Module 10 Student Handout

Don’t Play Judge

James 5:1–6

Name: _______________________________

Date: _______________________________

Read the Text

Open your Bible and read James 5:1–6 slowly.

Mark what James says about the rich, weeping, miseries, hoarded wealth, unpaid wages, laborers, luxury, self-indulgence, the day of slaughter, and the righteous man.

Big Idea

Wealth without righteousness becomes evidence for judgment.

James does not condemn honest provision or faithful stewardship. He condemns riches gathered, guarded, and enjoyed through injustice, fraud, self-indulgence, and oppression.

The Main Question

James speaks with prophetic force:

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.”

The question is not whether wealth can impress people.

The question is whether wealth can stand before God.

Flow of the Passage

James 5:1

James summons the rich to weep and howl because coming judgment is certain.

James 5:2–3

Their riches, garments, gold, and silver are corrupted. Hoarded wealth becomes testimony against them.

James 5:4

The unpaid wages of laborers cry out, and the cries of the harvesters reach the Lord of Sabaoth.

James 5:5

They have lived in luxury and self-indulgence, fattening their hearts in a day of slaughter.

James 5:6

They condemned and put to death the righteous man, who does not resist them.

Wealth Under Judgment

What James Exposes	What It Shows
Coming miseries	Judgment is ahead, even when wealth looks secure.
Corrupted riches	Earthly treasure cannot last.
Moth-eaten garments	Status symbols decay.
Corroded gold and silver	Hoarded wealth testifies against the owner.
Unpaid wages	Injustice against workers reaches God.
Cries of laborers	God hears the oppressed.
Luxury and self-indulgence	Pleasure can harden the heart.
Day of slaughter	The rich are not as safe as they think.
Condemning the righteous	Wealth can become power used against the innocent.

Class Notes

Use this space to write down the main points from class.

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Module 10 Student Handout

Don’t Play Judge

James 5:1–6

Doctrinal Warnings

James does not whisper here.

He speaks like a prophet because unrighteous wealth blinds people. It can make judgment seem far away, make oppression seem profitable, and make self-indulgence feel normal.

James says the cries of the defrauded reach God.

Warning 1

Do not confuse wealth with God’s approval.

The rich in this passage have wealth, but they do not have safety.

Why can prosperity make judgment feel unreal?

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Warning 2

Do not hoard what God will use as testimony.

James says corroded wealth will be a witness against them.

How can possessions become evidence of selfishness rather than stewardship?

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Warning 3

Do not separate business from righteousness.

James condemns withheld wages.

Where are people tempted to treat money decisions as if God is not watching?

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Warning 4

Do not ignore the cries of the oppressed.

The cries of the harvesters reach the Lord of Sabaoth.

Why is this title of God important in a passage about injustice?

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Warning 5

Do not live in luxury while hardening the heart.

James says they fattened their hearts in a day of slaughter.

How can comfort make repentance harder?

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Questions for Class Discussion

Why does James command the rich to weep and howl?

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How does hoarded wealth testify against a person?

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What does James teach about unpaid wages and dishonest gain?

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Why does James emphasize that God hears the cries of laborers?

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How does self-indulgence blind people to coming judgment?

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What should faithful stewardship look like in contrast to this passage?

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Faith in Action This Week

One money decision I need to bring under God’s judgment:

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One way I need to practice justice or generosity:

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One comfort I need to examine before it hardens my heart:

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Closing Thought

James does not ask how much a man has.

He asks what his riches are saying before God.