In light of passages like James 5:19-20, it amazes me that anyone could believe the Calvinistic teaching that once salvation is obtained it could never be lost regardless of one’s obedience and faithfulness to God.  He’s writing to Christians, and in doing so clearly gives the possibility that “any among you” could “stray from the truth.”  It is a Christian whom James describes as a “sinner.”  It is a Christian whom James says needs to be turned “from the error of his way.”  It is a Christian of whom James says other Christians need to “save his soul from death.”  It is a Christian who, as implied by James, needs to repent and thus “cover a multitude of sins.”  If it is true that once one is saved, one will always be saved no matter what, then why is this passage in the New Testament?… Read More James: Restoring Christians Who Stray

Hospitals didn’t exist back then.  When someone got sick, it was customary for friends or loved ones to visit and treat them.  This is a possible meaning of the directive for elders to “anoint” the sick brother “with oil in the name of the Lord” (5:14b).… Read More James: Elders Anointing With Oil and More…

If we want to let someone know that we’re being honest, we might say something like,“Hey man, I didn’t take the money!  Really!  I swear!” as opposed to simply saying, “No, I didn’t take the money.”  We think that adding “I swear!” will communicate to the hearer this idea: “You can trust me this time, because this time I’m swearing that it’s true.”  Both Jesus and James denounced the hypocrisy behind this fallacious thinking by condemning this type of arbitrary swearing (Matt. 5:34-36; James 5:12a).… Read More James: Keep Your Word

The Christians to whom James had been originally writing were likely impoverished Christians of Jewish ethnicity who were being oppressed by fellow Jews who were wealthy and were withholding wages from them,  as well as killing them (5:1-6).  Yet the instruction which God inspired James to give to these persecuted Christians is note-worthy. Do we react to hardship and oppression in the same ways God instructed them to react?… Read More James: How Should We React to Hardship?

It is not an inherent sin to be wealthy.  With that said, the Bible also teaches that it is difficult for the rich to find salvation (Matt. 19:16-26; cf. 13:22; 1 Cor. 1:26).  One reason for this is due to how easy it is for the rich to focus on their wealth instead of God and His will (Lk. 12:13-21; 1 Tim. 6:6-10, 17).  Another reason, closely related to this, is the fact that many wealthy people give in to the temptation to do sinful things to others in the name of obtaining more wealth.  Such was the case with the rich people to whom James was speaking in chapter 5. … Read More James: The Excoriating Condemnation of the Rich