Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
What does James 5:16 mean?
The sin of swearing is condemned; but how many make light of common profane swearing! Such swearing expressly throws contempt upon God's name and authority.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside James 5:14-16 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on James 5:16
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Confess your faults one to another - This seems primarily to refer to those who were sick, since it is added, "that ye may be healed." The fair interpretation is, that it might be supposed that such confession would contribute to a restoration to health. The case supposed all along here (see James 5:15 ) is, that the sickness referred to had been brought upon the patient for his sins, apparently as a punishment for some particular transgressions. Compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 11:30 .
Key words
- faults
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faults. (5) there is no mention here of absolution, either by a priest or any other person.
- Confess
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Confess your faults one to another,.
- faults
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Confess your faults one to another,.
Context in James 5
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James 5 belongs to the closing movement of the book, especially the section often described as patience, prayer, and restoration. James is a wisdom-shaped epistle about testing, speech, wealth, impartiality, works, prayer, and practical holiness. Read this chapter with the wider themes of works, wisdom, and speech in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
Verses on the fear of the Lord, wise speech, practical judgment, teachability, and the difference between biblical wisdom and mere cleverness.