James Expounds on Faith Volume 51

Warning to the Rich Part 4

James 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. KJV Note: NKJV=New King James Version

The Apostle James now concludes his discourse of the unsaved rich men 🚹 and women 🚺 who have used others for their gain of filthy lucre with the most reaching and revealing and riotous of all the evil 😈 perpetrated against humanity and that would be the taking of other human life that was given by God (putting themselves in the place of God), as it is written here, "Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." (James 5:6) (KJV). When the Apostle James here writes of the 'just', this English word is translated by the Greek word dikaios meaning (as used here) to be innocent or righteous as made so by the cleansing power of the Blood the Lamb our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The other Apostle James was murdered by King Herod, as it is written here, "Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the Church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword." (Acts 12:1-2) (NKJV). Herod murdered one of the 'Sons of Thunder' as our Lord Jesus Christ referred to the two (2) brothers James and John (Matthew 3:17). The rich like Herod controlled everything in those days, so it was natural that they (egged on, energized, and empowered by satan) would remove from the world 🗺 those whose lives were contrary to theirs by killing them. Let us remember Brother Stephen who was brutally stoned to death because he was bold enough to tell the unsaved Jews the truth, as it is written, "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, 'Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!' Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:51-60) (NKJV). Note: "When we the adopted sons and daughters of our Lord Jesus Christ seek to walk or live closely to Him in obedience, we can expect the people of this world 🗺 to despise us and want us removed from their presence, i.e. kill us, however we must constantly remind ourselves of these words the Apostle Paul in his second (2) letter wrote to Brother Timothy, 'But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.' (2 Timothy 3:10-15) (NKJV)."

Here is what Adam Clarke had to say of James 5:6, "Several by τον δικαιον, the just one, understand Jesus Christ, who is so called, Acts 3:14; Acts 7:52; Acts 22:14; but the structure of the sentence, and the connection in which it stands, seem to require that we should consider this as applying to the just or righteous in general, who were persecuted and murdered by those oppressive rich men; and their death was the consequence of their dragging them before the judgment seats, James 2:6, where, having no influence, and none to plead their cause, they were unjustly condemned and executed. These poor righteous people had none to plead their cause; and if they had it would have been useless, as their oppressors had all power and all influence, and those who sat on these judgment seats were lost to all sense of justice and right. Some think that he doth not resist you should be referred to God; as if He had said, God permits you to go on in this way at present, but He will shortly awake to judgment, and destroy you as enemies of truth and righteousness." Here is what Albert Barnes had to say of James 5:6, "This may either refer to the condemnation and crucifixion of Christ - meaning that their conduct towards His people had been similar to the treatment of the Saviour, and was in fact a condemnation and crucifixion of Him afresh; or, that by their rejection of Him in order to live in sin, they in fact condemned Him and His religion; or, that they had condemned and killed the just man - meaning that they had persecuted those who were Christians; or, that by their harsh treatment of others in withholding what was due to them, they had deprived them of the means of subsistence, and had, as it were, killed the righteous. Probably the true meaning is, that it was one of their characteristics that they had been guilty of wrong towards good men. Whether it refers, however, to any particular act of violence, or to such a course as would wear out their lives by a system of oppression, injustice, and fraud, cannot now be determined. Some have supposed that this refers to God, meaning that He did not oppose them; that is, that He bore with them patiently while they did it. Others suppose that it should be read a question - 'and doth He not resist you?' meaning that God would oppose them, and punish them for their acts of oppression and wrong. But probably the true reference is to the 'just man' whom they condemned and killed; meaning that they were so powerful that all attempts to resist them would be vain, and that the injured and oppressed could do nothing but submit patiently to their acts of injustice and violence. The sense may be either that they could not oppose them - the rich men being so powerful, and they who were oppressed so feeble; or that they bore their wrongs with meekness, and did not attempt it."

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.


Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…