Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mankato
Study of James -- Lesson #19
May 14, 2000
James 5:19-20

James 5:19-20 [NKJV]

"Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins."

Verses 19-20: "My brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and anyone turns him back, know that the one who turns a sinner from his wandering way saves his soul from death and covers a multitude of sins."

James concludes his epistle with a reference to something very important in his day, and which remains important in our day—the rescue of individuals who have strayed from their faith into error. Sin is not a trivial matter, which need not concern us. We cannot as God’s children take the attitude that we do not want to become involved, or that what other people do is none of our concern. The Scriptures tell us, "The soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4b) and "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). When a Christian brother or sister has fallen into the trap of sin, it is imperative that we seek to "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" (Galatians 6:1b). Should we prove successful we will not only gain a brother (cf. Matthew 18:15), but we will save a soul from death—perhaps temporal, but most certainly eternal!

Jesus stresses the importance of attempting spiritual rescues in many of His parables. In the parable of the "Lost Sheep," He speaks of leaving the 99 sheep in order to search for the one lost one (cf. Matthew 18:10-14). In the parable of the "Lost Coin," He speaks of the diligent search the woman makes for the one missing coin, even though she has nine others. While our culture is becoming increasingly desensitized to the value and importance of human life, Christ’s sacrifice of His own life should impress upon our hearts the extraordinary nature of God’s grace and the infinite value He places on our human souls (cf. Psalm 49:7-9; John 3:16; Romans 5:6-11).

James concludes with a phrase, which may seem strange to our ears, but which made perfect sense to James’ Jewish readers in the first century. He says that should someone turn a sinner from his wandering way, he not only saves that soul from death, but he also "covers a multitude of sins." James does not mean that if we are the instruments God uses to bring someone to repentance we will in some way gain God’s favor and, as it were, make up for many of our own sins. Such a thought would run contrary to everything in the Bible. James is using the Old Testament language of the tabernacle. The mercy seat covered the Ark of the Covenant in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple. It was upon that mercy seat that the high priest would sprinkle the blood of a bull and a goat once each year (cf. Leviticus 16), which represented the sacrifice Christ would one day make. The picture was one of a covering over of sin and was used, for instance, by David in Psalm 32:1, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. " The Sons of Korah use the same expression in Psalm 85:1-2, "LORD, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin." When someone is led to repentance, their sins are forgiven, covered, and forgotten in view of the cleansing blood of Christ (cf. 1 John 1:7). In a lesser sense the Bible also speaks of our love covering a multitude of sins (cf. Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8). When we, in view of God’s love for us, strive to love others, our love will both forgive and forget those sins people may have committed against us.

In a final summary Martin Franzmann says, "Turn: Let the love of the seeking Shepherd live in you, that lover which pursues the brother who has wandered from the truth and brings him back, back from death to life, from sin to the forgiveness of sins" [Concordia Bible With Notes, p. 468].

{WCE}