성경 주석서

이 장에서 사도는 가난한 자들을 압제하는 부자들에게 임할 하나님의 심판을 선포하며, 그들의 죄와 어리석음이 하나님 보시기에 얼마나 큰지, 또 그들 자신에게 떨어질 형벌이 얼마나 무거운지를 보여 준다(약 5:1-6). 이어서 모든 신실한 자들에게 시련과 고난 중에서 인내하라고 권면한다(약 5:7-11). 맹세의 죄를 경계한다(약 5:12). 고난 중에 있을 때와 형통할 때 각각 어떻게 행해야 하는지를 가르친다(약 5:13). 병든 자를 위한 기도와 기름 부음을 명한다(약 5:14,15). 그리스도인들은 서로 허물을 고백하고 서로를 위해 기도하라고 지시받으며, 기도의 효력이 입증된다(약 5:16-18). 마지막으로, 진리의 길에서 떠난 자들을 돌이키기 위해 우리가 할 수 있는 일을 하라고 권한다.

이 장에서 소개되는 주제들은 다음과 같다.

I. 부자들에게 하는 말과, 그들이 살아온 방식에 대한 엄한 정죄. 야고보서 5:1-6. 여기서 가리키는 사람들이 누구인지에 대해서는 여러 견해가 있었다.

(1) 어떤 이들은 이 말이 믿지 않는 유대인들에게 향한 것이며, 사도가 위협하는 형벌은 로마 군대에 의해 그 민족에게 곧 임하게 될 형벌이라고 보았다. 그러나 벤슨이 잘 지적하듯, 사도가 자기 편지가 유대인들에게 읽힐 것이라고 생각했다고 보기는 어렵다. 그러므로 그가 이런 방식으로 그들에게 직접 말했을 가능성은 크지 않다.

(2) 또 다른 견해는, 이 부분도 서신의 나머지 부분처럼 유대인이었던 신앙 고백자들에게 보내진 것이며, 그들 가운데 퍼져 있던 잘못들을 책망하려는 목적을 가진다는 것이다. 이 견해를 가진 이들이, 그들 가운데 부한 사람들이 모두 여기 언급된 죄들을 범했다고 보거나, 심지어 그러한 죄들이 그들 가운데 매우 널리 퍼져 있었다고 보는 것은 아니다. 여기 언급된 죄들이 조금이라도 존재했고, 그리스도인의 이름을 지닌 누군가에 의해 행해졌다면 그 책망은 적절했을 것이다. 신앙 고백자들이 이러한 잘못들을 범했을 가능성이 낮다는 점에 관해서는 이렇게 말할 수 있다. 교회 역사에서, 여기 “부자들”에 대해 말한 모든 것이 교회의 일부 지체들에게 적용되지 않는 시기가 있었다면 그것은 매우 드문 일이었을 것이다. 그것은 확실히 노예제가 존재하는 모든 나라들, 종교가 국가와 결합된 나라들, 대중은 가난하고 소수만 부한 모든 곳에 적용된다. 오늘날에도 이 책망이 그 지체들 중 일부에게 적용되지 않을 만큼 넓은 교회를 지상에서 찾기는 어려울 것이다. 그러나 그럼에도 사도들의 시대에, 여기 언급된 압제와 불의를 범하거나 여기 묘사된 방식으로 살던 사람들이 교회 안에서 용인되었다고 보기는 어렵다. 실제로 그런 사람들이 그리스도교 교회 안에 있어 왔고 지금도 발견되는 것은 사실이다. 그러나 가장 분명한 증거가 없이는 그러한 사례들이 사도들의 시대에 있었다고 가정해서는 안 된다.

(3) 그러므로 올바른 견해는, 이 장에서 사도의 목적이 가난하고 압제받는 그리스도인들을 격려하고 굳세게 하며, 부자들의 강요 아래서 불의를 당하고 있던 이들에게 위로를 주는 데 있었다는 것이다. 이렇게 할 때, 먼저 그러한 불의를 저지르고, 재물이 주는 힘을 사용하여 낮은 삶의 자리들에 있는 사람들에게 해를 끼치는 자들에 대한 자신의 견해를 밝히는 것보다 더 자연스러운 일은 없었을 것이다. 그는 이것을 부자들에게 말하는 형식으로 한다. 아마 그들이 자신이 쓴 것을 보리라고 기대해서가 아니라, 그가 편지를 쓰는 대상들, 곧 이 진술이 유익을 주려는 사람들 앞에 그들이 당하고 있던 불의의 본질과, 그들을 압제하는 자들에게 반드시 임할 형벌의 본질을 생생하게 제시하려는 목적에서였을 것이다. 그가 편지를 쓰는 이들이 자기 처지와 화해하게 하거나, 시련을 인내로 견디도록 격려하는 데 이보다 더 효과적인 것은 없었을 것이다. 동시에 이것은 그들이 부자들의 처지를 부러워하거나, 그러한 삶의 방식과 연결된 재물을 바라지 않게 하는 데도 크게 기여했을 것이다.

II. 사도는 이러한 불의 아래서 고난받고 있던 이들에게 인내를 발휘하라고 권면한다. 야고보서 5:7-11. 그는 주께서 오실 것이라는 소망으로 그들을 격려한다. 그는 땅의 열매를 오래 기다리는 농부의 본을 그들에게 제시한다. 그는 그들보다 더 번영한 다른 사람들에 대해 거친 감정과 생각을 품지 말라고 경고한다. 그리고 인내의 본으로 선지자들, 욥의 경우, 그리고 주 예수 자신을 그들에게 제시한다.

III. 그는 맹세 문제와 관련하여 그들 가운데 있던 잘못을 언급한다. 야고보서 5:12. 이 주제가 여기 도입된 것은, 그들이 조급함 때문에 자신을 거칠게 표현하고, 심지어 자신들을 압제하는 자들에게 저주를 내뱉을 위험이 있었기 때문으로 보인다. 이를 막기 위해 그는 그들에게 성미를 다스리고, 대화에서 단순한 긍정이나 부정에 머물라고 권면한다.

IV. 그는 그들 가운데 병들고 고난받는 사람들의 경우를 언급하고, 그들이 무엇을 해야 하는지 지시한다. 야고보서 5:14-18. 병든 사람들의 의무는 기도를 사용하는 것이었다. 건강하고 형통한 사람들의 의무가 찬양인 것과 같다. 고난받는 사람들은 기도해야 했고, 병든 사람들은 교회의 장로들을 불러야 했다. 장로들은 그들을 위해 기도하고, 주의 이름으로 기름을 발라야 했다. 이것은 “종부성사”로서, 혹은 그들이 죽는 것을 염두에 둔 것이 아니라, 그들이 살 것을 염두에 둔 것이었다. 기도하는 사람들의 도움을 이렇게 요청하도록 격려하기 위해, 그는 엘리야의 경우에서 기도의 능력이 나타난 탁월한 사례를 그들에게 제시한다.

V. 장과 서신의 끝에서, 사도는 그들 가운데 어떤 이들이 진리에서 떠날 가능성을 언급하고, 그런 사람들을 돌이키려고 힘써야 할 의무를 촉구한다. 야고보서 5:19-20. 그들이 이것을 하도록 격려하기 위해, 그는 그러한 노력이 성공할 때 뒤따를 중요한 결과들을 말한다. 이것을 행하는 사람은 한 영혼을 죽음에서 구원하는 만족을 얻을 것이며, 잘못에 빠진 형제의 경우라면 그렇지 않았을 때 큰 심판 날에 드러날 수밖에 없었을 많은 죄들을 우주 앞에서 덮게 될 것이다.

The profligate rich are in danger of God's judgments, because of their pride, fraudulent dealings, riotous living, and cruelty, James 5:1-6. The oppressed followers of God should be patient, for the Lord's coming is nigh; and should not grudge against each other, James 5:7-9. They should take encouragement from the example of the prophets, and of Job, James 5:10, James 5:11. Swearing forbidden, James 5:12. Directions to the afflicted, James 5:13-15. They should confess their faults to each other, James 5:16. The great prevalence of prayer instanced in Elijah, James 5:17, James 5:18. The blessedness of converting a sinner from the error of his way, James 5:19, James 5:20.

INTRODUCTION TO James 5

In this chapter the apostle reproves the vices of rich men, and denounces the judgments of God upon them; exhorts the saints to patience under sufferings; warns them from vain and profane swearing, and presses to various duties and branches of religious worship, private and public, and to the performance of several good offices of love to one another. He represents the miseries of wicked rich men as just at hand, James 5:1 because they made no use of their riches, either for themselves, or others, and because of the trust they put in them, heaping them up against a time to come, James 5:2, and because of their injustice in detaining the hire of labourers from them, James 5:4 and because of their wantonness and luxury, James 5:5 and because of their cruelty to the innocent, James 5:6 and such who suffer at their hands are exhorted to exercise patience, from the instance of the husbandman waiting patiently for the fruit of the earth, and the rain to produce it; and from the consideration of the coming of Christ, the Judge, being near at hand, James 5:7 and from the example of the prophets of the Lord, who suffered much, and were patient, and so happy; and particularly from the instance of Job, his patience, the end of the Lord in his afflictions, and his pity and compassion towards him, James 5:10. But of all things the apostle entreats them, that they would take care of profane swearing, and all vain oaths, since these bring into condemnation, James 5:12 and from hence he passes to various exercises of religion; the afflicted he advises to prayer; and those in comfortable circumstances of body and mind to singing of psalms, James 5:13, and such that are sick, to send for the elders of the church to pray over them, and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, whereby not only the sick man would be delivered from his sickness, the Lord raising him up, but even his sins would be declared to be forgiven, James 5:14. And not only it became the elders to pray for sick persons, but also the saints in general, one for another, and to acknowledge their faults to each other, since the fervent prayer of every righteous man is of great avail with God, James 5:16 of which an instance is given in Elias, whose prayer, though a man subject to like passions as other men, against, and for rain, was very successful, James 5:17. And Christians should not only be concerned for the health of each other's bodies, but also for the good of their souls; wherefore, whenever it is observed that any are straying from the path of truth, methods should be taken to restore them, and turn them from the error of their ways; and whoever is the happy instrument of such a restoration is the means of saving a soul from death, and hiding a multitude of sins, James 5:19.

V.

The first six verses, condemnatory of the trust in riches, ought to follow James 4:17 without a break, and thus end the proper division of the Epistle. Our present arrangement of chapter and verse here, as in so many cases, tends to confusion rather than clearness.

Chap. 5 contains five distinct sections; of great interest is the fact that the first two—1–6, 7–11—deal respectively with Jewish and Christian Eschatology; this subject will be dealt with presently; Jam 5:12 is a short section containing an adaptation of some words from the “Sermon on the Mount”; 13–18 deals with the subject of the visitation of the sick in the early Church; while Jam 5:19-20 bring the Epistle to an abrupt termination with a very pronounced utterance upon the Jewish doctrine of works. Each of these sections is self-contained, and it would be impossible to have a clearer or more pointed illustration than this chapter offers of the “patchwork” character of our Epistle.

It will not be necessary, in dealing with the very large subject of Jewish Eschatology, to do more than indicate very briefly its connection with the section Jam 5:1-6 of this chapter; at the same time, a slight reference to its leading ideas is essential, as some of these are referred in this passage; one of these is the punishment about to overtake the wicked—who are often identified with the rich—in the “last days”. Jewish Eschatology, or the “Doctrine of the last things,” is based on the teaching of the O.T. prophets regarding the “Day of the Lord,” or, as the phrase runs, “the last day,” or “last time”; another formula which occurs frequently is “in those days”. “By the time of the New Testament period Judaism was in possession of most, if not all, of its eschatological ideas. These had been developed during the two eventful centuries that immediately preceded the rise of Christianity. It was these centuries which saw the rise of the Apocalyptic Movement with its vast eschatological developments that were essentially bound up with the doctrine of a future life, and a belief in a judgment after death, with rewards and punishments” (Oesterley and Box, op. cit., p. 211). The four outstanding subjects that the doctrine of the last things comprises are: (1) The signs of the approach of the “Messianic Era”—this latter took the place of the “Day of the Lord” in the development of eschatological thought, (2) the actual advent of the Messiah, together with the great events that should then come to pass, viz., the ingathering of Israel and the resurrection of the dead; (3) The judgment upon the wicked; (4) The blessedness of the righteous (Cf. the writer’s The Doctrine of the Last Things). In the passage before us (Jam 5:1-6) three of the above are referred to, viz., the Messianic Era; the punishment of the wicked, and (implicitly) the blessedness of the righteous. In Jam 5:3 the phrase ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις points indubitably to the times of the Messiah; the language is that of Jewish Eschatology based on prophetic teaching (cf. Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1; Hosea 3:5; Joel 3:1; Amos 8:11; Amos 9:11; Zechariah 8:23). In Jam 5:1; Jam 5:3 the punishment of the wicked is referred in the words, κλαύσατε ὀλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ταλαιπωρίαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις: … καὶ ὁ ἰὸς αὐτῶν … φάγεται τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς πῦρ; as illustrating this cf. Book of Enoch xcvi. 8, “Woe unto you mighty who violently oppress the righteous, for the day of your destruction will come; in that time many happy days will come for the righteous, then shall ye be condemned”; xciv. 7, 8, 9, “Woe to those that build their houses with sin …; and those who acquire gold and silver will perish in judgment suddenly. Woe to you, ye rich, for ye have trusted in your riches.… Ye have committed blasphemy and unrighteousness, and have become ready for the day of slaughter and the day of darkness and the day of the great judgment”; xcv. 7, “Woe to you sinners, for ye persecute the righteous …; xcvi, 4, “Woe unto you, ye sinners, for your riches make you appear like the righteous … and this word shall be a testimony against you”; many other similar quotations could be given, the striking resemblance in thought and language with our passage cannot fail to be observed; see further below, Jam 5:1. And lastly, in Jam 5:6, there is an implicit reference to the happiness of the righteous, in the words, κατεδικάσατε, ἐφονεύσατε τὸν δίκαιον· οὐκ ἀντιτάσσεται ὑμῖν; that is to say, the righteous can afford to suffer such ill-treatment because he knows that the time of essedness is coming for him; this is also frequently referred to in the Book of Enoch, e.g., xcvi. 1, “Be hopeful, ye righteous; for suddenly will the sinners perish before you, and ye will have lordship over them according to your desires; 3, Wherefore, fear not, ye that suffer; for healing will be your portion”. The non-mention in our passage of the actual advent of the Messiah by name was characteristic of Jewish usage at certain periods, and is significant here. On the other hand, the section comprising Jam 5:7-11 is wholly Christian; the utterly different tone and language of this, as compared with the section Jam 5:1-6, cannot be accounted for by saying that the one is addressed to the wicked, the other to the righteous; because in the latter there is a distinct reference to those who are in danger of being judged on account of murmuring against one another (Jam 5:9). But there are one or two points whereby the respectively Jewish and Christian form of Eschatology may be clearly discerned. (1) The language on which Jewish eschatological ideas are based is that of the prophets; the section Jam 5:1-6 is steeped in O.T. phraseology; on the other hand, the actual references to the Advent in Jam 5:7-11 are in N.T. language; the O.T. references in this section have nothing to do with the Advent. (2) It is characteristic of Jewish Eschatology that, generally speaking, there is indefiniteness as to when the Messianic Era will be inaugurated; it differs herein somewhat from the prophetical teaching, owing, as a matter of fact, to the rise of apocalyptic conceptions: on the other hand, the Christian, like the prophetical, view of the Advent is that it will take place in the very near future (“… behold the judge standeth at the door”). (3) In Jewish pre-Christian eschatological literature the Messianic Era is frequently depicted without any reference to the personality of the Messiah; on the other hand, in the N.T., it is the rule that when the second Advent is referred to Christ is mentioned under the titles of the “Son of Man” or the “Lord” (cf. Matthew 10:23; Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 16:27-28; Matthew 19:28; Matthew 25:31-33, etc., Php 4:5, ὁ κύριος ἐγγύς, 1 Corinthians 16:22, μαρὰν ἀθά, and see Didache, x. 6, εἴ τις ἅγιός ἐστιν, ἐρχέσθω· εἴ τις οὐκ ἐστί, μετανοείτω· μαρὰν ἀθά. ἀμήν). (4) Besides there being no reference to the personality of the Messiah in the Jewish eschatological section there is the further contrast between it and the Christian section that in the latter the distinctively Christian expression ἡ παρουσία τοῦ κυρίου twice occurs; against this the Jewish section makes use of the distinctively Jewish title for God, the “Lord of Sabaoth”.

It is thus difficult to resist the conclusion that we have here, in the section Jam 5:1-6, a passage which did not originally belong to the Epistle at all, but was taken or adapted from some Jewish eschatological work; it will be generally acknowledged that this section has absolutely nothing specifically Christian about it. That the writer (compiler?) should have incorporated this in his Epistle is quite natural, seeing that he was writing to Jews; equally as natural is it that he should, as a Christian writing to (Jewish-) Christians, add the developed Christian form of the same subject, interspersing it with O.T. references for the sake of his hearers [see further, Bk. of Jubilees, i. 29, Jam 5:12, xxiii. 26–30; Enoch, x. 13, xvi. 1; Ass. of Moses, i. 18, x. 13; Test. of the Twelve Patriarchs, Reuben, vi. 8; Apoc. Bar. xxvii. 15, xxix. 8, lvi. 2; 4 Esdr. 9:5].

CHAPTER 5

Jam 5:4. Instead of εἰσεληλύθασιν the form εἰσελήλυθαν is, with Tisch. and Lachm., to be preferred (on this form see Ph. Buttm. Ausführl. Gr. Gr. § 87, 8, Note 5, and Winer, p. 70 f. [E. T. 93]).

Jam 5:5. The ὡς of the Rec. (after G K, etc.) before ἐν ἠμέρᾳ is, according to the testimonies of A B א, to be regarded as an explanatory addition, and, with Lachm. and Tisch., to be left out; so also Wiesinger, Lange, Brückner; Reiche and Bouman, however, judge otherwise.

Jam 5:7. The Rec. after the second ἕως has the particle ἄν (so in א and many min.). Tisch. has omitted it, as, according to his statement, it is not found in A B G K, etc.; Lachm. has retained it (according to Tischendorf’s note: ex errore); so also Buttmann, who adduces no authority for its omission. Already Griesbach regarded ἄν as suspicious. Lachm. and Tisch. have omitted ὑετόν; it is in A G K, etc., but is wanting in B א, etc.; its addition is easily explained, particularly as in the LXX. it is never wanting with πρώϊμος καὶ ὄψιμος.

Jam 5:9. The address ἀδελφοί, in A B, etc. (Lachm. Tisch.), stands before, in G א, etc. (Rec.), after κατʼ ἀλλήλων; in K, etc., it is entirely wanting. Instead of κατακριθῆτε the simple verb κριθῆτε is, with Griesbach, Scholz, Lachm. Tisch., to be read, according to almost all authorities; so also the article ὁ before κριτής (which in the Rec. is wanting, against almost all authorities) is to be adopted.

Jam 5:10. The address according to the Rec. is ἀδελφοί μου (G K, א, etc.); in A B, etc., μου is wanting (Lachm. Tisch.); its correct position is after λάβετε, not after κακοπαθείας.

Instead of κακοπαθείας, א alone reads καλοκαγαθίας.

Before τῷ ὀνόματι, B א, etc., have the preposition ἐν (Lachm.): a correction apparently for the sake of simplification.—א alone omits τῷ.

Jam 5:11. It is difficult to decide whether we are to read, with the Rec. and Tisch., ὑπομένοντας (G K, etc.), or, with Lachm. and Wiesinger, ὑπομείναντας (A B א, etc.); yet the reading of the Rec. appears to have arisen from an endeavour to generalize the reference of the idea: Bouman certainly judges otherwise.

The Rec. εἴδετε, after B* (teste Majo) K א, etc., Oecumenius (Lachm.), is as a correction to be changed for the more difficult reading ἴδετε, attested by A B G, etc. (Tisch.).

After ἐστιν the Rec. has ὁ κύριος, according to A B (in B, however, the article is wanting) א, several min. vss. etc. (Lachm.); Griesbach regarded it as suspicious, and Tisch. has omitted it, after C K, many min. etc.; the omission can easily be explained from the fact that κυρίου directly precedes (so also Lange; Bouman wavers).

Jam 5:12. The reading εἰς ὑπόκρισιν (Ed. Steph., after G K, etc.) has probably arisen from the original ὑπὸ κρίσιν, these two words being taken as one, and then a preposition placed before them.

Jam 5:14. The αὐτόν after ἀλείψαντες is wanting in B; it was omitted as being self-evident.

Lachm. and Tisch. have, after A and some min., left out the article τοῦ before κυρίου; yet G K א, many min. etc., attest its genuineness; in B also κυρίου is wanting; nevertheless Buttmann has received it, but without the article.

Jam 5:16. The reading of the Rec. is ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰ παραπτώματα, καὶ εὔχεσθε κ.τ.λ. (Tisch.); instead of which A B read ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὖν ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ προσεύχεσθε κ.τ.λ. (Lachm.); for οὖν also K א, several min. Vulg. etc. testify: accordingly οὖν is to be considered as genuine; yet precisely this οὖν might mislead one to find in this verse an extension of the thought going before, and on this account to change the new expressions with the preceding, and thus, instead of παραπτώματα, to put again ἁμαρτίας, and instead of εὔχεσθε, for which also א testifies, and to put again προσεύχεσθε, whereas the opposite change cannot be well explained.

Jam 5:18. The Rec. ὑετὸν ἔδωκεν is found in B G K, almost all min. etc. (Tisch.); A, on the contrary, has ἔδωκεν ὑετόν (Lachm.); so also א, but with τόν before ὑετόν. It is possible that this change was occasioned by the following ἐβλάστησεν τὸν καρπόν.

Jam 5:19. Tisch. has omitted the pronoun μου after ἀδελφοί, yet the most important authorities, A B K א, etc., attest its genuineness.—א alone has, instead of the simple τῆς ἀληθείας, the combination τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας.

Jam 5:20. The reading γινώσκετε in B is occasioned by the address ἀδελφοί. Instead of the Rec. ψυχήν, after G K, many min. (Tisch.) Lachm. and Buttm. have adopted ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. This αὐτοῦ is found in A א, some min. vss. etc. B has it, probably by an error of the scribe, not after ψυχήν, but after θανάτου.

B has as subscription Ἰακώβου; A: Ἰακώβου ἐπιστολή; others differently.