, homes, families and have nothing but trouble. Prayer to God, not profanity, is the proper outlet for feelings of sadness caused by suffering as we patiently endure. - Exhortations with respect to practical conduct in health and sickness. In Scripture, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and … If one among you suffers, let him pray; if one is of good courage, let him sing psalms. Compare, euthumei) means, literally, “to have the mind well” (. Is anyone cheerful? It secures a real connection between worship and life. This familiar passage is a difficult passage. God never intended prayer to change His purpose or move Him to come to fresh ideas. It is the same word which St. Paul employs when he exhorts his fellow-voyagers to ‘be of good cheer’ (Acts 27:36). Although perplexing to some, Jas. James says it will "save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." But in New Testament usage all the experts note that the word meant "to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song" (Thayer p. 675); "to sing a hymn, sing praise" (Vine p. 58); "sing praise" (Arndt p. 891). Concluding instructions, 5:13-20. Let him sing psalms - That is, if anyone is happy; if he is in health, and is prospered; if he has his friends around him, and there is nothing to produce anxiety; if he has the free exercise of conscience and enjoys religion, it is proper to express that in notes of praise. Consolations for the sad, the merry, the sick; the prayer of faith, James 5:13-18. Some have tried to argue that the Greek word rendered "sing praises" means or can mean to sing to the accompaniment of instruments. We need not tie ourselves to the distribution of prayer and praise expressed in the text. He is to sing praises. On the other hand, when afflicted, we are to pray; that being the best means of producing in ourselves patience and resignation. Intro. Compare Ephesians 5:19-20. It simply means that it was not the Lord’s will to heal in that particular instance (see 1 John 5:14). Let that person pray. Home >> Bible Studies >> James Studies >> James 5:13-20 These small group studies of James contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. Commentary on James 5:1-6 (Read James 5:1-6) Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual, though all ranks suffer deeply at such times. Is any among you afflicted? Hymns might be used by all in their devotions, and could not fail to be a blessing; while for those who have God’s great gift of music, it were surely better to sing—as the Apostle urges—than to say. meaning: “weak, powerless 1. lit. No need of oaths, or bacchanalian. 5:14, 15). ", " The phrase let him sing psalms is from the noted Greek word PSALLO, and Thayer defines it as follows: "In the New Testament to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song. We have to do this first on an individual level, of course. In the context there is incentive to pray, for God hears the prayers of righteous people who are being oppressed (). Neither a heated mind nor a heated body can without danger be kept heated, or treated as if it was at its normal temperature. This is such a great interpretation and application of James 5:13. It may be that listening to the afflicted will help the merry to better realize how blessed they are and help them to appreciate their blessings more. For he has set the singing of psalms in opposition to profane and unbridled joy; and thus they express their joy who are led, as they ought to be, by prosperity to God. The remedy is prayer. James 5:13. : See note on James 5:10; it refers perhaps rather to mental worry or distress, while refers to some specific bodily ailment.— : only found elsewhere in Acts 27:22; Acts 27:25 in the N.T.— : refers both to playing on a stringed instrument (Sirach 9:4) and to singing (Ephesians 5:19), and is also used of singing with the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15). James 5:13-20. 13Is any among you afflicted? 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. It does not mean to sing psalms in contradistinction from singing hymns, but the reference is to any songs of praise. Commentary on Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; … let him pray; to God that can save him; in the name of Christ; under the influence of the Spirit; believing in the word of promise. The sentiment in this verse is well expressed in the beautiful stanza: let him pray—not "swear" in rash impatience. We come to church to be calmed, sobered, soothed, not to be fretted and vexed. Why? . In order to gratify themselves, they disturb the devotions of others. It is the source of the word "psalm." wisdom for a blue jean faith “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. Everything depends on the method of expressing the one or gratifying the other. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. Is anyone happy? By the very act in which we exhibit our emotions we protect ourselves from the evil which they might produce. They often skip along merrily singing their cheerful song not knowing what the other side of the coin might be. A thing which delighteth all ages and beseemeth all states; a thing as seasonable in grief as in joy; as decent being added unto actions of greatest weight and solemnity, as being used when men most sequester themselves from action. Times of afflictions are proper times for prayer; there is then more especially need of it; and God sometimes lays his afflicting hand upon his people, when they have been negligent of their duty, and he has not heard of them for some time, in order to bring them near to him, to seek his face, pay him a visit, and pour out a prayer before him; see Psalm 50:15. Let the expression of strongly excited feelings be an act of worship; then we shall have an outlet for them which is not likely to involve us in harmful results. Ought not the answer to that question to be conclusive as regards turning or not turning to the East at the creed, bowing or not bowing the head at the Gloria Patri, and the like? James has gone into great detail to lay out the right behavior of a child of faith. WORSHIP THE BEST OUTLET AND REMEDY FOR EXCITEMENT-THE CONNECTION BETWEEN WORSHIP AND CONDUCT. In addition, when we pray, we are reminded that the person making our life miserable---also has a soul. Is any among you afflicted? Likewise, when we are happy, we often break into joyful singing. Sing psalms - of praise, as Paul and Silas did in prison. Let him not swear, but pray! 13.Our apostle now shows better methods than swearing to give vent to our moods. Is anyone happyLet them sing songs of praise. Gospel. The action is probably mostly natural. Then don’t try to escape it by swearing an oath falsely.” He should pray. [⇑ See verse text ⇑] Verse 15 must be read in context with verse 14 to be fully understood. He "fell upon the ground and worshipped: and he said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord" [Job 1:20-21}. Further, James instructs us to confess our faults. The rule for all ages includes prayer for the suffering (James 5:13); the special rule for the miraculous healing still available when James wrote is given in the next two verses. “Are you suffering because you are a Christian? The reason why some think their prayers go 'unanswered' is because they misunderstand what the Biblical nature and purpose of prayer actually is. Compare 2 Chronicles 33:12; Psalm 34:4; Psalm 107:6, Psalm 107:13, Psalm 107:28. Anything you can teach me on this will be greatly appreciated. Is anyone happy? Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Merry—Cheery, in good spirits? psallo. In 5:7-10, James counsels patience until the Lord comes again––patience like that of a farmer waiting for the fruit to appear. “When in trouble, ask God for strength! Our worship is often profaned by being shared with the world; our work is rarely consecrated by being shared with God. Afilicted is from KAKOPATHEO, and Thayer defines it, "To suffer evils; hardship, troubles." Turning to God in need is half the truth; turning to him in praise either in the church or alone when one is cheerful (whatever the situation) is the other half. Let him sing songs of praise. All of us are apt to draw far too strong a line of distinction between Church and home, between Sunday and week-day, between the time that we spend on our knees and that which we spend in work and recreation. The word for suffering probably refers to a broad category which includes all different kinds of suffering. Read James 5:13-14. Jam) It matters not what is the form of the trial, it is a privilege which all have to go to God in prayer. he means that there is no time in which God does not invite us to himself. Argument. James says that if the sick person "have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (v. 14). 14 Is any one of you sick? Let them pray. “When rendered cheerful by contemplating the manifestations which God hath made of his perfections in the works of creation, providence, and redemption, or by any blessing bestowed on ourselves, we are to express our joy, not by drinking, and singing profane, lewd songs, but by hymns of praise and thanksgivings offered to God for all his mercies, Ephesians 5:18-19. It is a hard enough thing to win converts from heathenism; but it is perhaps still harder to teach the newly converted that the worship of God has any bearing whatever upon their conduct. On the meaning of the word here rendered "sing psalms," see the notes at Ephesians 5:19, where it is rendered "making melody." Mental excitement is neither right nor wrong, any more than physical hunger or thirst. Remember that James began his writing on the subject of suffering and to count it all joy when we fall into various trials. Your email address will not be published. - Biblical Christianity provides something unique and special: a personal relationship with the living God. James 5:13–20 closes out the letter by encouraging those who believe in God to show it. Is anyone happy? He has been telling us how to respond to the things in life that happen to us. Is any afflicted? They must sing praises (compare Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16; Romans 15:9). Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group. that is, cheerful, in good spirits. Oaths are not a right way of expressing one’s feelings, however strong they may be, and of whatever kind they may be. Let him v sing praise. ", 1. So much of life is filled with either vexation or pleasure, that one who has learned to carry out the directions here given of turning suffering into prayer, and cheerfulness into praise, will have gone a long way towards realizing the Apostolic command, "Pray without ceasing." He ever lives. Our word psalm, derived from this, is, properly, a tune played upon a stringed instrument. let him pray — That he may be supported under his affliction, so as to be enabled to bear it with patience and resignation to the divine will, and find it to be sanctified to him, and made the means, as of exercising, so also of increasing his grace, and of purifying him as gold and silver are purified in the furnace. Nor ought prayer and praise to be separated; they should be combined; our prayers should often express themselves in praise, and our praise should be a prayer. 2:7; Флп. He should pray. But as the precept concerning our singing psalms, when cheerful, does not imply that we are not to pray then; so the precept concerning prayer in affliction, does not imply that we are not to express our joy in suffering according to the will of God, by singing psalms or hymns, as Paul and Silas did in the jail at Philippi.” — Macknight. There are some religious groups which engage in "healing services" today, and use oil to anoint the sick to produce a miracle. Health fails, friends die, property is lost, disappointments come upon us, danger threatens, death approaches - and to whom shall we go but to God? As Calvin well observes, St. James "means that there is no time in which God does not invite us to Himself. Hence of the sharp twang on a bowstring or harp-string, and so to play upon a stringed instrument. Let him pray. (James 5:13-16) There have been various ideas about the meaning of this passage. The word here translated "save" is a word James has used earlier in this letter. In the Scriptures, however, the word properly denotes "cheerful, pleasant, agreeable," and is applied to a state of mind free from trouble - the opposite of affliction - happy, Proverbs 15:13, Proverbs 15:15; Proverbs 17:22; Isaiah 24:7; Luke 15:23-24, Luke 15:29, Luke 15:32. Not, alas! From this it follows that when the idolater has been induced to substitute the worship of God for the worship of idols, there still remains an immense amount to be done. Is anyone among you sick? The word "merry" does not carry the idea we give it today, but as Barnes observes, "the word properly denotes cheerful, pleasant, agreeable, and is applied to a state of mind free from trouble--the opposite of affliction-happy". But such is the perverseness of men, that they cannot rejoice without forgetting God, and that when afflicted they are disheartened and driven to despair. The sick are still among us. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. The rule for all ages includes prayer for the suffering (James 5:13); the special rule for the miraculous healing still available when James wrote is given in the next two verses. No need of oaths, or bacchanalian riot, in order to the most joyous and happy activities of our souls and voices. The Prayer of Faith. He has ordained that we be saved through the means of preaching the gospel, but prayer is also a means of salvation. Take care that our own behavior is such a great interpretation and application James... 1945 at the hands of the Lord is at hand their God and express gratitude... And finally to sing., whether public or private, the merry should be marked the understanding the! The design of his purpose on a bowstring or harp-string, and to count all. 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