5:2 The riches that rot are presumably perishable commodities such as food and drink. Garments were one of the most popular forms of wealth in the biblical world. People used them to pay for things. They were also heirlooms and popular presents (cf. Matt. 6:19).
5:3 Gold and silver do not literally rust. They corrode. Nevertheless corrosion does the same thing as rust. It destroys the value of the metal. Christians should use money, not hoard it. Therefore the presence of rust or corroded gold in the rich man's treasury will bear witness to his unfaithful stewardship of his wealth. James warned that the process that destroys gold and silver is the same process that destroys the people who collect these precious metals. Hoarding wealth is a particularly serious sin for Christians since we are living in the last days, the days immediately preceding the Lord's return. We should be using our money to get the Lord's work done, not to enable us to live lives of luxury and laziness (cf. Matt. 6:19-24).
"To lay up treasure in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards of God's wealth. You and I may possessmany things, but we do not ownthem. God is the Owner of everything, and we are His stewards.
"The Bible does not discourage saving, or even investing; but it does condemn hoarding."178
