10. - James 5:10
"Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." [NIV]
....How could the writer not draw on Jesus himself as the best and most compelling example when urging his readers to show patience in the face of suffering?
1. Silences in passage/challenge to a historical Jesus:
Jesus was the best and most compelling example of a man who was patient in the face of suffering.
2. Relevancy within context:
James is writing about being patient in the face of suffering for a period of what appears to be months or years. 3 Verses prior: "7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord." The time until the coming of the Lord is unknown Since the author's readers had already waited years for this coming, it is hard to imagine the author recalling a few hours of patience Jesus may have exhibited in front of Pilate as a valid comparison. Instead, he uses the farmer as an example: "The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains." In the verse following the example of the prophets, the author mentions one specifically: Job "You have heard of the endurance of Job." While we don't know how long he suffered, it is reasonable to assume it was at least several months as indicated in Job 7:3. The only other prophet the author mentions is Elijah, in verse 17, in a slightly different context, whose prayers brought rain after the people had suffered through a drought for several years (1 Kings 17:1, 18:42).
3. Related information in other early writings:
We have plenty of references by Paul to Jesus' suffering on the cross including a description of him as being "obedient unto death" in Phil 2:8. The author of 1 Peter provided more detail in support of Jesus' patience in the face of suffering: "21For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth 23and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; "
This author, who identifies himself as "Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ" claimed to witness Jesus' sufferings too: "1Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, "
And, while the author of Hebrews doesn't mention the patience of Jesus, he does refer to his suffering with some specificity: "7In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." and "13:12Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate." In 1 Timothy, which is disputed, the author uses Jesus' testimony before Pilate as an example for Timothy to also "fight the good fight of the faith", just after telling Timothy to be (among other things) "steadfast" in his faith (6:11-13). The author of 1 Clement says Jesus spoke and taught about forbearance and longsuffering.
4. Conclusion
In conclusion, I reject this silence on the grounds that it is not real relevant to the context. The early record provides several examples of what appears to be Jesus' obedience and patience in the face of sufferings prior to his crucifixion.
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