Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

Of course, any kind of effort that opposes the view that James consists of
isolated fragments must be welcomed. Further, there is no doubt about the
presence of frequently recurring themes in James. The use of the spoken word
is a prominent one. Finally, any disclosure of a specific theme can only open
up windows upon the text and enrich the understanding of the Epistle. However,
it seems somewhat artificial to use the speech theme as the thread that
connects the various “beads” in James 5:12-20. In fact, the idea that the
speech of the sick and the speech of the community’s response to sickness
pinpoint the heart of James 5:16ff seems more than artificial. It appears
strained.
But more than that, even in the two scenarios that take arrogance and
speech as two major, overarching themes, we are not told how the two subsections
that they are supposed to control are linked together or how they
form an integrated whole with the rest of the Epistle. From that perspective
they still “hang in the air.” Therefore, these thematic “solutions” fail to recognize,
let alone disclose, the deep structure of James that this Commentary
claims to be in evidence throughout the Epistle.
Here the position is adopted that James 4:11-5:18 is both the crowning
piece of the preceding three major sections, and a carefully argued unit in its
own right. In this fourth section James deals with the range of personal ethics,
or the range of practical godliness. He breaks this down into three subsections.
The first subsection has two constituent elements. The relationship to
one’s brother and sister is the first order of business. How to handle the future
is the second. Both elements are combined under the heading of one’s relationship
to “the outside (world).” The second subsection also contains two
items. The first one deals with the rich, and the second one focuses on the
poor. This subsection brings the relationship to “oneself” (rich or poor) into
the picture, as it picks up on the trial theme of James 1:9ff, specifically the
facet that deals with the range of trials. The third and final subsection looks
into the “circumstances.” From the narrow, generally human, perspective
these can be divided into either “good” or “bad.” Of course, according to
Psalm 119:71, Romans 8:28, and James 1:3 no "bad" thing can ever happen
to "good," i.e., regenerate, people from both God's and the believer's perspective.
This enables James to deal with both the so-called "good" and "bad" in a
God-centered rather than a man-centered fashion!
Together these three subsections cover the waterfront, the total range, of
the Christian’s conduct. It is the thesis of this Commentary that everything in
life can be subsumed under one of these three headings. Consequently James
provides us with the necessary wisdom for every aspect, phase or situation in
life. This wisdom that we must ask for (Jam. 1:5), found in the Word of God
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