Objection: James Set Patient Endurance of Sickness as the New Testament Standard for Believers (James 5:10-11)

James 5:10-11:
Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

It is too bad that the objector did not read down three more verses and see what James’ actual New Testament standard was for a seriously ill person.  He was to call for the elders of the church to anoint him with oil, pray the prayer of faith over him, and have the Lord raise him up!  He was NOT told to endure and be happy while having the patience of Job!

The affliction mentioned in verse 10 above is not sickness; it is persecution for speaking for the Lord.  You cannot seriously think that getting a canker sore in your mouth is suffering affliction for speaking in the name of the Lord.  That’s not what James is talking about!  The people who were happy who endured were those who continued speaking in the name of the Lord regardless of what they went through!  I have been accused of being a cult leader by churches, but I’ve continued speaking the word of the Lord to the best of my ability regardless of the flak I’ve gotten for it.

To say that mere patience is the standard is to miss the point of verse 11 as well.  You are supposed to see the “end of the Lord” and how merciful He is, remembering that He had mercy on Job and healed him!  This was a matter of mercy, not faith, as Job was not in faith by any stretch of the imagination.  But he got healed anyway!  God’s mercy is what is being magnified in this verse, and any Christian would benefit by remembering God’s great mercy.  Mercy follows you every day (Psalm 23:6); His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

This is one of a number of cases where the verse used by the objector can be turned around and used as a healing verse instead of a stay-sick verse!