James 5:7–12

5:7–9 In light of the economic abuses they were experiencing (“therefore”; v. 7, referring back to 5:1–6), the recipients of James’s letter may have been tempted to despair or to seek vengeance themselves. Neither is the proper course for a Christian, says James. Instead, one must exercise a Spirit-empowered restraint (“patience”), fueled by the comforting assurance that the Lord Jesus will return and set all things right (v. 7). On that day, no one will be able to accuse the Lord of injustice. Every sin will be exposed and judged. Although Christians can draw comfort in knowing that the Lord will punish their oppressors (2 Thess. 1:5–8; cf. Rom. 12:19), may God grant us grace to desire our enemies’ repentance more than their destruction.

Just as a farmer must wait patiently for the rains that will enable his crops to grow and produce fruit, so Christians must patiently wait for the Lord’s return and settling of accounts (James 5:7). James’s reference to “the early and the late rains” is evidence of either dependence on OT language (Deut. 11:14) or familiarity with Palestinian climate patterns.

While patience is sometimes equated with passivity, through his repeated exhortations James makes clear that patience is a disposition that must be willfully embraced (cf. Psalm 73). James calls upon his readers to “establish your hearts” (James 5:8). By “heart” James refers to the innermost part of the person, which will be tempted to wither in resignation or strike out in retribution. Instead, the internal compass of a Christian should be set on the “due north” of the Lord’s return. We can be strong internally, not because we have the means to effect our own justice but because of the imminent “coming” of the all-powerful Judge who is also our Lord (v. 8). A child abused by a bully on the playground will stand taller when he sees the school’s principal approaching.

As believers experience hardship in this world, they are often tempted to grumble against the Lord or against one another. In calling his recipients “brothers” (v. 9), James reminds them that they are spiritual siblings. We all stumble in many ways (3:2), and the temptation of one Christian to grumble against another must be resisted (5:9), even as we, metaphorically speaking, constantly trip over one another in our sins and weaknesses.

James reminds Christians that the coming Lord will hold them accountable as well for their behavior. In essence, James asks if they would rather hear the Lord declare, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21), or “Why have you stirred up strife among your brothers?” (cf. Prov. 6:19). After all, “the Judge is standing at the door,” says James (5:9). In other words, we ought not be bickering children while the authoritative Father stands right outside the door, certainly listening and ready to enter at any moment.

5:10–11 A farmer provides a memorable image of patience (v. 7), but a more direct parallel of endurance amid unjust suffering is found in the lives of the OT prophets (v. 10). James assumes his recipients’ familiarity with the many accounts of mistreatment and suffering of God’s prophets in the OT. By describing these prophets as those “who spoke in the name of the Lord,” James implies that the prophets’ loyalty to God’s word was the impetus for much of their persecution. Similarly, perhaps aspects of the suffering of James’s readers were due to their loyalty and obedience to the Lord. Regardless of what caused the prophets’ suffering, “We consider those blessed who remained steadfast” (v. 11). In other words, we can look back at the prophets’ faithful trust in the Lord through great trial and declare them to be favored by God. Should not their examples inspire us to similar fortitude?

James focuses on one particular OT figure who provides an example of faith amid suffering: Job. A reader of the book of Job may rightly ask, “Did Job really remain steadfast? Didn’t he complain a lot?” Yet, even while fully expressing his lament to God, Job did not take his wife’s advice to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). In the end, even though Job was humbled and faced correction (38:1–3; 40:1–5; 42:1–6), he was commended by the Lord both at the beginning (1:8) and at the end (42:7–8) of the book.

One way that James’s readers are encouraged by the story of Job is to see “the purpose of the Lord” (James 5:11). The Greek for “purpose” is telos, which can also be rendered “outcome” or “goal.” By the end of the book of Job, the patriarch admits that he has learned of the sovereignty and goodness of the Lord (Job 42:5–6), and he also experiences restoration, which for James’s readers anticipates God’s end-time restoration of all things, including his people. Even in great suffering, for which we have no explanation, we know the Lord’s story is not finished, for he will triumph. And, James reminds us, we know that the Lord is “compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).

5:12 This verse begins with the phrase “But above all” (Gk. pro pantōn de). Rather than introducing the most important element of the letter (as a modern reader might expect), this stylized phrase was employed by ancient Greek writers to transition to the final section(s) of their correspondence. A modern English equivalent would be something like, “Now, to wrap things up . . .”

It is difficult to see how the swearing of oaths relates to the preceding or following material in James. We do find a direct parallel to James’s teaching in the words of Jesus (Matt. 5:33–37; 23:16–22), who attacks both casuistry and the lack of truthfulness in everyday speech implied by the need to swear an oath (i.e., the need for an oath implies our normal speech cannot be trusted). How does this relate to James’s letter? When suffering injustice, one can be tempted to protect oneself through deceptive speech. Perhaps James here mentions oaths to call suffering Christians to both endurance of heart and integrity of speech when the pressures of life would lead many to despair or compromise.