Commentary on James 5:16
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16, NKJV)
James 5:16 sits within James 5:13–18, where the apostle gathers the community around prayer, mutual care, and patient faith under God’s providence. His exhortation flows from a chapter that contrasts arrogant self-reliance (5:1–6) with steadfastness and godly speech (5:7–12), culminating in a grassroots pastoral vision: a church that confesses sin honestly, prays earnestly, and expects God to act mercifully. The verse holds two commands—confess and pray—and one promise—healing—anchored by a rationale: God powerfully works through the prayers of the righteous.
Exegesis of key phrases
- “Confess your trespasses to one another”
James does not institute a sacrament of auricular confession to a priest. He speaks to “one another,” the mutuality that characterises the priesthood of all believers. Confession here is horizontal (to the body), not instead of but alongside vertical confession to God. It fosters humility, accountability, reconciliation, and pastoral care within the church. In the wider unit (5:14–15), confession also appears when elders pray for the sick, showing that sins which aggravate sickness should be faced honestly. - “Pray for one another”
Confession is never naked; it is clothed in intercession. The church doesn’t traffic in shame but bears burdens together. Prayer here is specific (for one another), persevering (fervent), and confident (expectant). James’ community had already misused speech (3:1–12; 4:11–12); now their tongues are retrained for blessing, advocacy, and lament. - “That you may be healed”
Healing in James 5[i] includes the physical (note the sick, oil, and elders in vv. 14–15) and the spiritual (forgiveness and restoration). Scripture guards us from simplistic equations: not every sickness stems from a particular sin, and not every healing follows confession in a linear way. Yet James teaches that undisclosed sin can wound the body (individually and corporately), and that confession and prayer are God-appointed means for restoring wholeness. - “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”
“Righteous” in Scripture has both a status and a life. Believers are righteous by faith in Christ (imputed righteousness), and that status bears fruit in practical godliness (imparted righteousness). James’ emphasis is ethical and communal: the godly person—walking in repentance, aligned with God’s will—prays in a way that is powerful because it is God-dependent and God-directed. Elijah (vv. 17–18) is James’ proof: a flawed, real man whose prayers, aligned with God’s purposes, moved history.
Theological anchors
- Sola fide and the righteous who pray:
The efficacy of prayer is not grounded in human merit but in Christ, our mediator. Those justified by faith gain bold access to the Father; their sanctified lives align their desires with God’s will, making their prayers effectual. - Priesthood of all believers:
Mutual confession rests on the church’s shared priestly calling in Christ. While elders have a defined pastoral role (5:14), the “one another” commands protect against clericalism and call the whole body into tangible ministry. - Means of grace and pastoral care:
James links prayer, confession, and elder care with physical signs (anointing with oil). Reformed practice treats these as pastoral, not sacramental rites: tangible, ordinary means through which the Lord ministers mercy, alongside Word and prayer. - Sin, suffering, and sovereignty:
Scripture recognises multiple sources of suffering—fallenness, personal sin, others’ sin, and God’s fatherly discipline. James counsels neither fatalism nor triumphalism but repentance, intercession, and patient trust under God’s providence.
Pastoral contours within James 5
- Speech redeemed (5:12–16):
Oath-making and slander yield to transparent confession and prayer. The church’s credibility and unity are strengthened when its speech is truthful and grace-filled. - Elders and the community (5:14–15, 16):
Elders pray, anoint, and shepherd; the congregation confesses and intercedes. The shared ministry prevents both isolation of the suffering and over-centralisation of care. - Prayer that fits the season (5:13):
Suffering calls for prayer; cheerfulness calls for praise. The church learns to bring every condition under God, rejecting both stoicism and self-reliance. - Rescue of the straying (5:19–20):
The frame around v. 16 is restorative, not punitive. Confession primes the community for gentle pursuit of wanderers and the covering of sins through conversion and forgiveness.
Application for modern Christian living
- Practise wise and safe confession.
Confess sins first to God, then appropriately to trusted believers: those you’ve wronged, pastoral leaders, or a small group/accountability partner marked by maturity and discretion. Confidentiality is essential; so are safeguarding standards when power dynamics or vulnerabilities are present. - Integrate confession with reconciliation.
Where possible, seek restitution and reconciliation (Matthew 5:23–24). Mutual confession is not a substitute for making things right; it is a pathway to it. - Pair confession with intercession.
Don’t end with disclosure—pray specifically. Ask for forgiveness, repentance, healing, and protection from recurring patterns. Keep a discreet list (with permission) to sustain intercession over time. - Let elders be elders.
When sickness weighs heavily, call for the elders to pray and anoint. Involve medical care wisely; Scripture commends means without ceding confidence in God. Where sin burdens the conscience, include pastoral confession for counsel and assurance of gospel promises. - Cultivate rhythms in gathered worship.
Include corporate confession and assurance of pardon in Sunday liturgy. Establish structured prayer gatherings where confession, testimony, and intercession are normal and safe. In Australian church life where informality is prized, give people clear, simple language for confession and grace. - Expect God to act, without presumption.
Pray big, repent thoroughly, and rest honestly. Celebrate healings and answered prayers; endure unanswered ones with patient hope, knowing the Lord uses means and times we don’t control. - Form communities of holy candour.
Build small groups with shared commitments: confidentiality, truth-telling, gentleness, and gospel-centred correction (Galatians 6:1–2). Confession thrives where the gospel—not shame—sets the tone.
Specified teaching from James 5:16
- Command: Believers must confess their sins to one another and pray for one another.
- Purpose: God uses this ordinary ministry for healing—spiritual and sometimes physical—restoring wholeness in individuals and the church.
- Promise: The earnest prayer of a person walking in righteousness is powerful and effective because God is pleased to work through such prayer.
Practical steps for a local church
- Establish a confession-and-prayer pattern:
- Corporate confession with scriptural assurance.
- Trained prayer teams available after services.
- Quarterly healing services led by elders, with anointing and careful follow-up.
- Create safe accountability:
- Two-by-two or triads for men and women separately.
- Clear confidentiality covenants and escalation pathways for harm, abuse, or criminal matters.
- Pastoral integration with professional counselling when needed.
- Disciple toward righteousness that prays well:
- Teach justification and sanctification together.
- Model prayers that are scriptural, specific, and submitted to God’s will.
- Share testimonies that highlight God’s mercy, not human performance.
A brief word to the conscience
James 5:16 is not a call to spectacle but to honesty. It is not a rod of shame but a doorway to freedom. Where sin festers in silence, grace invites speech; where isolation feeds fear, the body of Christ offers presence; where weakness is admitted, prayer becomes strong. Take one step today: a confession made, a call to an elder, a prayer with a trusted friend. The Lord meets you there.
[i] James 5
New King James Version
Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged
5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches [a]are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of [b]Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and [c]luxury; you have [d]fattened your hearts [e]as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
Be Patient and Persevering
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord [f]is at hand.
9 Do not [g]grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be [h]condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into [i]judgment.
Meeting Specific Needs
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 [j]Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [k]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
Bring Back the Erring One
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save [l]a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
Footnotes
James 5:2 have rotted
James 5:4 Lit., in Heb., Hosts
James 5:5 indulgence
James 5:5 Lit. nourished
James 5:5 NU omits as
James 5:8 has drawn near
James 5:9 Lit. groan
James 5:9 NU, M judged
James 5:12 M hypocrisy
James 5:16 NU Therefore confess your sins
James 5:16 supplication
James 5:20 NU his soul
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