The Strand Study Bible

Written From Jerusalem (See Acts 12:25)

JAMES 4:15  5:20

2088

15 For that ye ought to say, 1 If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. 16 2 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. 17 Therefore 3 to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 5 A mature Christian will avoid the pitfalls that are created by the love of money Date Written - c. AD 45 1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come 4 upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is 5 cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. 6 Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by 7 fraud, crieth: and 8 the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the 9 LORD OF SABAOTH . 5 10 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6 Ye have 11 condemned and 12 killed the just; and he doth not resist you. The promise of CHRIST’S Second Coming (Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21) 7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the 13 coming of the LORD . Behold, the 14 hus- bandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, un- til he receive the 15 early and latter rain. P 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the 13 coming of the LORD draweth nigh. P 9 Grudge not one against another, breth-

ren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the 16 JUDGE 13 standeth before the door. P 10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the 17 LORD , for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of 18 Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. 12 But above all things, my brethren, 19 swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into 20 condemnation. 13 Is any among you 21 afflicted? 22 let him pray. Is any merry? 23 let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the 24 elders of the church; and let them pray over him, 25 anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to anoth- er, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. 26 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to 27 like pas- sions as we are, 28 and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 29 And he prayed again, and the heav- en gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, 30 and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which 31 con- verteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul 32 from death, 33 and shall hide a multitude of sins.

1. Acts 18:21 & I Cor 4:19 & 16:7 2. I Cor 5:1-2 3. I Sam 3:13 & Lk 12:47 4. Prov 11:28 5. or, “rusted” 6. Rom 2:5 7. Lev 19:13 8. Deut 24:15 9. Rom 9:29 & Isa 1:9 10. Job 21:13 11. or, “exercised the law against the poor” - Mt 12:7,37 & Lk 6:37 12. or, “killed any chances the poor might have of getting ahead” 13. Fulfilled - Rev 19:11-21 (Christ’s Second Coming) 14. or, “farmer” - Lev 26:3-4 15. that is, “fall and spring rains” 16. Gen 18:25 & Jn 5:22 & Acts 10:42 & II Tim 4:8 17. Acts 3:20-24 & 7:51-52 & 10:42-43 & I Pet 1:10-12 18. Job 2:10 & 42:10 19. Deut 23:21-22 & Eccl 5:5 & Mt 5:33-37 20. or, “hypocrisy” - Gal 2:13 & I Pet 2:1 21. or, “troubled” - II Tim 2:9 22. II Chro 16:12 23. Psa 95:2 24. or, “church leaders” - Acts 11:30 25. Mk 6:13

26. Num 11:2 27. Acts 14:15 28. I Ki 17:1 29. I Ki 18:42-45 30. Mt 18:15 & Gal 6:1 31. or, “restores” - Ezk 3:21 32. I Jn 5:16 33. Prov 10:12 & I Pet 4:8

4:15 There are five checkpoints to knowing the will of God for one’s life ( I Cor 2:13 ). Note the order: 1. Know the Word of God ( Psa 119:105 , Prov 6:23 and Jonah 1:1-3) – Information comes before application. 2. Obey the Word of God (Jn 8:30-32) – Application of the information always leads to humility ( I Ki 21:29 ). 3. Practice humility (Mt 11:25) – Humility always leads to possessing the right motive. 4. Possess the right motive (Jms 4:3, I Cor 3:13, II Cor 5:14 and Rev 2:4 ). Possessing the right motive always leads to our prayers being heard (Jms 1:5-6). 5. Pray (Jms 4:2) – In order to get our prayers answered we have to pray (Mt 7:7-11 & 15:21-28, Lk 11:9-13 & 18:1-8 and Job 35:13 ). NOTE – If you don’t know the Word of God, how can you obey it? If you don’t obey the Word of God, how can you practice humility? If you don’t practice humility, how do you expect to possess the right motive? If you don’t possess the right motive, how do you expect God to hear your prayers? If you don’t pray, you don’t get your prayers answered. Understanding God’s will for our