False teaching has been a problem in the church from its earliest conception (Jude 1:3). Apostles wrote letters to combat the heresies that would soon be creeping in (Jude 1:4). What do these New Testament letters state? What does the passage say? When the letter to the church was read, what did it mean to the listeners? Did they change it and say it couldn't mean what the Apostle said?

In our day we must unify all verses to make our doctrines fit. So we end up throwing out or ignoring many verses so that we can hold on to our denominational creeds. But Jesus did not teach this way. His message was centered on the Kingdom of God. It was the hub of the wheel, but from the hub were many spokes such as:
Each spoke had a peculiar point or truth, but Jesus never tried to unify the spokes. They were all a different facet of truth concerning His Kingdom. We would do well to take to heart Jesus' method of preaching.

Today we will be breaking down two verses of Scripture — James 5:19 and 20 in the King James Version. We will be breaking down the passage using a Greek lexicon and then will summarize our findings.

"¹⁹Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
²⁰Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19‑20 King James Version)

James 5:19
Brethren — a brother or fellow believer

If — in the event that this happens

Any of you — any one

Do err from the truth — go astray or wander from the truth, to separate from the truth, the truth pertaining to God whether it is moral or doctrinal truth

And one — that is, someone

Convert him — to turn or return, by bringing that one back to the love and obedience of God

James 5:20
Let him know — understand

That he which converteth - he who caused someone to turn or return back to God

The sinner — someone who is devoted to sin

From the error — the wandering and straying

Of his way — a course of conduct

Shall save — to rescue from danger or destruction, to save from the penalties of judgment (used here in the future tense)

A soul — a life

From death - the separation of soul and body by which life on earth is ended; with the implied idea of future misery in hell

And shall hide — or cover; cover these sins from future judgment (Greek uses the future tense)

A multitude — a great number

Of sins — the wandering from the path of righteousness

A paraphrase of James 5:19-20:
We do not know if these verses are describing Christians or not, because Jesus said that some who receive the word of the Kingdom, receive it with joy but only believe for a while, in time of testing they fall away (Luke 8:13). We do know this, James was writing to a Christian church in which some had moved away from the truth of Christian doctrine and its conduct and lifestyle, resulting in practicing the sins of the flesh. These offenders of God are now called "sinners." Ezekiel 18:24 states it like this; "If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live?" (Ezekiel 18:24 NIV). I don't think we are speaking about a sin, but a practice of sin, a lifestyle, they practice the same detestable things the wicked practice.

Vine's Expository Dictionary states under the word "Error," "a wandering, a forsaking of the right path, see James 5:20, whether in doctrine, 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 4:6, or in morals, Romans 1:27; 2 Peter 2:18; Jude 11, though, in Scripture, doctrine and morals are never divided by any sharp line. 'Errors' in doctrine are not infrequently the effect of relaxed morality, and vice versa."

It seems that these believers had strayed from Apostolic teaching and James was trying to bring them back to sound doctrine that was according to godliness (1 Timothy 6:3). By immorality or other works of the flesh, they seemed to be practicing sin because they are addressed as sinners, doing the same detestable things as the wicked (Ezekiel 18:24).

The solution to this problem is "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out..." (Acts 3:19). Return to sound doctrine, the doctrine of Christ!