Day 222 – Thursday, November 6, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

James 5

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ 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. ⁴ 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. ⁵ You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. 

(James 5:1–6, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• James opens this chapter with a warning of the troubles that will come on the church.
• The problem is not just the evil outside the church, but the corruption and laxness of a materialistic church. Those who refuse to deal fairly with employees and customers will be judged, and the church will not move forward in that type of environment.
• Living in pleasure and using others to get riches is wrong in the eyes of God.

Be Patient and Persevering

⁷ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸ You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

⁹ Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! ¹⁰ My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 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.

¹² 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. 

(James 5:7–12, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• James moves from the discussion of the pursuit of riches to a discussion of waiting patiently for the coming of the Lord.
• While we wait, we should not be grumbling against others, for the righteous Judge is coming soon! Instead, be patient like the prophets, knowing His coming is soon.
• One other instruction follows: do not swear! Simply let the yes be yes, and your no be no.

Meeting Specific Needs

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ 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. ¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. 

(James 5:13–18, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• James then offers one of the clearest manuals for praying for the sick in the entire Bible.
• He says that those who suffer should pray, those who are happy should sing.
• But those who are sick should call for the elders of the church. The elders should pray over the sick, anointing them with oil. He then makes a powerful statement: “the prayer of faith will save the sick.”
• There have been erring opinions on both sides of faith. Some say that with faith, anything you ask will be done. Others say that we have no control, that God decides everything. The answer lies somewhere between these two opinions.
• Love and serve God, know His will, and then you will pray according to His will. Then, what you ask will be done. But never doubt the power of God to heal, to deliver, to save.
• Pray for others to be forgiven of their sins and they can be forgiven.
• Pray like Elijah, in faith, and see the rain stop, or see it start. Prayer is the most powerful tool of the Christian!

Bring Back the Erring One

¹⁹ Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, ²⁰ let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. 

(James 5:19–20, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Finally, James speaks of the believer who strays and wanders from the truth.
• Turn him or her back to God and right belief and faith.
• You may be saving a soul from certain death and dest

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.