This week we
will study the entire Book of James in the New Testament.
Introduction:
1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude and the Book of James are classified in early church history as General Epistles, as they are not addressed to a single congregation. In the case of James, the author addresses the “Diaspora” — the twelve tribes scattered among the nations. The Book of James is believed to be one of the earliest epistles written when the majority of believers were still Jewish (note also the reference to the synagogue where Jewish Christians also attended during the early part of Christianity). While the Bible mentions several men named James, it is believed that the author of this epistle was none other than the brother of the Lord (Matt. 13:55, Gal. 1:19) who had become a very important and authoritative figure in the early church.
Because of the emphasis on “work” in this letter, some believe that James appeared to promote “salvation by work”, to the point that even Martin Luther called it an “epistle of straw”. He reluctantly included it in his version of Canon, leaving it to the very end.
This letter appears to be a loose collection of many thoughts, and it is hard to trace any continuous thread that links the various teachings in the letter. However, 1:26-27 seems to be the central thesis of the letter. What follows does fall into the two emphases of this central thesis of “true religion”, namely, the positive emphasis on caring for the needy, and the negative emphasis on keeping oneself from being polluted by the world and reining in one’s tongue. Hence, my suggested division of the book below is as follows:
1:1—Greetings
Trials and Temptations:
1:2-12—The Necessity of Faith being Tried
1:13-18—Proper Recognition of Temptations
1:19-25—Proper Response to Temptations and Trials
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1:26-27— What True Religion is:
2:1-13—Favoring the rich is sin 2:14-26—The Inseparability of Faith and Work 3:1-2—Tongue and perfection 3:3-8—Tongue as tool for destruction 3:9-12—Tongue and divisions: Curses 3:13-18—Tongue: Wisdom and peace 4:1-10—Tongue: Divisions and pride 4:11-12—Tongue: Slanders and judging 4:13-17—Tongue: Boasting and bragging 5:1-6—Warning to the rich |
Final Words
5:7-11—Patience in the midst of trials
5:12-20—No swearing, keep praying and restoring!
(1) How did James, the Lord’s brother address Him in his letter? What does this tell you about who Jesus is? (See Jn. 7:5)
(2) Why did James choose to address trials right away in his letter? (Read Acts 8:1 to get a sense of the persecution faced by the early church, especially in Jerusalem.)
(3) Apart from persecution, what kinds of trial might be common to Christians (including you)?
(4) James points out that “trials” have their purposes for Christians. What are they?
(5) Do trials necessarily achieve these purposes? Why or why not?
(6) How important is it to ask for wisdom, especially in times of trial?
(7) When we ask the Lord for wisdom, especially in times of trial, what must we believe? (1:6)
(8) In vv. 9-10, James talks about the trial presented by a change in one’s financial circumstance. What presents a greater trial: Going from poor to rich, or from rich to poor? Why?
(9) James encourages us to face trials from two aspects:
a. What is the negative aspect given in vv. 10-11?
b. What is the positive aspect given in v. 12?
(10) Which of the two aspects appeals more to you? Why?
(11) Can you honestly consider the trial(s) you face as “pure joy”? (v. 2) Why or why not?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (James 1:2)
“Suffering is a real bond, an encouragement to greater love, and the basis of spiritual perfection and godliness. Listen to the one who says, 'If you want to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation' (Sir. 2:1). And again Christ said, 'In the world you will have tribulation, but take courage' (John 16:33). And again, 'straight and narrow is the way' (Matthew 7:14). Everywhere you see suffering being praised, everywhere it is accepted as necessary for us. For in the world there is no one who wins a trophy without suffering, who has not strengthened himself with labors and dieting and exercising and vigils and many others things like that. How much more is that true in this battle!”
(Chrysostom, from Cramer’s CEC, ACCOS, 5)
(1) The Greek original uses the same word for “temptations” and “trials”. How can one determine whether a trial is also a temptation?
(2) In the trials of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, and of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11, what defines them as temptations in terms of the source and the purpose?
(3) “When tempted”
(1:13) can be read in the “present middle” voice, which is reinforced by these
words, “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire” (v. 14). Try to use specific aspects of one recent temptation that you faced
(or are still facing) to remind yourself of the dangerous path of temptation.
a. You are "dragged away by ... [your] own evil desire and enticed". What was that desire? How did it come about? How did you allow it to drag you away and entice you?
b. The "desire has conceived": What does it mean that the desire becomes "pregnant" within you?
c. "It gives birth to sin": What is the sinful act that is being committed?
d. When sin is "full-grown": What does this mean? How does it manifest itself?
e. It "gives birth to death": Death obviously points to the loss of spiritual sensitivity, a cut-off of fellowship with God and more. What does “death” look like in your case?
(4) Why would anyone seek to blame God for their own demise? (vv. 13, 16) Have you?
(5) James associates the following with God: (a) Every good and perfect gift is from above, (b) He is the Father of the heavenly lights and (c) He is never changing. How may such a reminder help us in times of trial, including temptation?
(6) Two kinds of
birth are being mentioned here (v. 15 and v. 18). Contrast the two in the following terms:
a. How the birth comes about (in particular, in terms of conception)
b. What each gives birth to
(7) While death is conceived by evil desire, the first fruits (of new life) are conceived by the Word of God. Therefore, our attitude to the latter is of utmost importance.
a. It is certainly important that we “humbly accept the word planted” in us (v. 21): According to vv. 22-25, how may we allow the word to be (a) accepted, and (b) firmly planted in us?
b. How may you apply this to your reading of God’s word, especially to your daily devotion?
c. How may it help you get be rid of “all moral filth and evil”?
d. Between our attitude toward the word of God and the facing of temptations, James mentions the need to listen quickly and react slowly in speech and anger:
- Listening likely refers to God’s word (v. 18 and v. 21ff): What is meant by listening quickly?
- In times of trials (or being made angry), we are often tempted to react with angry words that we will regret later. How best can you “manage” your immediate reaction practically?
- Mull over v. 20 carefully. If I say, “When you burst out in anger, even if you are right, you are wrong already”, what is your response?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (Jas. 1:15)
“If we sin when we are drunk with pleasure, we do not notice it. But when it gives birth and reaches its goal, then all the pleasure is extinguished and the bitter core of our mind comes to the surface. This stands in contrast to women in labor. For before they give birth, such women have great pain and suffering, but afterwards the pain goes away, leaving their bodies along with the child. But here it is quite different. For once the wicked child called sin is born, we are in pain as we realize the shame to which we have given birth, and then we are pierced through more deeply than any woman in labor. Therefore, I beg you right from the start not to welcome any corrupt thought, for if we do so the seeds will grow inside us, and if we get to that stage, the sin inside us will come out in deeds and strike us dead by condemning us, in spite of all our confessions and tears. For there is nothing more destructive than sin.”
(Chrysostom, from Cramer’s CEC, ACCOS, 12)
(1) According to 1:27, what are the marks of a “pure and faultless” religion?
(2) In contrast, according to 1:26, what is the mark of a “worthless” and “self-deceiving” religion?
(3) What is the message behind such a seemingly non-symmetrical contrast?
(4) While James is not trying to define what true religion is, he definitely has in mind certain important follies he seeks to correct in the church and among the believers. Read the following verses to get an idea of why he says that not keeping rein on one’s tongue amounts to a “worthless” religion: 1:20; 3:9;14; 4:11, 16; 5:12. Do you agree with his verdict?
(5) The care for orphans and widows is a much repeated admonition of the prophets which was grossly neglected by the people of God. Jesus also accused the Pharisees of the same sin (Matt. 23:14; Lk. 20:47). Both Acts 6:1 and 1 Timothy 5:9 show that there were numerous widows and caring for them was an important emphasis of the early church (and likely championed by James). What is the church’s attitude towards orphans and widows these days? What is your attitude toward them?
(6) The Diaspora Jewish Christians lived in a Greco-Roman world with customs that were not only paganistic but immoral; being polluted by the world was a real concern. How would you describe the world around you and what are the most challenging areas you face in terms of pollution of your faith?
(7) The orphans and the widows are
representatives of the poor among them, and James urges us to show the poor mercy (v. 13)
instead of favoritism (2:1). Consider the following questions knowing that favoritism even happens in the modern-day church:
a. What “evil thoughts” are being manifested by treating the rich differently in the church (v. 4)?
b. In a way, James is saying, in vv. 5-7, that we should be the last ones to discriminate against the poor. In what ways are his arguments valid? Does it mean that we should favor the poor? (See Exod. 23:3; Lev. 19:15)
c. Many believe that James proposes salvation by work, i.e. the keeping of the law. How does his argument in vv. 8-11 show that salvation by work is impossible?
d. How did Jesus demonstrate that “mercy triumphs over judgment”?
e. How then should we demonstrate that “mercy triumphs over judgment” in treating the poor, especially those we might consider “poor by choice”?
(8) What is the main message to you today and how can you apply it to your life?
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (Jas. 1:27)
The word “religion” (thrēskeía) is rarely used in the Scriptures and the reason is understandable. “It means religious worship in its external observances, religious exercise or discipline, but not to the exclusion of reverence” (WCNT, VI, 25).
In other words, the general connotation is one of outward piety that is often void of a true relationship with God. Note the two other times that the word is used in the Scriptures by the Apostle Paul: In Colossians 2:18, he refers to the worship of angels, and in Acts 26:5, he describes his former Pharisaic religious zeal. In both cases, the word is used in a pejorative sense.
James follows the same pejorative
understanding and points out that it is really useless to have a sense of being
religious, especially if one does not rein in his tongue. Again, he is pointing to the futility of
simply having an external form of worship or observances which is void of inner
reality. In highlighting the tongue as
the most important expression of one’s inner reality, he is in tune with the
biblical teaching which admonishes us to “Keep thy heart with all diligence;
for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23, KJV). Ultimately, what is in our heart slips out through our mouth.
James follows up and points out what “true religion” is before God our Father, but he is not so much giving “a definition of religion or religious worship, but only a pertinent illustration of the right spirit of religion which leads to such acts” (WCNT, quoting from Hort). It is a theme he develops in detail in the rest of his letter.
Therefore, the best way to describe our faith in Christ is perhaps to avoid the use of the term, “religion”, and use “relationship” instead. James, as the earthly brother of Jesus, demonstrates this in his letter when he twice addresses the brother he used to reject (Jn. 7:5) as “the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1) and as “our glorious Lord Jesus Christ” (2:1). It appears that James would continue to stay in Jerusalem and worship in the temple until he was stoned to death by the High Priest, Anna, in AD. 62 (Josephus, Antiquities, 20.9.1). To the Jews, he might have maintained his religion — that of Judaism, but there was a drastic change in his relationship with Jesus; He is no longer his earthly brother, but his Lord, his Christ.
(1) Consider the example given about a brother or sister without clothes and daily food:
a. How would the self-claimed believer demonstrate that he might have faith?
b. How did he, at the same time, demonstrate that his faith is dead?
c. What is meant by “dead faith” is this case?
(2) James uses a hypothetical situation in v. 18 with a person saying, “You have faith and I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds, I will show you…” How will you complete this statement as a direct contrast? How did James complete this statement? Why didn’t James complete the statement by saying, “I will show you my deeds without faith”?
(3) What kind of faith do the demons have? What kind of faith the demons do not have?
(4) What kind of faith is James against then?
(5) In supporting his argument, James uses Abraham as an example by quoting from both Genesis 15:6, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness”, and Genesis 22 in which Abraham obeyed God and was willing to offer his son Isaac on the altar:
a. What does he mean by saying that the credit of righteousness in Genesis 15:6 was “fulfilled” by the action in Genesis 22?
b. Based on this, what conclusion does James make concerning justification in v. 24?
(6) In trying to reinforce his point, James cites one more example with Rahab (Jos. 2):
a. What was the reason that Rahab chose to rescue the spies from Israel? (Jos. 2:11)
b. Which came first? Her faith in God or her action in hiding the spies?
c. What would you say is the relation between her faith and her action?
(7) James then draws his conclusion again in v. 26. In the analogy of the body and spirit to faith and deeds, what corresponds to the body? What corresponds to the spirit? Can a person’s body and spirit be separated when he or she is alive?
(8) Read
carefully Ephesians 2:8-9. What conclusion(s) can you make concerning these verses and today's passage?
a. James contradicts Paul’s teaching of salvation by grace through faith.
b. James clarifies Paul’s teaching in this respect.
c. James and Paul essentially are in agreement.
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (Jas. 2:17)
The controversy of whether James advocates “justification by work” is one that spans over the last 2,000 years in Christendom, and I do not pretend to hold any special insights in this matter. It is safe to say that most conservative scholars do not consider James as advocating “justification by work”. The following points are worth noting in this respect:
(1) The kind of “dead” faith that James is against, as he himself cites the demons as an example, is the kind of faith that is purely intellectual, without affecting the inner life of a person. As James says very clearly, “Even the demons believe that — and shudder” (Jas. 2:19). Indeed, the demons have no choice but to believe, because they know that God does exist. Theirs is a purely intellectual recognition and it has nothing to do with saving faith (2:14) which definitely involves repentance (Acts 2:38). Paul would be the first to agree with him.
(2) Throughout his argument, James is not disputing justification through faith (he clearly cites Gen. 15:6). He only ties faith and action together (2:17, 18, 20, 22, 26) and concludes that faith is made complete by deed, or in the case of Abraham, his being credited with righteousness through faith was fulfilled by his action of offering Isaac on the altar. However, the question remains, was James advocating faith “plus” work, in order that righteousness is credited?
(3) This is answered by the hypothetical challenge by the person in. v. 18: “show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds [by what I do]”. The logical contrast of “faith without deeds” should be “deeds without faith”. The fact the James says, “I will show you my faith by what I do” reinforces the absolute “must” of faith, because there can be no deed that pleases God without faith. Deeds issue out faith and not vice versa. Therefore, it is not faith plus work that earns one’s righteousness, but by the grace of God through faith that comes from Him which, if genuine, will definitely issue work as proof that we are saved. Even in the final analogy of body and spirit, we know that both the body and spirit come from God and not of ourselves!
3:1-12—The tongue
(1) Desiring to be an “overseer” is a noble task (1 Tim. 3:1). Why then does James exhort us not to presume to be “teachers”? (A simpler rendering of the original Greek is, “not many teachers please!”)
(2) What is the common pitfall of one who loves to teach others? What reason does James give to warn teachers?
(3) Do you agree with his statement in v. 2? Why or why not?
(4) James backs up his statement in v. 2 with two analogies: A horse and its bits, and a ship and its rudder in vv. 3-4. What are the commonalities in both analogies? How do they support James’ claim in v.2?
(5) Then James uses a forest fire in the third analogy:
a. What are the main points he wishes to point out about our tongue?
b. Why does he say that the consequence of an evil tongue is a fire set on by hell?
(6) Do you agree that the tongue is harder to tame than any kind of moving living beings?
(7) In what ways are the tongue a “restless evil, full of deadly poison”?
(8) What other examples from nature does James use to exhort us not to praise God and yet curse men? Does it have anything to do with worthless religion?
3:13-18—Wisdom
(9) How should true wisdom be manifested? (v. 13)
(10) How is false wisdom manifested and what is its origin? (vv. 14-15)
(11) What are the Siamese twins of “envy and selfish ambition” according to v. 16?
(12) In emphasizing the source of true wisdom being from heaven, what are the marks associated with it?
(13) Which of the marks does James reiterate in v. 18 and why?
(14) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (Jas. 3:17)
While we know that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10), yet we like to associate wisdom with knowledge in everyday life. How do we gain knowledge? Well, we tend to give more respect to those who have more academic degrees, who graduate from elite colleges, and those who have great achievements in life. We like to listen to them; we like to read their works; and we like to watch their interviews.
But that is definitely not how the Bible defines where true wisdom is from. James gives us very clear pointers to recognize those who do not have wisdom. If you see someone who harbors bitter envy and selfish ambition, he or she is not wise (3:14). While sometimes bitter envy and selfish ambition may not be easily detected, the lack of humility and deeds that lead to disorder will be more observable (3:13, 16).
On the positive side, James gives us the marks of true wisdom which include being pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. This might be a surprise to many, especially those in the world, but this shouldn’t be a surprise to Christians, because these are the marks of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, the next time you wish to seek wisdom from someone whom you think is wise, the most important question to ask is, “Is he or she Christ-like?”
Of course, an even more important question we should ask is of ourselves, “Am I being Christ-like?” If we are, we are certainly wise!
vv. 1-6—The Problem
(1) Since this is a “general epistle” not addressed to any one particular congregation, why would James talk about “fights and quarrels” among believers as if he had a specific church in mind?
(2) Let’s try to understand what desires James is talking about:
a. How strong are the desires? (vv. 1-2)
b. How much do they covet? (v. 3a)
c. What is the final goal or purpose for their desires? (v. 3b)
(3) Why would such desires cause them to be “adulterous people”?
(4) How does James define their adultery in vv. 4-5?
(5) What is James’ advice by quoting from Proverbs 3:34?
vv. 7-10—The solution (which obviously is to be humble), mentioned twice (vv. 6 and 10)
(6) In exhorting them to humble themselves before the Lord, James lays down four aspects:
a. Submit to God: Within the context of fights and quarrels, what does it mean?
b. Resist the devil: What part does the devil play in fights and quarrels among believers? What will happen once we resist the devil?
c. Come near to God: How important is this advice and what is the promise being given here?
d. The above three steps appear not to be enough and James added the following. Why?
- Wash your hands: What does it mean?
- Purify your hearts: How important is it in being humble?
- Grieve, mourn and ... Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom: What do they point to in terms of dealing with sins and their grave, destructive consequences?
(7) The promise that “He will lift you up”: How does it point to the desires that have led to fights and quarrels in the first place?
vv. 11-12—The sins associated with fights and quarrels
(8) What is the most common tactic used in fights and quarrels as pointed out by James?
(9) What has “slandering” to do with “judging”?
(10) What is the basis in which we judge our brothers and sisters in Christ?
(11) How should we use the law (of God) according to James in v. 11b?
(12) There are two aspects to judging: (a) to form an opinion as to right or wrong, and (b) to pass sentence as to what such wrongs deserve. Which one do you think James is referring to? both?
(13) When does forming an opinion turn into “slandering” or “judging”?
vv. 13-17—About Tomorrow
(14) From what is being described in v. 13, the person is a rather responsible person in that he appears to have thought through his plan, counted the cost and mapped out his plan in detail. What then is wrong with him, as a believer?
(15) James is obviously not against planning, and so he gives us advice as to how we should make plans for tomorrow in v. 15. What does this advice entail and what is its underlying attitude towards God?
(16) According to v. 16b and v. 17, what if we plan for tomorrow without such an attitude?
(17) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.”’ (Jas. 4:7)
In his relentless attack against those who cause fights and quarrels in church, James invites them to repentance, reminding them that God “gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6) as he quotes from Proverbs 3:34.
James is also aware that such fights and quarrels would have caused tremendous harm to the church. How then can such people bent on arrogance and divisiveness be able to renounce their sins and return to God? In asking them to humble themselves, to wash their hands (i.e. to change), to purify their hearts (through the Word of God), and to deeply grieve for their sins (and what their sins have caused), he gives them two tremendous promises:
1. Resist the devil and he will flee from you: We naturally have a sense of fear when it comes to Satan, but the Scripture says “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 Jn. 4:4). James tells us that once we put up a fight with the devil (and not with our fellow Christians), he will flee at once! As gravely sinful as fighting and quarreling with one another are, once we decide to stop, the devil loses his grip on our embattled heart and flees. We are able to have victory over any kind of sin.
2. Come near to God and He will come near to you: In order that we can leave our sin for good, we need to come back to God. As grievous a sin as these people have committed and as deeply as they have obviously hurt the body of Christ, James assures them that forgiveness awaits them; they can come near to God again, and He will definitely come near to them as well. What a glorious promise! Whether we are drawing near and back to God after we have sinned, or simply having the desire to draw close to Him, He has promised us that He will be there, waiting for us, waiting to embrace us. This is the God we have in Jesus Christ. What are you waiting for then?
vv. 1-6—Warning the Rich
Since this is a letter addressed to the Diaspora Jewish Christians, it appears that some of them were rich people whose faith was not accompanied by any repentance:
(1) What is the particular sin James is accusing them of in vv. 2-3?
(2) How would you define the sin of hoarding?
(3) Why does living in “the last days” make the sin of hoarding even more wicked?
(4) The charges in vv. 4-6 are very severe indeed:
a. Is living in luxury necessarily a sin? In their case, what has made it a horrible sin?
b. Apart from the injustice of unpaid wages, James accuses them of also wrongful condemnation and murder of the innocent. Many scholars opine that James is accusing the filthy rich in society in general. However, if this were the case, he would have said something like, “Do not be like the rich in the world…”; also note that such crimes were punishable under the Roman Law. The main accusation, therefore, appears to be bullying the poor who had no means or recourse to oppose them legally. Can you think of similar situations in today’s society where powerful people or corporations take advantage of the working poor who have no means or recourse to protect themselves? How might Christians participate in such crimes knowingly or unknowingly?
vv. 7-11—Be Patient: As we see or suffer under the injustice of the rich, James exhorts us to be patient:
(5) What is the first point raised by James about patience?
(6) What has it to do with farmers waiting for seasonal rain?
(7) In times of injustice of whatever kind, it is most easy to grumble:
a. Why would we be judged for our grumbling?
b. How does Romans 12:19 echo James teaching in v. 9?
(8) James assures us of the compassion and mercy of God using examples from the prophets, in particular, the example of Job:
a. What kind of suffering did Job endure? (Job 1)
b. What was the final outcome of his patient waiting before the Lord? (Job 42:5, 12-17)
vv. 12-19—Final Words
(9) No swearing (v. 12)
a. What would prompt us to swear?
b. Instead of swearing, what are we to do? Why?
(10) The Christian’s proper response in trouble and in happiness (v. 13)
a. What are we most likely to do in trouble? What should we do?
b. What are we most likely to do in good times? What should we do?
(11) What we are to do in sickness (vv. 14-18)
a. What is the purpose of calling an elder to come, pray and anoint with oil?
b. Does it mean that we do not have to see doctors? Why or why not?
c. If sickness is related to sin, what should we do?
d. How does James assure us of the certainty and power of prayer?
e. Have you experienced the power of prayer?
(12) What are we to do with those who wander from the truth?
a. In dealing with those who wander from the truth, a confrontation is normally needed. Even if it is needed, what is its purpose?
- to nail (expose or discredit) the person
- to seek his restoration
b. Why?
(13) As we come to the end of the Book of James, spend some time going through your notes or journal, and highlight the main messages you may have learned. Translate your thoughts into a prayer of response.
“Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover a multitude of sins.” (Jas. 5:20)
As we come to the end of the Book of James, we might get a sense that James is relentless in his attacks against sin.
While he opens up his letter acknowledging the current hostile situation faced by these Diaspora Jewish Christians, he launches right away into warning double-minded believers telling them not to expect anything from the Lord (1:7). With a vivid depiction of how we can fall into temptation, he insinuates that a good part of our problem is in not looking intently into the Word of God.
His rebuke increases in intensity as he addresses the favoritism given to the rich even within the church, and he launches his most passionate attack on faith without works, a controversy which lasts even today.
The rebuke on an unreined tongue spills over to fights and quarrels among believers, charging them with covetousness that leads to, if not amounts to killing (4:2).
The rebuke against the rich borders on a bias against anyone who is wealthy (5:1-6)!
However, it is so easy to overlook that in the midst of these rebukes, the message of mercy is a repeated one and that is the way he ends his letter as well, as he says, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back” (5:19). In other words, when he says, “mercy triumphs over judgment” in 2:13, he is not saying it to shame them; he is saying what he is practicing all along.
In ending his letter this way, he is teaching us a very important lesson: All rebukes and even discipline have one main goal in mind, and that goal is not to nail the sinner, but to restore him. As much as his attacks on sins and sinners are harsh, with these last words, he shows that whatever he says has only one purpose in mind and that is for them to repent and be restored. What a great lesson! What a great apostle!