July 22, 2002
BaptistWay Bible Study for Texas lesson for Aug. 25
The strength of a church depends on relationships
_____By Kristi Kinard and Ronnie Prevost
_James 5:7-20
___7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
___10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
___12 Above all, my brothers, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.
___13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
___17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
___Coworkers were once overheard saying, "Look busy, the boss is coming!" A work ethic like that not only leads to fraud but also probably will not produce a good, well-respected business.
___There certainly is a lot of busy-ness in many churches today, but should a church be busy just for the sake of being busy? If not, what should a church be like?
___In this passage, James declared to his readers and their churches, "Be patient, Jesus is coming." He also commands church members--in anticipation of Jesus' coming and through hard times--to put cooperation before complaining (vv. 7-11), to be trustworthy in communication (v. 12), to trust God in prayer (vv. 13-18) and to work at being a community of redemption and restoration (vv. 19-20). What would our churches be like today if they were characterized by obedience to those commands?
___For first-century Christians, the patience James was calling for was more difficult than any of us can imagine. In verses 7-9, James was encouraging churches to have a patience (submitting without grumbling) that would keep them persevering despite being persecuted in many forms. For them, the return of Jesus would bring an end to their suffering.
___James used images from agriculture and from Jewish tradition. The first was of a farmer who patiently waits for the autumn and spring rains. These rains were important to every farmer. The former (in October and November) enabled the sown seeds to germinate. The latter (in April and May) stimulated the seeds to grow and mature. The farmers could not harvest the crop until after the spring rain.
___The patience of farmers under these circumstances is quite demanding and requires much endurance. Many in Texas --and especially farmers and ranchers--understand the patience required when enduring long periods of suffering from a drought and can appreciate this analogy.
___The image from Jewish tradition is found in verses 10-11. There James used as examples of this same kind of endurance the prophets and Job.
___Job was an innocent sufferer who wondered why his life had taken such a tragic turn. His wife encouraged him to "curse God and die." His integrity was questioned by three "friends" who had all the pat answers (that did not work).
___Job struggled with his questions, but he refused to turn away from or blame God. Job answered with steadfastness. Finally, God spoke and redeemed Job.
___Paul talked about such perseverance in 1 Corinthians 9:24 when he stated we should "run in order to obtain the prize." Paul mentioned all the things he suffered through and endured. And he knew his faith had grown through those trials.
___During difficult times such as persecution and drought, churches need both patience and perseverance to do their best for God. Through all this, faith can be deepened and strengthened.
___Also, James is reminding his readers who were suffering that, as one can see in Job 42:12, God's ultimate purpose is to lift us up.
___When people suffer, like wounded animals, they sometimes lash out at others--even those who are not only innocent but also are closest to them. Maybe this was happening among the first-century Christians to whom James was writing, because he exhorts readers not to grumble against and quarrel against each other. Neither complaining nor fighting among Christians would stop persecution or hasten the return of Jesus. Actually, in those tough times they needed each other more than ever.
___Churches today can find themselves in difficult times due to circumstances beyond their control. Economic trends, population shifts, even natural disasters can cause churches to experience losses of membership and leaders, decline in finances or damage to or loss of a building. Unfortunately, some churches in such situations find themselves mired in controversy because members blame each other. Certainly this harms the witness of those churches in the communities in which they serve.
___But there are churches whose witness brings glory to God. Those churches that prevail through difficulty are always marked by a fellowship that has drawn together through trust, prayer, patience and cooperation.
___Their mutual need required them to be trustworthy in their communication with each other. This seems to be the intent of verse 12 in which James commands against swearing. The words used are words quite similar to Jesus' words in Matthew 5:34-37.
___This was in reference to the first century practice of supporting what one said by swearing or making a vow. God is excluded. It was as if the individual had all the ultimate control over a situation.
___Such foolish speech and living does not reveal God's purposes nor give God glory. It is a matter of integrity. Integrity is the evidence of moral courage and sign of a new life in Christ. All of what a Christian says and does is important--especially in our relationships.
___For the early churches, trust that rose from integrity of speech and deed were basic to the cooperation they so desperately needed. These would be vital if they were to encourage one another and so that one's faith could build up the faith of the other. A church that has that kind of fellowship can stand against anything.
___When things are going well in a church, trustworthiness remains important to relationships. For example, when we promise to pray or do something for someone, we have made a covenant that we must uphold. If we fail to do what we promised, we have broken that agreement and bond of trust.
___We are called to pray and confess to each other. How often do we promise people we will pray for them and then forget to do so? The quality of communication in our churches should be such that when we say something others can truly trust and depend on us.
___Whether during trying times or happy times, the true key to persevering would be through prayer. It is a source of strength to those who are weak and a resource in helping one break the cycle of oppression. But as James tells us in verses 13-18, we must pray trusting God to respond. And we must be ready to hear, see and act when God does respond in ways we do not anticipate.
___It all has to do with our faith in God and our submission to Jesus Christ as Lord. A prayer of faith is not one that asks God to rubber stamp our wishes. Rather, it says to God--as Jesus taught us to pray--"Your will be done." Then the one who prays waits with patience, trust and faith.
___In dealing with prayer, James also addresses the issues of healing and confession. In verses 14-16, James directly refers to those who are physically sick. The sick are to ask the church elders to anoint and pray for their healing.
___The Greek word for "elder" could simply refer to a respected older person. Of course, in Acts 20:17 and 28, we see Paul referring to the elders of the church at Ephesus also as "bishops" or "overseers," terms often understood today as synonymous to the role of pastors. Which of these James intended is unclear, but it is not the core issue.
___The source of power in prayer is not the people who lead in prayer; nor is it the particular words said. The source of power is God.
___Certainly, at times of illness, prayer is important. Here the praying of elders showed solidarity with the sick by being with them and going to their home. The anointing in the name of the Lord represented the hope one has in the healing power of God's presence. It was a symbol, and the focus here is not the anointing itself, but the prayer.
___This is not to teach that God cures every fatal illness. However, we are responsible for encouraging and restoring one another in our churches. That is why James mentions confession of sin in the same context as healing.
___The first-century culture to which James was writing had little scientific understanding of physical illnesses. They assumed that any sickness had a spiritual base. So, James understood, any physical healing must be accompanied by a spiritual healing as well.
___ Today we have a different understanding of the nature of physical illness. But James' words speak to us nevertheless. The patience and cooperation with each other to which James calls churches will be rooted in a ministry of restoration, reconciliation and prayer.
___Where complaining divides, confession unifies. In confessing we acknowledge not just the fact of our sin, but also its depth and breadth. It prepares us to pray for one another and to forgive. Forgiveness then provides healing, helping build trust and solidarity between us. This way we show not an attitude of judgment, but the same compassion as Jesus Christ. This way the sinner also is led away from self-destruction.
___As Christians we are commanded to be a people of love, solidarity and perseverance until the return of Christ. Likewise, our churches should be witnesses to the reconciling power of God as fellowships of patience, trust, encouragement and cooperation, faithful prayer, healing and restoration.
___Kristi Kinard is graduate of Baylor University and is a master of arts in family ministry student in the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin-Simmons University
Questions for thought and discussion
___ How else should the body of Christ be like a farmer? Is there a different analogy you would use? If so, why?
___ What makes you impatient about others in your church? What should be your attitude in such situations?
___ Do you struggle with prayer or find it easy? Do you believe prayer changes God's mind or only our feelings? Does prayer affect the outcome of a situation, or have you lost all confidence that it will make a difference?
___ How would you describe the prayer life of your church? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? What can you do to be a positive influence on your church's prayer life?
___ What are some things that drive people away from their church? Do you know of someone who is estranged from your church? What can you do to be a part of the restoration of that relationship?
Learning activities
___ Hand out hymnals to five class members (or divide the class into five groups and give a hymnal to each group). Assign one of the five lesson topics to each person or group. Define the topics as: patience, cooperation, trust, prayer and restoration. Ask the class to find hymns in the hymnal that teach us or challenge us to grow as Christians in terms of their given topic. (Hint: remind them that most hymnals have a topical index of hymns they contain.) Ask them to look at all the verses of the hymns. Ask each person/group to share the hymns and the challenges they present and connect them to the appropriate verse(s) in James 5:7-20. Lead the class in a discussion of how your church can grow as related to each topic.
___ Ask the class to pray together the Lord's Prayer or Model Prayer. Ask the class to identify and discuss ways the five lesson topics (patience, cooperation, trust, prayer and restoration) are touched on by Jesus in the way he taught his disciples to pray and how this can provide a model for a church and relationships among its members.
___ Give each member of the class an index card and a pencil. Remind the class that James 5:16 calls us to confess to one another. Then ask those who feel comfortable doing so to share with the class which of the five lesson topics (patience, cooperation, trust, prayer and restoration) they struggle with the most and why this is a struggle for them. Ask each class member to write on their index card the topic they struggle with. Ask them to write under the name of that topic a prayer regarding that topic. Suggest their prayer include confession, repentance, a plea for help and a commitment. After the class is done, lead them in a time of silent prayer.
The Baptist Standard
News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.
Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!/ Signup for FirstLook