R.C. Sproul

And heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Now, first of all, you have to understand something about the kind of literature that I just read from this book.

The book of James is called the only book that fits the genre or the literary category of wisdom literature in the New Testament.

It's very Hebrew in its orientation.

You don't get long, abstract, developed arguments in James.

Rather, you get, for the most part, aphorisms, short, pithy statements that incorporate truths that are given without all the detailed qualifications that you might find in the didactic literature, for example, in the style of the Apostle Paul.

So you have to be careful when you read this because some read it and says, well, wait a minute.

He says the prayer of faith will save the sick.

The Lord will raise them up as if this were an absolute promise to every inquiry.

We know in the New Testament that there were the prayers of the saints to which God said no.

For example, by inference, we'll take a look at what happened when Peter was thrown into prison.

And the disciples gathered together to pray fervently for Peter's rescue.

Do you remember that event?

And as they were praying, there's a knock at the door.

Somebody goes to the door and opens the door and sees Peter standing there.

And what happens?

closes the door in his face, said, Peter's ghost is out there.

I mean, God answers the prayer, and when the answer to prayer is right before their eyes, they still don't believe it.

But there is where we see how the early church prayed for the release of Peter, and God answered that.

But the same narrative tells us about the martyrdom of James.