![]() The verb makrothymesate (be patient) describes "self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate a wrong." The Lord’s return is near (cf. in James 5:1-6, but saying this really for the benefit of his Christian readers, who were suffering at the hands of rich persecutors." īecause of the dangers James just expounded, believers should adopt a patient attitude. He seems to be addressing his readers rather than "speaking rhetorically, formally addressing non-Christians in James 1:10 as well as. Here as there I tend to think that James was probably referring to rich Christians. We need this warning too since modern culture values money very highly.Īs with James 1:10, there is a question about whether James was referring to rich Christians or rich unbelievers in this pericope. The Jews’ gift for making money and their interest in this pursuit needed control. James evidently believed that his readers were erring in this area of their lives and needed a severe shock. Therefore James accuses the rich of condemning and killing the just ( James 5:6)." They cannot regain their strength because the rich withhold their salaries. The peasants die because they pour out their strength in their work, but the fruit of their work does not come back to them. For this reason James personifies the salary, seeing it as the very blood of the exploited workers crying out pitifully. for day laborers it was very serious not to find work or not to be paid. However if day laborers do not get their wages daily, they can die. Many Christians have experienced persecution from people who are trying to guard their own financial security (e.g., Acts 8:18-24 Acts 19:23-28). As in James 4:2, James may have been using "put to death" hyperbolically. The oppression of the rich extends to putting to death those who stand in their way even though these people resist the rich righteously. Hoarding, as used here, means accumulating wealth just to have lots of it, for security, prestige, or just selfishness. "The Bible does not discourage saving, or even investing but it does condemn hoarding." God is the Owner of everything, and we are His stewards. You and I may possess many things, but we do not own them. "To lay up treasure in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards of God’s wealth. We should be using our money to get the Lord’s work done, not to enable us to live lives of luxury and laziness (cf. Hoarding wealth is a particularly serious sin for Christians since we are living in the last days, the days immediately preceding the Lord’s return. James warned that the process that destroys gold and silver is the same process that destroys the people who collect these precious metals. Therefore the presence of rust or corroded gold in the rich man’s treasury will bear witness to his unfaithful stewardship of his wealth. Christians should use money, not hoard it. Nevertheless corrosion does the same thing as rust. Probably James had in mind the rich as a class, not exclusively wealthy believers or wealthy unbelievers. It is no longer the careless worldliness of the bustling trader which is condemned, but the more deadly worldliness of the unjust capitalist or landlord." "The persons here addressed are not the same as those addressed in iv. Material misery may be just around the corner (cf. These temptations include a false sense of security, a desire to control others, and personal pride. Nevertheless God’s Word consistently warns the rich of the temptations that financial abundance brings with it. The Bible nowhere condemns the rich for being rich. However, James challenged his rich readers to weep and howl in anguish, not repentance. Rich people are usually happy that they have wealth. ![]() Again James confronted his readers as a prophet (cf.
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