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We reach the end of the letter of James today. Due to time constraints, I gave you my summary of the main themes and principles last week.
Review
Chapter 1 – James told us to consider it joy when we face trials because trials test our faith and the process of testing our faith brings us to maturity and makes us into the kind of people we should be.
Chapter 2 – James argued that if we have saving faith and genuinely believe the gospel, it will change the way we think, the way we live, what we value and who we are.
Chapter 3 – James focuses on strife within the community. James argues that the strife results from our lack of understanding of the gospel. Growing in “wisdom from above” leads to peace and unity because we are all striving after and seeking and valuing the same thing: the word of God. Wisdom from above can be summarized in 2 basic ideas: a growing single-minded pursuit of the gospel of Jesus Christ and a humble merciful attitude toward others. I
Chapter 4 – James begins the conclusion of the book which is a call to repentance. As he calls for repentance, he returns to his 2 main examples of the kind of change repentance should bring about in our lives. Our speech and they way we handle wealth.
Chapter 5 – James turns to wealth and gives three pieces of evidence of that they may be trusting in their wealth: 1) hoarding (5:2-3); 2) fraud (5:4) and 3) self-indulgence (5:5). Finally in the immediate context to today’s verses, he calls for them to wait patiently through trials and to face trials with the settled conviction that there is a purpose for the trial.
Passage
Sick or weak?
The way you understand this passage turns on the way you understand the word “sick” 5:14. The Greek word (Strong’s G770) is used 37 times in the New Testament. Basically it means weakness, but its field of meaning includes one of the most common manifestations of weakness which is being physically ill. The word’s meaning is NOT confined to physical illness NOR is it confined to spiritual illness, that is weakness with respect to faith.
For example, here are 3 places where it clearly means physically ill either by added phrases or context:
Luk 4:40 While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.
Joh 5:3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered,
Joh 11:3 {Speaking of Lazarus} So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
And here are 3 places where it clearly means weak in faith:
Rom 4:19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;
Rom 14:1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
2Co 13:3 since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you.
Are we praying for one who is physically ill or one who is weak and weary? I land on the “spiritually weak” side.
James 5 by itself is — apart from the larger context — is truly ambiguous. It is perfectly reasonable to think it is referring to sickness, especially if you look at the passage in isolation or if you think James is a loosely organized collection of proverbs. Ultimately which option we choose rests on our understanding of the larger context. I think taken in the larger context, it makes much more sense to see it as spiritually weak.
For more detail and explanation, please listen to the podcast.
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