Tiago 5

Tiago 5

Poole - As much as God honoured and loved them, yet they were not exempted from afflictions, but were maligned, traduced, and persecuted by men, 1 Kings 18:13; 19:14; 2 Kings 6:31; Amos 7:10; Hebrews 11; and therefore when they suffered such hard things, it is no shame for you to suffer the like, Matthew 5:12. Steven Cole on the prophets - I recently read through Jeremiah, who is certainly an example of suffering and patience. I can’t imagine preaching all of your life, as Jeremiah did, with only negative responses to your ministry. It’s hard enough to take occasional negative comments about a sermon, or to see people walk away from your ministry from time to time. When that happens, you tend to question yourself, to make sure that your heart is right before God and that your message is faithful to His Word. But if you only had negative responses, year in and year out, it would be tough to keep going. But Jeremiah kept proclaiming God’s truth. In addition to the negative responses, Jeremiah also suffered physical persecution. He was beaten, put in the stocks, imprisoned, and thrown into a muddy cistern. He had to contend with false prophets who told the people what they wanted to hear, which was directly opposite to Jeremiah’s message that they needed to hear. To the very end, Jeremiah’s audience brazenly rejected his message, calling him a liar (see Jeremiah 42:1-43:13)! Yet in spite of all of these setbacks, as he saw Jerusalem in smoldering ruins, Jeremiah could write the amazing words (La 3:22-24), “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’” Like the psalmist, Jeremiah knew that if God is your portion, you have it all, though you have nothing else. Read the Old Testament and learn patient endurance from the prophets. (James 5:10-11 Patient Endurance) Take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord - To speak in the name of the Lord signifies with His inspiration and authorization as His designated messenger. The prophets spoke as representatives of the Lord which is why they were persecuted. James is saying take these examples and place them before your mind's eye for your edification and encouragement when you experience suffering. In his bold sermon before the angry Jewish audience the "prophet" Stephen declared You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. 52 “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 7:51-52+). Comment - Stephen's audience did not take take or receive Stephen's words and stoned him, giving an extreme example of persecution. Take (2983)(lambano) means literally to take or grasp. In the present context lambano is used figuratively meaning to take to oneself, to one's mind, James' reference to the OT prophets accepting their words as authoritative, true and accurate and letting them guide them and encourage them. Jesus alludes to the example of the prophets several times... “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice (present imperative) and be glad (present imperative), for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Mt 5:11-12+) “Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, (Mt 23:34+) “For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, (Lk 11:49+) Prophets (4396)(prophetes from próphemi = tell beforehand from pró = before, forth + phemí = speak, tell) is primarily a forth-teller or one who speaks out God’s message (cf in His Name), primarily to their own generation, usually always calling the people to God's truth for them at that moment, often using the phrase "Thus saith the Lord." "As distinct from the sacral figures of pagan antiquity the biblical prophet is not a magician. He does not force God. On the contrary, he is under divine constraint. It is God Who invites, summons, and impels him--e.g., Jer 20:7" (Lamorte and Hawthorne) Take Jeremiah, for example. God called him as a teenager in a small town. After he preached his first sermon, his family attacked him. After preaching in Jerusalem, the religious establishment persecuted him. He was beaten, thrown into prison, and dumped into a muddy cistern to die. Yet Jeremiah endured. The prophets weren’t some race of super-men. They were human, yet they learned to accept suffering with a persevering dependence. (See Ro 15:4+) Lord (2962) see note above on kurios. Kurios is used 12 times in James - Jas. 1:1; Jas. 1:7; Jas. 2:1; Jas. 3:9; Jas. 4:10; Jas. 4:15; Jas. 5:4; Jas. 5:7; Jas. 5:8; Jas. 5:10; Jas. 5:11; Jas. 5:14; Timothy Beougher - New England preacher Phillips Brooks was known for his poise under pressure, but close friends knew he struggled with impatience. One day a friend, seeing him pacing, asked, “What’s the trouble, Dr. Brooks?” The great preacher replied: “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”....There is much injustice in the world today. The Bible tells us that God will not settle all wrongs in the world till Christ returns. Therefore we’re to patiently endure. To do that, we must: Meditate on the sovereignty of God. Impatience is an implicit denial of the sovereignty of God. Meditate on the certainty of Christ’s return. Reflect on the consequences of impatience. If it involves another person, remember that you’re of like nature. Reflect on your own weakness; it will make your ability to be patient more effective. Steven Cole on Christian Biographies (I COMPLETELY AGREE THAT SOME OF THE BEST CHRISTIAN WRITINGS I HAVE READ HAVE NOT BEEN THEOLOGY BOOKS BUT CHRISTIAN BIOGRAPHIES WHERE YOU CAN SEE FLESH AND BLOOD PUT ON THE BARE BONES OF THEOLOGY - DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. THEOLOGY IS GOOD BUT BIOGRAPHIES ARE ALSO WORTH READING. SEE LINK ON PRECEPTAUSTIN - Christian Biography) - Church history is given for our instruction—read it! Someone has said that if you are ignorant of history, you are doomed to repeat its mistakes. Knowing the history of the church and the lives of the great men and women in church history will help you immensely! Overall, I’ve grown more spiritually through reading Christian biographies than from any other source. I have an article on the church web site, “Mining for Gold,” that goes into more detail than I can here, but here are four lessons that I have learned from reading the giants of the past. *First, Christian biographies have given me a sense of my spiritual heritage. It helps me to put our times and my own circumstances in perspective. It reminds me of the price that others have paid (often with their blood) to hand the torch of the gospel to me, and that I must hand it off faithfully to the next generation. *Second, Christian biographies give me great examples to follow. When I see how faithful men in the past stood firm in the midst of controversy or persecution, how they held firmly to God’s Word when under fire, it encourages me to do the same. *Third, Christian biographies give me theological perspective and balance. We all tend to be more influenced by our time and culture than we are aware. This was also true of the men from the past, but they were in a different time and culture. So they often help you to see blind spots that you would otherwise miss. Also, when generation after generation of godly men proclaim the same truths, such as the doctrines of God’s grace in salvation, you realize that they were all reading the same Book! These truths have strengthened and sustained the saints in every age. Reading their biographies helps me to stand firm when these truths are under fire in our day. *Fourth, Christian biographies give me an understanding of people and of myself. I see that even great men of God had their shortcomings and faults, and yet God used them mightily. This is not to excuse my own faults, but it helps me realize that God can and will use me in spite of my imperfections. By reading of some of the mistakes that these great men made, hopefully I can avoid the same. By seeing how they trusted God against overwhelming trials, I’m encouraged to follow their examples. So read the godly examples of the prophets and read Christian biographies! Related Resource: Pastor Steven Cole's list of Christian Biographies and short comments - excellent resource James 5:11 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. NET James 5:11 Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and you have seen the Lord's purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. GNT James 5:11 ἰδοὺ μακαρίζομεν τοὺς ὑπομείναντας· τὴν ὑπομονὴν Ἰὼβ ἠκούσατε καὶ τὸ τέλος κυρίου εἴδετε, ὅτι πολύσπλαγχνός ἐστιν ὁ κύριος καὶ οἰκτίρμων. NLT James 5:11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. KJV James 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. ESV James 5:11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. ASV James 5:11 Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful. CSB James 5:11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful. NIV James 5:11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. NKJ James 5:11 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. NRS James 5:11 Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. YLT James 5:11 lo, we call happy those who are enduring; the endurance of Job ye heard of, and the end of the Lord ye have seen, that very compassionate is the Lord, and pitying. NAB James 5:11 Indeed we call blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, because "the Lord is compassionate and merciful." NJB James 5:11 remember it is those who had perseverance that we say are the blessed ones. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and understood the Lord's purpose, realising that the Lord is kind and compassionate. GWN James 5:11 We consider those who endure to be blessed. You have heard about Job's endurance. You saw that the Lord ended Job's suffering because the Lord is compassionate and merciful. BBE James 5:11 We say that those men who have gone through pain are happy: you have the story of Job and the troubles through which he went and have seen that the Lord was full of pity and mercy in the end. We count those blessed who endured: Jas 1:12 Ps 94:12 Mt 5:10,11 10:22 Heb 3:6,14 10:39 You have heard of the endurance of Job: Job 1:21,22-2:9,10 13:15,16 23:10 have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings: Job 42:10-17 Ps 37:37 Ec 7:8 1Pe 1:6,7,13 2Pe 2:9 the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful: Ex 34:6 Nu 14:18 1Ch 21:13 2Ch 30:9 Ne 9:17,31 Ps 25:6,7 Ps 51:1 78:38 86:5,15 103:8,13 116:5 119:132 136:1-26 Ps 145:8 Isa 55:6,7 63:7,9 La 3:22 Da 9:9,18,19 Joe 2:13 Jon 4:2 Mic 7:18 Lu 1:50 6:36 Ro 2:4 Eph 1:6 2:4 CONSIDER JOB TRUST GOD'S COMPASSION Behold (2400) see note on idou. Note that the revised NAS95 and NET for some reason omit the behold, even though it is clearly in the Greek text. I think that is a mistake, because the Spirit inspired the writing of idou to get our attention! What James is saying is pay attention to the story of perseverance of suffering of Job who underwent incredible suffering and let it sink into your innermost being, to give you encouragement and hope (cf Ro 15:4). We count those blessed who endured - Using we James unites himself with his readers in expressing admiration for those who suffered for righteousness in the past. Indeed, James has already told us "Blessed is a man who perseveres (hupomeno in present tense = "keeps on keeping on" only possible in a man or woman enabled by the Holy Spirit) under trial; for once he has been approved (dokimos), he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him." (James 1:12+) We count...blessed (3106)(makarizo from makarios = blessed from makar = blessed) means to call or consider someone blessed, fully satisfied (independent of circumstances but some writers say because of favorable circumstances) or especially favored. The KJV and YLT translate this verb as "count them" or "call them" happy, but this is misleading. Happiness is a subjective, emotional response and depends on what "happens!" Blessing on the other hand is objective and reflects the "unalterable approval and reward of God." The only other NT use is Luke 1:48+ in "Mary's Magnificat" as she declares "for behold from this time on all generations will count me blessed (makarizo)." Hiebert remarks that "The present tense verb "we consider blessed" declares that it was a common practice to admire a display of such brave perseverance, with the willingness to consider them "blessed," or "fortunate." Makarizo - 12 verses in the Septuagint (Lxx)- Ge 30:13; Nu 24:17; Job 29:10; Job 29:11; Ps. 41:2; Ps. 72:17; Ps. 144:15; Song 6:9; Isa. 3:12; Isa. 9:16; Mal. 3:12; Mal. 3:15 Gilbrant - The Septuagint (Lxx) reflects this meaning when Leah said “the daughters will call me blessed” (Genesis 30:13). Makarizō occurs numerous times with the same sense (Job 29:11; Psalms 41:2; 72:17 [LXX 40:2; 71:17]). Often it is the Lord that “blesses” one, in that He bestows blessings or favors upon men. When the word is used with men as subject, the sense is more often that of counting or pronouncing one to be blessed. The papyri refer to one born under favorable planetary signs as “born under much blessing” Hiebert on those...who endured - They remained bravely under their siege of trials without losing heart and so faithfully endured until the end. Who endured (ESV = remained steadfast; NIV = have persevered) (5278)(hupomeno rom hupó = under, as in under the rule of someone + méno = to abide or remain) means literally to remain under but not just with resignation, but with a vibrant hope. The idea of enduring is not just to "grin and bear it" but to remain under trials in a such a way that we glorify God as we learn the lessons the trials are meant to teach us, instead of seeking ways to get out from under (note the prefix preposition "hupo" = under) the trials and be relieved of the pressure. And so endurance or perseverance is a mark of a person who is genuinely saved for twice Jesus says "the one who endures to the end" will be saved (Mt 24:13+, Mt 10:22), which is known as the doctrine of perseverance of the saints. The point is that the only way one could truly end to the end (especially if they experienced suffering and/or persecution for their faith is by the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit.) Wayne Detzler agrees writing that "True Christian perseverance is not tied to tenacity. It is rather the work of God the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. The starch in a saint's spine is shown by Scripture to be nothing less than the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit." Job is quite an example to consider because the very first verse describes him as a man of peerless character There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless (tam = complete, man of integrity, cf Daniel-Man of Integrity), upright, fearing God and turning away from evil (WHY DID HE TURN FROM EVIL? HE FEARED GOD WITH REVERENTIAL AWE!). (Job 1:1) You have heard of the endurance of Job - In declaring you have heard James assumes his readers are familiar with the OT story of Job and "heard" suggest this may have been at public readings of the OT Scriptures (yes, they did thing like that in those days, instead of flipping on the TV or surfing the Web!). And they likely would have known that Job took the esteemed place with Noah and Daniel as men of righteousness (Ezekiel 14:14, 20+). Earlier James had called his readers to rejoice in trials "knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (hupomone - same word James uses in Jas 5:11) And let endurance (hupomone) have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:3-4+) Job is the prototype for perseverance under trial! Job may have been unclear on why he was suffering but he held firmly to his integrity proving that he was not serving the Lord for the "benefits" of divine blessing. Job 1:21-22 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. (THIS IS AMAZING TESTIMONY GIVEN HIS LOSS OF HIS CHILDREN AND MUCH OF HIS WEALTH). Job 2:10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 13:15 “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. Job 16:19 “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high. Job 19:25 “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Whereas makrothumeo used above is more often patience with difficult people (cf Mt 18:26, 29, 1 Th 5:14+), hupomone generally speaks of patience with difficult circumstances (James 1:3-4+). Lightfoot says makrothumia is “the self-restraint which does not easily retaliate" and hupomone is “the temper which does not easily succumb to suffering." Job is an interesting study because his difficult circumstances also brought 4 difficult people into his life (his wife - Job 2:9, and 3 "less than ideal" "comforters" - Eliphaz Job 4:1-5:27, Bildad Job 8:1-22, Zophar - Job 11:1-20).