All of the commentaries, which I have on the epistles of James, agree, in that in James, chapter 5, he is speaking of literal rich men who have literally defrauded their laborers of their just pay for the work they did for them. However, it seems odd to me to conclude a literal accusation of a physical sin here, when he wasn’t speaking literally when he called them adulteresses in James 4:4; neither was he speaking of the literal poor in James 2:5,[1] but those who were poor in spirit. He personifies the tongue in James 3, while speaks of spiritual warfare and fights in James 4:1 and of presumption, while doing the business of the Lord and not for themselves in James 4:13. Why would he suddenly turn literal in James 5? While there is much to be said about the rich and powerful defrauding the laborer of his just wage (James 5:4), why would James’ topic of spiritual behavior suddenly change to the physical, and that without warning, while he sums up his letter?
Up to this point, James had been speaking of the value of faith during the struggles of life, of being a doer of the word rather than merely a hearer (James 1), of loving without partiality and accepting the leaders the Lord provided for his church. Moreover, he had been speaking of brethren who were poor in spirit, men and women who were easily approached. They were leaders who served their brethren rather than directing them, worked alongside of their brethren, rather than leading them from afar. James spoke of men and women whose faith was apparent in their works rather than in high sounding words (James 2). Additionally, he had warned of the danger of many wanting to teach, and the subtle evil of a man’s tongue and to seek the true wisdom that comes from above (James 3).
In chapter four James warned of strife among the brethren and struggles against the leadership the Lord provided, which amounted to spiritual adultery, seeking men who boasted of better things, instead of submitting to the timing of the Lord. Men cannot promise success for tomorrow, and to do so is folly, because the future, even the future success of the Church, is in the Lord’s hands (cp. Matthew 16:17-19). So, in James 5:1 the author of this epistle couldn’t be speaking to the rich, who have defrauded their laborers of their just wage. Rather, he is speaking to the spiritually rich, the arrogant ones who had taken over the work of God, enjoying the fruits of other men’s labors (cp. James 2:14-22) and defrauding the Lord’s duly anointed leaders of the joy due them (Philippians 2:2; 4:1; 1Thessalonians 2:19; cp. Galatians 4:11).
The laborers, therefore, whom James had in mind, and who were defrauded of their joy, were those leaders of the local bodies of believers. The fields in which they labored were the local churches, which they led and alongside of whom they reached out to the ignorant in the name of Christ.
So, just as Paul feared that he had labored in vain among the Galatians (Galatians 4:11), when the men from Jerusalem sought to undo his labor by bringing the churches back into bondage to the Law, so these laborers, of whom James spoke, lost their joy, when the rich in spirit boasted of better things (James 3:5; 4:17) and lured the brethren away from the Lord and after themselves (James 4:4). Moreover, this was done, presumably in most cases at least, under the heavy hand of the high priest at Jerusalem (cp. 2Corinthians 11:18-28; Galatians 2:4; 4:24-25). The phrase the Lord of sabaoth refers to the Hebrew phrase Lord of hosts or Almighty God. The Greek sabaoth (G4519) refers to the Hebrew phrase Yehovah (H3068) tsebaoth (H6635). The idea is that the rich men in question were bullying their way into the leadership of the churches, but they were, in truth, coming against Almighty God who has heard the cries of poor in spirit who have been bullied and set at naught by these men.
Addressing the rich in spirit who have defrauded the true leaders of the local churches, James says they have “lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter” (James 5:5). The idea is that just as the rich and powerful don’t actually bestow any labor in the fields they own, but have laborers do the work for them, so have these men enjoyed the fruits of the labor of other men and celebrate their success in gaining victory over the righteous leaders in the church, as though it were the time when the fatted calf was slaughtered.
In James 5:6 these same men are addressed as having judged the righteous as incompetent and slain them with their slanderous (James 4:7; cp. 1Peter 3:16) words (1Corinthaians 4:9-13; cp. 15:31; Romans 8:36; 2Corinthians 4:10-11). Yet, the righteous endure it all without engaging in like behavior.[2] Such is the theme of James’ epistle in the wake of Paul’s imprisonment (cp. Acts 20:29).
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[1] This is not to say that the literal poor weren’t being defrauded of a just wage etc. Certainly, this kind of thing was going on in the Jews’ homeland (Judea and Galilee), as Josephus describes (see Antiquities of the Jews 20.8.8 and 9.2 [181 and 205-207]). But, I believe James is speaking in metaphor of the poor in spirit, perhaps alluding to it from an obvious literal context.
[2] The last phrase of James 5:6 “he doth not resist you” can also be taken as an interrogative as though James was referring to the Lord, meaning: “and the Lord doesn’t resist you?” (cp. James 4:6). According to Robertson’s Word Pictures, it is impossible to say whether or not the phrase was meant as an interrogative.
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