James 5 is the last chapter of the book of James. An in-depth James 5 commentary and Bible Study reveal some interesting insights. I’ve written this in a way that it can be considered an easy-to-understand commentary of James 5 and Bible Study of James 5, along with some practical lessons from James 5.
Who wrote James 5? James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote James’s book and chapter 5. The previous chapters show that James is writing this letter to the Jewish Christians.
Since there are so many takeaways, I’ve made a lesson plan for James 5 in an easy-to-understand format.
- What is the message in James 5?
- James 5:1-6 meaning and explanation (commentary with bible study)
- Practical lessons from James 5:1-6
- James 5:7-12 meaning and explanation (commentary with bible study)
- Practical lessons from James 5:7-12
- James 5:13-20 meaning and explanation (commentary with bible study)
- Practical lessons from James 5:13-20
In the last four chapters of James, we have seen that James gave practical instructions on Christian Living on things like:
- enduring trials through patience and visiting the orphans and widows in James 1,
- living a life with no discrimination in James 2,
- taming your tongue in James 3 and
- encouraging Christians not to live in strife with other Christians in James 4.
Now, we will see what James 5 says in the Bible.
What is the message in James 5?
James touches on bits of all the important points he has been explaining in the preceding chapters and then gives his final remarks highlighting the point of this epistle – Faith with Action. He concludes by stating that Christianity is all about Loving God in the way of serving people.
Christian Living is a thing, and as long as we are on this earth, we are to live a life that glorifies God by preparing ourselves to meet Jesus when he returns. Until then, there will be trials and tribulations, but Christians are to endure all of them with faith while loving and serving others.
James 5 commentary and Bible study can be divided into three main parts or three main themes.
- Caution to the Profane Rich (James 5:1-6)
- Patient Perseverance During Afflictions Until Jesus’ Return (James 5:7-12)
- Christians Should Live a Life of Prayer and Service to Others (James 5:13-20)
We will cover an easy-to-understand commentary with bible study and practical lessons from this chapter.
1. Caution to the Profane Rich (James 5:1-6)
James 5:1-6 (NKJV) – “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”
In this scripture portion, James is warning about the consequences of being greedy and going after riches. This passage is for the rich who do not prioritize God over their lives.
The consequences do seem bad for those people, and it is a clear indication that going after the temporal riches of this earth in light of the return of Christ is not a wise thing to do.
The Bible mentions some rich people like Abraham and Barnabas, but the important point to highlight here is the attitude of their hearts toward God and riches.
Barnabas gave away his riches to help the early Christians to endure the persecution. During those times, there was nothing as “yours” and “mine”; everything was “ours” as one family united in Christ.
On the other hand, Abraham left everything in his father’s house and obeyed God to go to a place where God called him to go. The obedience signified his priority towards God and his complete dependence on God, which blessed him wherever he went.
Abraham’s life is the perfect example of the scripture Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), which says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
When Abraham prioritized God, all the earth’s riches were added to him wherever he went. This scripture not only talks about seeking God’s kingdom but also His righteousness. That is exactly what James is explaining too! The profane rich go after riches and oppress God’s people. On the other hand, Barnabas shared his wealth with God’s people. Going after righteousness to live a life acceptable to God is very important.
James explains how God listens to the cry of the oppressed. The Hebrew translation for Lord of Sabaoth can be understood as “the Lord of armies.” God is in war with satan, and anyone who follows the qualities of satan should keep in mind that they cannot get away with it. James says God will not resist the profane rich!
This is a warning to even those who cut corners, take advantage of people, do not return to them what is theirs, or withhold the money of other people. When dealing with others, being in the right standing with God is essential.
Lessons from James 5:1-6
What can we learn from James 5:1-6? We can learn three important lessons from this passage explaining the first theme of James 5: Caution to the profane rich.
- People who go after riches but do not prioritize God and oppress others will pay a heavy price.
- It is essential to have the right attitude toward God and His people
- When Christians focus on God first and go after His righteousness, blessings will follow as a byproduct.
2. Patient Perseverance During Afflictions Until Jesus’ Return (James 5:7-12)
After warning the profane rich, James reiterates a few things he already mentioned in the previous chapters and gives some new insights.
Teachings from James 5:7-12 can be further divided into sub-sections, each explaining different aspects of Christian Living. Let’s discuss each section in detail.
James 5:7-8 Meaning and Explanation (Bible Study with Commentary)
James 5:7-8 (NKJV) – Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits patiently for the earth’s precious fruit until it receives the early and later rain. So you should also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord, is at hand.
James has given the essence of true Christain living in these two verses. As Christians, we must preserve patience all our life while preparing for the Lord’s coming.
This can be understood in two ways, so we should answer these two questions.
- What does patience in affliction mean?
- James says that there will be afflictions throughout a Christian’s life, but you will be victorious with patience. No one is exempted from afflictions, and patience is the main ingredient required during those times.
James gives the example of the farmer who waits patiently for the early and the latter rain. For the farmer, waiting for the rain is positive anticipation, in other words, faith for a good harvest. So likewise, for Christians waiting for the Holy Spirit’s prompting/direction is positive anticipation or faith toward their victory.
Christians can’t have patience without faith during their trials. Again, this goes back to the main focus of James 1, where James spent a reasonable amount of time explaining the importance of patience and the role of faith in developing patience in a Christian’s life.
It is important to remember James’ point of view when he gives the example of the farmer. The farmer does not just sit and wait for the rain; he does all the things necessary for the rain to do its work for the harvest. He plows the land, seeds it, and nurtures it ahead of time for the rain to do its job.
In the same way, Christians need to prepare the soil of their heart with the right scriptures, mindset, and prayers….actively working towards their goal while waiting patiently for victory. James explains that patience is not passive waiting but active waiting.
How does James say we should wait for the coming of the Lord?
James says Christians should patiently persevere through the many trials in preparation for the coming of the Lord. There will be many tribulations for a Christian apart from the general struggles of being human. First, they will be persecuted for believing in Christ.
Amid all the pressures and struggles, Christians should work towards being without sin while waiting patiently for the Lord’s coming. Christians should preserve to live a life that will translate the scripture Matthew 5:21 (NKJV), “His Lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
Lessons from James 5:7-8
What can we learn from James 5:7-8? We can learn five important lessons from this passage explaining the second theme of James 5: Patient perseverance during afflictions until Jesus’ return.
- There will be afflictions throughout your life.
- It is important to wait with faith during afflictions for a positive outcome.
- Patience is not passive waiting but active waiting.
- Not only will Christians face many afflictions of being human but also the many persecutions of being a Christian.
- Christians need to live a sinless life amid the pressures of this world while waiting patiently for the Lord’s coming.
James 5:9 Meaning and Explanation (Bible Study with Commentary)
James 5:9 (NKJV) – “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!”
In continuation to patient perseverance under pressured circumstances in this world, while preparing ourselves for the Lord’s coming, James again picked up on the topic of conflict among fellow Christians, which he addressed in James 4. He is talking about leading a sinless life by not giving into the temptation of complaining and grumbling about other believers while waiting for the Lord’s coming.
Hardships entice Christians to give in to their carnal self. But Christians are to be mindful of not letting that temptation overpower them. James explains time and time again the principles required for Christian Living.
James is cautioning Christians that grumbling can be a cause for condemnation. He says that the judge is standing at the door. God is not far away, ready to return anytime, and Christians should not give any reason to be condemned.
Christians should keep the below scripture right in the forefront.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (NKJV) – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
Jesus will not only judge the world but will also evaluate the adherence of Christians based on the principles laid down in the Word of God.
Lessons from James 5:9
What can we learn from James 5:9? We can learn four important lessons from this passage explaining the second theme of James 5: Patient perseverance during afflictions until Jesus’ return.
- Hardships can entice Christians to give in to their carnal self.
- Christians are not to grumble or complain against fellow believers. Reflect on your attitude towards other believers, especially during hardships.
- Grumbling can be a cause for condemnation.
- Jesus will judge Christians for their adherence to the principles in the Word of God.
James 5:10-11 Meaning and Explanation (Bible Study with Commentary)
James 5:10-11 (NKJV) – “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
James encourages Christians to take courage from the prophets who patiently endured their suffering. This is such valuable encouragement for all Christians, even today. This reminds us to keep reading and meditating on the word of God, which is full of excellent learnings from the journey of all the prophets.
James is uplifting the Christians by counting the prophets who endured as blessed. By saying this, James is encouraging the Christians that they will also be counted as blessed if they endure their trials with patience. This is something that James had explained in detail in James 1. He reiterates the importance of patient endurance to blessing.
James specifically talks about Job from the old testament. The story of Job is excellent encouragement while informing the Christians that Christian life is not all bed of roses. The more righteous a Christian is, the more the focus of the powers of principalities on them.
Satan does not like Christians loving God with all their heart, soul, and mind and will do everything possible to take them away from the presence of God. Job is the greatest example of that. The story of Job explains how righteous and God-loving Job was and how satan plotted and took everything away from him to take him away from God.
But Job persisted with patience in every single trial he faced. He patiently endured when his wife, children, and friends left him. He patiently endured when his body was full of sores with immense itchiness and pain. He patiently endured when all the riches, including his house, were taken away. That is the price he was ready to pay to be with God.
The story of Job ends with a double portion blessing with the restoration of everything he had lost. That is the greatness of God! When Christians patiently persevere till the end, God, who is excellent with His compassion and mercy, not only restores but also blesses with a double portion.
Christians can be confident in this scripture, Psalms 34:19 (NKJV), “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Lessons from James 5:10-11
What can we learn from James 5:10-11? We can learn three important lessons from this passage explaining the second theme of James 5: Patient perseverance during afflictions until Jesus’ return.
- Be encouraged by the patient perseverance of the prophets from the Bible.
- Christians who patiently endure are counted as blessed.
- God restores a double portion to those who endure till the end.
James 5:12 Meaning and Explanation (Bible Study with Commentary)
James 5:12 (NKJV) – “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.”
This is a profound verse! What does James 5:12 mean in the Bible? James points out that Christians should communicate authentically without needing reservations like oaths, vows, or pledges.
In that case, does the Bible forbid oaths? James explains that Christians should be trustworthy enough, not needing any oaths. Oaths are required for those people who have to prove their authenticity. Therefore, the Bible forbids Christians from taking any oaths because people who follow the Bible would be known by their Godly character of love, trust, and authenticity.
What does it mean in the Bible when it says to let your yes be yes, and your no be no? How do you let your yes be yes and your no be no? This can be understood in two ways.
First, Christians should stick to their words. If they commit to something, they should follow it; if they cannot, they should be upfront and let the other person know they cannot. This statement rules out any diplomacy, vagueness, misleading someone with false information, manipulating, playing politics, and lying. Remember that Christians are accountable to God for everything.
Second, Christian lives should portray authenticity. Christians should live in a way that others should feel a sense of trust and security in the words of a Christian.
Regardless of what Christians go through, they should live an authentic life away from sin and malice. They should be able to patiently persevere, being truthful and trustworthy all along the way while waiting for the coming of the Lord.
Lessons from James 5:12
What can we learn from James 5:12? We can learn three important lessons from this passage explaining the second theme of James 5: Patient perseverance during afflictions until Jesus’ return.
- Christians should live a life of authenticity that does not require any oaths.
- Christians should always speak the truth and be trustworthy regardless of their circumstance.
- Christians should stick to what they say and not mislead others with their words.
- Lying, diplomacy, vagueness, manipulation, and playing politics – are all ruled out of a Christian’s life.
- Even pressured circumstances should not hinder a Christain’s authenticity in their words or deeds.
3. Christians Should Live a Life of Prayer and Service to Others (James 5:13-20)
From the previous verses, we can gather that James explains the importance of authenticity, which links to this passage which further explains the importance of serving others. He lays a foundation for Christian Living and community to love God and love people.
James 5:13-20 Meaning and Explanation (Bible Study with Commentary)
James 5:13-20 (NKJV) – “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the church’s elders, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover many sins.”
James explains what the Christian community is all about! And also explains how Christians are to live together and be there for one another.
James explains the how-tos for the community by touching on two important points.
- Prayer of faith that gets Results
- Serving fellow Christians
Let’s elaborate on both these points.
- Prayer of faith that gets Results
What does James say about prayer? James gave so much importance to prayer that it amazed me! James’ explanation will answer the following questions:
- How do you pray for healing?
- What is the most powerful prayer for a miracle?
- What is the prayer of faith according to James 5:15?
- How do faith and prayer work together?
- What is the most powerful prayer for healing?
- How do I activate God’s healing power?
- What is the most powerful prayer for healing in the Bible?
The foundation of every Christain’s life is based on FAITH. Having an unshakeable belief that God will come through in your circumstance! Complete submission of the situation to God with the assurance of an outcome is faith.
Faith is the main ingredient during trials when asking God for wisdom when praying for divine health and healing! But what is divine health and healing? Is it just health for the body? James explains the prayer of faith very clearly in James 5:15. When the ingredient of faith is included in prayer, God will heal the whole person – body, soul, and spirit! James says that God will not only save the sick but also raise the sick person and forgive their sins. That is the power of faith! That is divine health and healing!
James is advising Christians to pray for everything.
- Pray when you are suffering. (James 5:13)
- Call the elders and get prayed if sick (James 5:14)
- Pray with others when in sin (James 5:16)
- Pray effectively and fervently (James 5:16)
So many unique insights about prayer! James says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much! What is the fervent prayer of a righteous man? Dictionary meaning of fervent is having or displaying a passionate intensity. It is very important to have a passion for prayer and then to pray passionately. But what does effective mean? The dictionary meaning is successful in producing a desired or intended result.
What other teachings did James give on effective prayer? James gives the example of Elijah’s prayer, how he prayed passionately that it does not rain and his prayer was fervent and effective because it did not rain for three years and six months. Then he prayed again and indeed produced the result he was praying for.
2. Serving fellow Christians
Christianity is all about loving God and loving people. James has given some clear instructions about the importance of loving people to serve them. When James says that if anyone is suffering, they are to pray, that also means for one another. Not only is a Christian to pray for himself, but if he knows that anyone in the Christian community is suffering, they should pray for him. That is the moral responsibility of a fellow Christian.
Many Christians do not believe in praying for others as they have many doubts about themselves and others.
They have questions like:
- Who has the gift of healing? Do I actually have one?
- What is the significance of laying on hands? Am I significant enough to do that?
- How do I receive healing from Jesus? I myself don’t know how to receive healing. How do you walk in divine health? How can I pray for others without knowing that?
These are a few of the many doubts and lies satan tells Christians and stops them from living in the potential God has for them. As disciples of Christ, every Christain has the gift of healing, every Christian has the gift of faith, and every Christian can lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. As a disciple of God, you are significant! You can receive your healing by faith which is already inside of you.
We see this firsthand information coming from the mouth of Jesus Himself in Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Christians should stop doubting their faith and significance as a disciple and start exercising the gift of faith and healing already residing in them. There is power in praying together and for one another.
How does prayer bind us to God? What happens when we pray together? James says that prayer binds Christians together to overcome struggle, to celebrate their wins, to overcome sickness, to overcome sin, to get results, to get effective in their prayer that gets results, and to be fervent in prayer.
In the preceding verses, James talks about authenticity in a Christian’s life through words. James says Christians’ words should be a yes or no, not anything else. This authenticity is important to build trust in a community. It is important to create that haven to be able to serve one another.
In James 5:16, James specifically talks about Christians confessing their sins to one another and praying for one another so that they can be healed. Being authentic creates an environment of safety and trust. So that other Christians can easily share their deepest concerns about living life in this fallen world. This verse can be understood in two ways.
James 5:16 can mean that Christians are to share the areas they are struggling with in sin, and the Christian community is called to support each other, stand up for each other, pray and encourage the Christian to come out of that sin so that they can be healed of that sin. So James 5:16 is a call for the community!
It can also mean that Christians are to resolve their conflicts by asking for forgiveness and praying with each other to receive emotional healing.
In James 5:18-19, James informs Christians that if anyone wanders away from the truth or is in the path of backsliding; but someone turns him back, the person who turns them back not only turns the sinner from their wrong way but also saves the soul from death and covers a multitude of sins! This is great encouragement and reward for Christians to understand the impact of saving a wandering soul.
As Christians serving other Christians, our primary focus must be to help Christians be in Christ! Either in the way of encouraging other Christians through fellowship, prayer, and community or in a way to get wandering Christians back on track. This is the moral responsibility and duty of a Christian community! It is the way of loving God by loving people!
Lessons from James 5:13-20
What can we learn from James 5:13-20? We can learn eleven important lessons from this passage explaining the third theme of James 5: Christians Should Live a Life of Prayer and Service to Others.
- Faith is the main ingredient during trials.
- When the ingredient of faith is included in prayer, God will heal the whole person – body, soul, and spirit.
- Christians are to pray for everything – when suffering or in sin.
- Call the elders and get prayed if sick.
- Confess your sins to one another and pray for each other to be healed.
- Pray effectively and fervently.
- Prayer binds Christians together to overcome struggle, celebrate their wins, overcome sickness, overcome sin, get results, get effective in their prayer that gets results, and be fervent in prayer.
- Resolve conflicts by asking for forgiveness and praying with each other to receive emotional healing.
- Christians’ main focus must be to help Christians be in Christ by encouraging other Christians and working towards bringing Christians on the path of backsliding back to Christ.
- Christians who turn people who are sidetracked back to Christ not only turn the sinner from their wrong way but also save the soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
James 5 Bible Study Tools
If you want James 5 Bible Study Questions based on the commentary above, you can download James 5 bible Study pdf.
If you want all the life lessons from James 5 Commentary in one document for reflection, you can download James 5 Life Lessons
If you are interested in James 1 bible study guide, then you can get the following helpful James 5 bible study tools.
James 5 Commentary Spurgeon – Commentary on James (Spurgeon Commentary Series)
James 5 Commentary John Macarthur – James: Guidelines for a Happy Christian Life
James 5 ends the book of James in a significant way:
- It talks about not going after riches but going after God and loving His people.
- It talks about not grumbling against each other but living authentically with one another.
- It talks about the importance of prayer and the importance of praying with togetherness.
- It talks about the power of effective and fervent prayer and how we have access to it by faith.
I have learned so much by doing an in-depth study on James 5 through this commentary and Bible study.
What is your main takeaway from this commentary and bible study on James 5? Please comment below.
Also, be sure to read:
- James 1 Commentary Bible Study: Enduring Trials through Patience and Visiting the Orphans and Widows.
- James 2 Commentary Bible Study: Living a Life with No Discrimination.
- James 3 Commentary Bible Study: Taming the Tongue with Heavenly Wisdom
- James 4 Commentary Bible Study: Encouraging Christians Not to Live in Strife with Other Christians.
