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James 4:1-6

Elyse Sandberg

BITH 359 James

Dr. Vlachos

14 October 2016
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Appendix

James 4:1-6

1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you?

Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
2 You lust and do not have;
so you commit murder.
You are envious and cannot obtain;
so you fight and quarrel.
You do not have
because you do not ask.
3 You ask and do not receive,
because you ask with wrong motives,
so that you may spend it on your pleasures.
4 You adulteresses,
do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God?
Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world
makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose:
He jealously desires the Spirit
which He has made to dwell in us?
6 But He gives a greater grace.
Therefore it says,

God is opposed to the proud,

but gives grace to the humble.

Introduction

The book of James is written to a community of Jewish believers, who are believed to

have been poor and experiencing significant social tension within their community. James

encourages them in this letter to meet their trials with steadfast endurance, so they may be fully

mature in their faith (Jas 1:2-4). However, while difficulties with the world provide context for

this letter, James ultimately writes to warn these believers about becoming polluted by the world.

James 3:13 to 4:10 is considered to be one literary unit, both by Ralph Martin and Douglas Moo.

According to Martin, James is writing to a divided congregation. In this unit, James addresses

dissensions within the community of believers, which he believes to be rooted in envy and
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selfish ambition. The cure for this envy and selfishness is repentance and humbling oneself

before the Lord (4:4-10). James ends chapter three by addressing the way to overcome

dissensions; through true wisdom. True wisdom leads to peace, while false wisdom produces

envy and selfish ambition (Jas 3:15-17). James then explores in the beginning of chapter four the

ways in which this selfish envy has affected the community, producing dissension within the

body of believers. The first six verses of chapter 4 contrast friendship with the world, and

friendship with God. These six verses outline the way in which these believers desire for

worldly pleasures has been a source of great evil within their community. After James calls these

people out in 4:1-3 for pursuing their own destructive pleasures, he strongly calls them to repent

in the verses that follow, reminding them of Gods jealousy for their undivided attention and his

great grace towards them (4:4-6). This grace beckons a response of humility and repentance

(4:6).

Body

1. James begins this chapter with a question. What is the source of quarrels and conflicts

among you? What are the quarrels James is referring to here? It could be actual violence he is

speaking of, but most likely the conflicts James is referring to were verbal disputes occurring in

the congregation. Martin identified that wars and fighting are known to be used by James

metaphorically, and not to refer to actual conflicts between individuals, groups, or nations (144).

Moo believes that the word translated quarrels (machai), is referring to verbal quarrels or inward

anxiety. Moo affirms a metaphorical meaning of this verse, as it fits best into the larger topic that

James is developing. James identifies the source of these quarrels to be your pleasures that

wage war in your members, or your desires that battle within you. Desire in the Greek is the

word hedone, which refers to sinful, self-indulgent pleasure. Martin believes the reason James
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chose this Greek word instead of another was to clearly identify this as a person who strives

against God. James identifies this sinful desire as the source of sin, carrying with it a malevolent

tendency. This manifests itself in the soul as boastfulness, covetousness, a thirst for honor,

rivalry, malice, jealousy, and selfish ambition. James traces the battles within the church to the

rise and dominance of passions, including lust for power, popularity, and authority.

2. James emphasizes again that disorder within the community is derived from bitter envy

and selfish ambition; a direct product of their envious desire to get what they dont have. You lust

and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and

quarrel. Was James speaking of actual murder here? Martin makes an argument that he is,

pointing out that in this time, murder was an accepted way to resolve religious disagreements. He

believes that James is actually constructing his readers not to kill anymore. Moo disagrees,

believing that it would be too strange for James to skim over such a serious issue so quickly.

Instead, he believes that James is warning them about what might happen if their envy continues

and goes unchecked. They are not yet killing each other, but the danger of actual violence is real,

as murder is often portrayed as the end product of envy. Moo comments, Frustrated desire,

James makes clear, is what is breeding the intense strife that is convulsing the community (183).

Envy leading to violence is a consistent theme in the Bible. In the NT, the chief priests decision

of delivering Jesus over to Pilate is attributed to phthonos, which is Greek for envy (Mark

15:10). This is the same word used here in James. James also uses the Greek word zelos,

meaning jealousy or zeal, which is what the persecution of the early church is attributed to in

the NT.

James then goes on to say, You do not have because you do not ask. What is it that James

readers want to have in this verse? The context would suggest that it is the wisdom that will
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allow them to be leaders in the community. However, James is not exhorting his readers to ask

others in their community for what they need, but to ask God himself for their desires. This verse

is paralleled to James instruction in v 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God.

James exhorts his readers to do this, however, in light of 3:13-17, where the object of their

prayers is not wisdom that will lead to gain or power, but true wisdom from above that is first

pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without

hypocrisy. Martin sums up this verse by saying that peace in community does not come from

killing or fighting, but that peace is promised to those who ask God for wisdom from above.

3. James warns, however, that if a prayer is connected to selfish desires, it will fail, as it

should. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend

it on your pleasure. This verse is a continuation of the last verse, explaining that one does not

receive wisdom when they ask for it incorrectly. James writes this to his readers most likely to

explain to them why their prayers are not being answered. They do not receive when they ask

because their desire for Gods wisdom may be selfishly intended to gain the upper hand in a

conflict.

The Greek verb for spend freely is dapanao, and has a negative connotation in this verse,

similar to the negative connotation this word has in the story of the Prodigal Son. In Luke 15:14,

the prodigal son is said to have freely spent all of his fathers inheritance. The Sons spending

was considered selfish and unfruitful, and this is precisely the problem in this community. Their

asking for wisdom is selfish, and ultimately unfruitful. In Matthew 7:7, when Jesus says, Ask,

and it will be given to you, he had in mind the type of asking that is in line with Gods will, not

asking with the motive of indulging ones own pleasures that wage war in our souls (Jas 4:1).

Martin comments on this saying, The church members war among themselves because passion
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is the controlling force in their lives (147). They are caught up in quarrels and fighting because

their hearts are burning with selfish, ungodly desires.

4. Once James finished the analysis of their situation, he begins rebuking them. You

adulteresses! This is one of the harshest accounts of confrontation in the Bible. The word

adulteresses is purposely in the feminine form here, and is meant to bring up the metaphor used

frequently in the OT of God being in a marriage relationship with his people. In Isaiah 54:5-6,

God is referred to as husband and his people are referred to as wife. In Jeremiah 3:20, Gods

peoples unfaithfulness is compared to the unfaithfulness of a wife. In the NT, we even see Jesus

adopt this same imagery, calling those who rejected him a wicked and adulterous generation

(Matt. 12:39; 16:4). And finally, in James we see him use this imagery to represent that seeking

friendship with the world is equivalent to committing spiritual adultery.

Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever

wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Moo addresses that friendship

today is a much different concept than friendship in the time James was written. In Hellenistic

times, friendship involved, sharing all things in a unity both spiritual and physical (187). James

is speaking of sharing in the ways of the world, being unified and enveloped into worldly desires,

as this community has proven themselves to be. He calls these kinds of people enemies of God.

In light of the OT, the word enemy implies hostility between a person and God. Although James

readers may not have been consciously deciding to follow the world, their actions previously

listed in this book prove their allegiance to the world rather than to him. Specifically, as we see

in James 4:1-3, they were pursuing their own destructive pleasures. While those who fostered

friendship with the world didnt necessarily intend to fall away from God, this had been the sure

result of their actions.

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5. James use of imagery in verse 4 to describe Gods relationship with his people as that of a

marriage relationship illuminates and intensifies verse 5. James explains why flirtation with the

world is such a serious matter to God by bringing to mind His jealousy: Or do you think that

the Scripture speaks to no purpose: He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell

in us? This verse is one of the most difficult to interpret in James, and in the whole NT. The

first issue is with what Scripture James is quoting in this verse. Martin believes that James is

absolutely referring to canonical scripture here. In what way, he is unsure, because this quote is

not found anywhere in the OT or NT. Some scholars believe it quotes a lost apocryphal text, but

most are unsure. Moo and Martin both affirm that we can at least be sure that James is alluding

here to the theme of Gods jealousy as contained in the OT.

The second issue is with the translation of this text from the original Greek, as there are many

discrepancies. The largest of these discrepancies is deciding who the subject of the verb to

yearn/long for is, the possibilities being either God or humans. The subject of this verb changes

whether James is referring to Gods jealousy for his people, or to the human tendency to be

envious in this verse. There are many arguments for the subject being the human spirit, however,

Martin and Moo both believe the arguments for God being the subject outweigh arguments for it

being the human spirit. Martin makes the argument that with God as the subject of verse 5, the

author would be keeping the logical flow from verse 4, as God was the subject in this verse.

Martin also believes the context provides strong, decisive evidence that the subject is God, as it

would make sense to refer to God as jealous for his people following verse 4, where James talks

about Gods peoples unfaithfulness in flirting with the world. Therefore, this verse intends to

communicate that God has placed his spirit, which opposes envy, inside of his people to

counteract their tendency to fight and quarrel. He waits, jealously, for them to forsake their envy
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of others and turn their attention back to him. As Moo says, God demands the total, unreserved,

unwavering allegiance from the people with whom he has joined himself (188).

6. Our God is referred to as a consuming fire, and it is sometimes overwhelming when

confronted with the complete allegiance that he requires of us. But He gives a greater grace. God

jealously longs for our full faithfulness to him, and his grace is completely adequate to meet the

requirements imposed on us by that jealousy (Moo 191). He supplies us with all that we need in

order to meet his demands of single-mindedness and loyalty. His grace is greater than our

sinfulness. This grace is freely given to us, and this grace always demands a response. James

exhorts us to respond with humility, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the

humble. This text is also quoted in 1 Peter 5:5, which is quoted from Proverbs 3:34 which says,

He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed. This is a recurring

theme in the OT. The humble refers either to those who are already walking in the ways of the

Lord, or those who have been convicted of sin and come to God with a repentant, submissive

heart. In this verse, more specifically, the humble refers to the pious poor. The proud refers to

those who are rich and are caught up in worldly desires, and are therefore at enmity with God.

They are setting themselves up to fall, and are opposed by God, which is also a recurring theme

in the OT. Pride is often associated with jealousy and envy in Hellenistic writings, and here,

James is showing an implicit condemnation of the people he criticized in chapter 3 and chapter

4:1-3 for being selfish and envious. Therefore, this gift of a greater grace that God is offering is

only enjoyed by those willing to humble themselves before the Lord, admitting their need and

accepting the free gift.

Summary
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This passage in James is a warning to Gods people to not have one foot in the world and

one foot in following Christ. He warns them of the dangers of friendship with the world, because

he sees characteristics of the world playing out in their lives. They are selfish, envious,

murderous, and lustful, and it is causing quarrels and fights within their community (4:1-2). They

are looking out for their own good and how they can get ahead, and are seeking their own

pleasures (4:1). They either dont ask for wisdom, or they ask with wrong motives, seeking a

false wisdom that serves only them and not others (4:2-3). James strongly confronts them with

this truth, calling them adulteresses (4:4). He calls them out for committing spiritual adultery

against God, and seeking worldly gains and pleasures (4:4). God is jealous for his peoples

allegiance, as he wants their full faithfulness. He knows that his people are sinful though, so he

gives them a greater grace (4:6). This grace demands a response of humility before the Lord,

repenting and accepting this gift of grace, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the

humble (4:6).

Application

James warning in this section is a warning that many Christians need today. As followers

of Christ, we are told to be in the world, but not of the world. A modern day reading of this

section in James may say, Dont be so close to the world that you become apart of it. We must

not flirt with the desires of this world, for the more we are surrounded by the world and its

passions, the easier it is to become desensitized to the ways of the world. We are called instead,

to desire the things of the spirit, and not the things of the flesh. For we know that Paul says in

Galatians that, the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are

against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want

to do (5:17). Envy and selfishness are fleshly desires, and as we learn from James, these can
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cause conflicts within our communities. We must flee from these worldly desires, and instead,

humble ourselves before the Lord, as James exhorts us to do. We cannot have one foot in the

world, and one foot in following Jesus, or in James words; we cannot be friends with the world

if we wish to live in communion with God. God jealously longs for our hearts to be devoted to

him. As I reflect on my own life and devotion to God, I praise him for verse 6 of this chapter, for

He gives a greater grace. After studying this passage, I am more aware than ever of my envious

and selfish desires, my flirting with the world, and my shortcomings in my allegiance to the

Lord. However, I am also more aware than ever of my desperate need to humble myself before

the Lord, because my life is dependent on His grace. I will spend my life bowing down before

him in humble adoration, with awareness of my sinful heart, but a superior and ever-present

awareness of His grace that is greater.

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Works Cited

Martin, Ralph P. James. World Biblical Commentary 48. Nashville: Nelson,1988.

Moo, Douglas J. The Letter of James. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,

2000.