Bible Study - Class meets on Thursday from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM CST.

[LadyLionness]

My question is, what do you consider as the "rich Christians?"

Now, at first glance... I am thinking this does not apply to me.  But then in verse 2, he starts to talk about hoarding... and remembering what God says about if you have two shirts, give one to a person who doesn't have any... so...now I am guilty.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Now, at first glance... I am thinking this does not apply to me.  But then in verse 2, he starts to talk about hoarding... and remembering what God says about if you have two shirts, give one to a person who doesn't have any... so...now I am guilty.

I'm very guilty. 

My sister used to shop nonstop.  She now has stopped because of some thing similar she learned from her Bible group.  She said as long as she has a roof over her head and bills are paid then she is fortunate enough.   

[BoyRescue]

Now, at first glance... I am thinking this does not apply to me.  But then in verse 2, he starts to talk about hoarding... and remembering what God says about if you have two shirts, give one to a person who doesn't have any... so...now I am guilty.

I think we have to define what hoard is.  Hoard is defined as:  an accumulated store hidden away for future use.

I have two shirts, but I don't hid it away for my personal use.

[LadyLionness]

Part of the reason why we don't feel that this really applies to us is because James had two purposes for Christians when he wrote this passage... one is that ...his Christian readers are suffering many trials, including economic hardship from persecution by the rich (2:6-7).

These suffering Christians would be easily tempted to become discouraged, resentful, vengeful, jealous and covetous, and so to become just as thoroughly corrupted by materialism as are their rich oppressors.

The first intended effect on the Christian readers, then, is encouragement from the fact that judgment will come to the rich, so the sufferers may leave that judgment to God and so persevere in righteousness without envying the rich.

The second intended purpose is warning: judgment does come upon such sin, so they should be careful to avoid becoming materialistic themselves.The Coming Misery of the Rich (5:1-3)

[LadyLionness]

James went on to explain that the rich will find their hoarded wealth rotted, their fine clothes moth-eaten and their treasured gold and silver corroded (images that recall Jesus' words in Mt 6:20). James gives vivid and terrible images of the destruction of their wealth, indicating that the rich will experience horror and despair over their loss. They will weep and wail in misery. The rich will lose everything they have devoted themselves to and everything they have relied upon. Theirs will be the despair of people who discover their dreams and treasures destroyed forever.

If the rich were only misguided in devoting themselves to their wealth, this first misery would be enough. But there is a second level to their misery: the destruction of the wealth will consume the rich people themselves. The imagery expresses forcefully that their sin has been a deliberate pursuit of evil. Literally, James says, the rust or corrosion on the gold and silver will be the active agent against the rich. The corrosive action will take two forms: first to testify against the rich (acting as evidence of their guilt) and then to eat their flesh like fire (acting as punishment for their sin).

There are, then, three miseries specified for the rich: despair from losing their wealth, guilt from the evidence against them and horrible pain from being devoured in the judgment upon them.The Specific Sins of the Rich (5:3-6)

As I delve into this, I remember the time that my husband did my laundary incorrectly and I was very angry with him.  I forbid him to ever do my laundary again. 

[LadyLionness]

James 5:7-77  talks about being patient and Persevering... we should all have fun with this one.

[BoyRescue]

Just for clarification "rich people" is defined as having more than two shirts.  Can you provide the bible verse for this?  This way we have a Bible reference to it.

[LadyLionness]

Just for clarification "rich people" is defined as having more than two shirts.  Can you provide the bible verse for this?  This way we have a Bible reference to it.

That's just my own conviction... there is a verse about if you have two shirts and someone have none... give him one. 

[LadyLionness]

Just for clarification "rich people" is defined as having more than two shirts.  Can you provide the bible verse for this?  This way we have a Bible reference to it.

I am not saying that  is the definition of what a rich person is...

[LadyLionness]

"Therefore..." makes definite the connection with the preceding paragraph; the picture of sin and judgment is the fresh motivation for telling the brothers now to be patient. Be patient? What an incredible command to give after the preceding portrayal of offenses! "Be outraged" is more what we would expect. But James has not lost his moral perspective in the midst of his moral passion. He has already expressed his outrage, but his concern is still for purity among the Christians, and he discerns the danger of falling into sin here. James is practicing his own counsel from 1:9-15, recognizing the danger of temptation in the midst of trials inflicted by rich oppressors. He does not tell his readers to compete with or fight against the rich for their wealth, because it would be horrible to become drawn into the materialism of the rich and so to come under the same divine judgment.

James's other alternative might be to say, "Give up in despair, for the situation is hopeless; all the power is in the hands of the rich." This, too, would be falling into sin; it would be an affirmation of the values of the rich, saying that their materialistic power is the only goal to live for.

Be don't want to be like the world, and attacking them does no good... so James extort us to be patient.

[BoyRescue]

I am not saying that  is the definition of what a rich person is...

Generally speaking, then what or who is considered a "rich person?"  I think in order to understand what James is speaking about it would be good to establish who is a "rich person."  If not, this could applied to King David, King Solomon, and etc.

[WindComeWindBlow]

Lord, thank you for today's message.  I pray that you continue to teach us and humble us as your faithful servants.  Give us the patience and push us through every situation, Lord.  As we go on in our daily routines, remind us that we need to constantly seek you for understanding and wisdom.  Lord I praise you for LL and Boyrescue for their conviction and dedication to bring us together to study your words.  Thank you Lord for your love.  In Jesus' name, Amen. 

[BoyRescue]

Being rich is not a sin.  Having in abundance is not a sin.  It's a blessing.  The motive and intent of your wealth is what determines whether it is sin or not.  In the case of James 5:1-6, it describes the rich as hoarders.  Hoarders is defined as: an accumulated store hidden [intent]away for future use [motive].  This describes the intent and motive of the riches.  If there is any Christian guilty of this it's because of the intent and motives of their riches.

[LadyLionness]

Being rich is not a sin.  Having in abundance is not a sin.  It's a blessing.  The motive and intent of your wealth is what determines whether it is sin or not.  In the case of James 5:1-6, it describes the rich as hoarders.  Hoarders is defined as: an accumulated store hidden [intent]away for future use [motive].  This describes the intent and motive of the riches.  If there is any Christian guilty of this it's because of the intent and motives of their riches.

BoyRescue,

I really like this.  I was confused about this too because I have seen some well-to-do Hmong people who don't seem to abuse it or hoard it.  And then I think about Solomon and David... and Job .... and Abraham... they were rich too. 

I have heard many people preaching and saying that in order to be Christlike, we ought to live poorly.  A few years back, I was praying and was reminded by God that he does bestow richness on people so we need to ask him. 

[LadyLionness]

"Therefore..." makes definite the connection with the preceding paragraph...

As I am re-reading James Chapter 5 to see if there's anything that I wanted to add or discuss in greater details and I gained a new insight.

Combining what BoyRescue wrote about being rich and James telling us to be patient and wait for the fruits... and tying it back to a few chapters back about how we don't have because we don't ask or we ask for the wrong reasons.  The insight I gained is that we are not to be jealous and compete with the people of the world, but we are to ask God and while we are waiting patiently for him to produce fruits, we are to tend to the garden faithfully and lovingly. 

If we ask and God give it to us right away, then we don't learn the value of working hard and earning our reward as God has been trying to teach us.  David was not a spoiled little boy being waited on hand and foot because his older brother was a general...he was working hard as a shepard boy.  And we are to do the same.  While we are waiting upon God, and trusting in him with an unwavering faith... we are to tend our sheep (congregation, our work, projects, accounts, clients, or even just our products we are producing in the assembly) faithfully and diligently.