(Pfeiffer, C F: Wycliffe Bible Commentary. This jealous Spirit is inside us. What is the subject and what is the object of the verb “longs for” (epipothei)? As a result the effect of “godly wisdom” should prevail. Introduction. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. Ex 20:5; 34:14; Dt 32:16; Zech 8:2; 1Co 10:22), and hence He will not tolerate divided allegiance. "Phthonos was occasionally used in Greek writers of the jealousy of the Olympian gods," (Douglas Moo - "The Letter of James") and both terms were "often used for the `jealousy' of God (1Mac. The verb phrase “to yearn jealously” is taken in the good sense of “to long jealously for our full devotion,” or “to love us passionately.” What James appears to say here, then, is that Christians are indwelt by God’s Spirit, and that the Spirit longs for the undivided loyalty and the love of God’s people. This includes humility in relationships stemming from humility before God (ogether. There's no room for double occupancy in the Christian's heart. James 4:3 : James 4:5 >> The Berean: Daily Verse and Comment Sign up for the Berean: Daily Verse and Comment, and have Biblical truth delivered to your inbox. Duncan on June 27, 2011 at 8:12 am Thanks for this commentary. Certainly envy, jealousy, and … See also Overview Chart by Charles Swindoll, The Reactions of Living Faith to Worldliness, The reaction of living faith to selfish strife (James 4:1–5:12) If a man have not the Spirit of God, he is none of His; and since thou art undoubtedly one of us, thou hast most certainly the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:11-note). Of course they don't think this. ESV: Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? James 4:6, ESV: "But he gives more grace.Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”" The object of His yearning is the spirit He caused to live in us. Thus, more than likely, Jas 4:5 is set down to highlight God’s displeasure with the behavior reported in Jas 4:1-4. Biblical Commentary (Bible Study) James 5:7-10. The apostle is contending against the worldliness which was so rife among the believers he was addressing. James 4:5 REV and Commentary - Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, the spirit that he caused to live in us y - Bible verse ), Hiebert a highly respected expositor summarizes the textual and grammatical conundrum as follows…. 5. To think of the Holy Spirit as dwelling in human beings is a concept well known in the Bible (Ro 8.11; 1Co3.16).            a. (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word), John MacArthur is not alone in his interpretation, C H Spurgeon commenting that…, There is a spirit, resident in the natural man, the human nature of man, which is always inclined toward hate and envy, always wanting to get somewhat from other men, and always grieved if other men seem to be or to have more than the person himself has. Weymouth: Or do you suppose that it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "The Spirit which He has caused to dwell in our hearts yearns jealously over us"? A Washington D.C. pastor whose church was attended frequently by President Carter in the late 70's received a phone call early one Sunday morning: "Can you tell me if the President is expected to attend church today?" Do they not come from your desires for pleasure a that war in your members? "More grace,"-this is our greatest help out of all difficulties. Do you think they just happen? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? Grant on June 27, 2011 at 8:43 am Audrey, sorry to get back to you so late. Grant on June 27, 2011 at 8:44 am Duncan, thank you as well. Taken together, James 4:5-6, Proverbs 23:6-7, and Romans 12:3 indicate that what a person thinks of himself is clearly important to God.We all have an image of ourselves that we carry about in our heart. Many explanations have been offered in an attempt to explain this enigma, but none are conclusive. 4 1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Grammatical. What does James 3:4 mean? This Sunday’s passage involves one of the more peculiar passages in the New Testament. Biblical Commentary (Bible Study) James 5:7-10. Contextual. (4) James was paraphrasing an OT passage. (Phillips), Or think ye that, in vain, the scripture speaketh? Clarke's James 4:5 Bible Commentary Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain - This verse is exceedingly obscure. Therefore, it is God’s jealousy that is described in Jas 4:5, for He stands waiting for the belligerent to forsake their envy of others and direct their attention back to Him. The only reference to the Holy Spirit in this epistle is under the second and fourth views. See All... warns of the danger of making "friendship of the world." But God is the one who caused the Holy Spirit to live in us. Duncan on June 27, 2011 at 8:12 am Thanks for this commentary. Greek: e dokeite (2PPAI) hoti kenos e graphe legei, (3SPAI) pros phthonon epipothei (3SPAI) to pneuma o katokisen (3SAAI) en hemin? Of course, that doesn't mean it's impossible to be a friend of worldly people; rather one can't be a friend of the world-system–meaning its priorities, its goals, its sensualities, its securities, its strategies. The Spirit, who took up His abode in us, yearns jealously over us. Or do you imagine that this spirit of passionate jealousy is the Spirit he has caused to live in us? https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/sermon-why-we-fight-conflict-james-4 So when Scripture speaks, God speaks. Sinful desires and affections stop prayer, and the working of our desires toward God. The NIV has chosen to muddy the waters by conflating (bringing together, combining two readings of a text into a composite whole) two consecutive Greek terms, phthonon (“envy, jealousy”) and epipothei ("express strong desire for") (NIV = "the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely"). You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. Text Commentaries by John MacArthur John MacArthur is the pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, as well as an author, conference KJV NKJV NLT NIV ESV CSB NASB NET RSV ASV YLT DBY WEB HNV What Christians Want To Know. Shep, the newest member of our family, is a young Shetland sheepdog who openly displays his jealousy when I kiss my wife. This view also gives the most natural meaning to "us" as restricted to Christians. The statement of the basic demand (James 4:7) Jealously (5355) (phthonos) in most NT uses describes not just wanting what another person has, but also resenting that person for having it. 2 My brothers, 1 w show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, x the Lord of glory. To dwell - The specific Greek verb which is translated to dwell is also in dispute. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. We accept it as a statement of fact made by James. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in … Is it, for envying, that the spirit which hath taken an abode within us doth crave? The assertion that God caused the Spirit to dwell in believers is a central teaching of the New Testament (Acts 5:32; Ro 8:11; Gal. It mean to long for, have great affection for, yearn for someone or something. St. James seems to refer to many, not to one particular passage of Scripture. And, finally, the natural human spirit "lusteth to envy" (James 4:5). - Donald Grey Barnhouse, John Macarthur's interpretation of the last half of James is somewhat in the minority opinion for he writes that…, This difficult phrase (The Spirit … yearns jealously) is best understood by seeing the “spirit” as a reference not to the Holy Spirit, but to the human spirit, and translating the phrase “yearns jealously” in the negative sense of “lusts to envy.” James’ point is that an unbelieving person’s spirit (inner person) is bent on evil (cf. Does the Spirit which has taken his abode in us desire enviously? There are at least 4 points of difficulty: (1) Is the word spirit the subject or the object of the main verb desires? Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access the best Bible commentaries and many other resources! The outcome of the condition (James 4:2a) So, these Christians no longer had the day-to-day contact with theirleaders. James 4-5 - Commentary Day #2. This spirit could be either the created human spirit or the Holy Spirit given to Christians, though the former seems more likely because it is consistent with James's only other reference to "spirit" in Jas 2:26-note.            a. The Remedy for Pride. Katoikizo (no unique Strong's # - some resources list it with katoikeo 2730) is used only here in James 4:5 (but used 40x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint) and means to cause to dwell, to establish, to settle. GWT: Do you think this passage means nothing? There is not only a question regarding the most accurate Greek text (see below for discussion of the verb to dwell) but also the question of how the Greek text is most accurately interpreted grammatically. James 4:5. God's pure and perfect love for us yearns over us, for He too longs to be loved by His own. James 4 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary is from the most widely read and often quoted preacher in history, Charles Haddon Spurgeon ... James 4:5-6. After assessing alternative interpretations (see his discussion), Stulac explains why he favors the NAS (and the NIV marginal translation) noting first that…, the subject of the verb (desires) is the understood He, referring to God. Commentary on James 5:1-6 (Read James 5:1-6) Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual, though all ranks suffer deeply at such times. Commentary on James 5:1-6 (Read James 5:1-6) Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual, though all ranks suffer deeply at such times. Now what exactly is the connection between the believers’ fraternizing with the enemy and thus stirring up the jealousy of God, on the one hand, and conflict in the church on the other hand? John 4:23,24). He went so far as to speak of them as adulterers and adulteresses (Jas 4:4); and then adopting a gentler, pleading tone, he says, "You are grieving the gentle Holy Spirit who has come to dwell within you, who yearns with a jealous envy to possess your entire nature for Himself.". No teaching in the Word of God can be labeled meaningless. James 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. However, the difficulty is that this would be the only reference to the Holy Spirit in the book, and this is considered by some scholars as most unlikely. James could not know how near or distant in time was the Second Coming; he could only express its nearness in his own consciousness—and in that he was honest in his purpose and made no mistake" (pp. ), seems best of all to conclude that the apostle has no regard to any one particular passage of Scripture, in which the following words are expressly had, since no such passage appears; but that his meaning is, the sense of the Scripture everywhere, where it speaks of this matter, is to this purpose: nor does it say this, or any thing else in vain; whatever is written there is to answer some end, as for learning, edification, and comfort, for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. The rebuke of their self-sufficient attitude (James 4:13–14) James would be choosing this more unusual use of phthonos simply for stylistic contrast, since he recently used zelos negatively of human envy in Jas 3:14 and Jas 3:16. English Standard Version (ESV) Bible Book List. James Commentary “The book of James has been compared with the wisdom literature of the OT, particularly the book of Proverbs, because of its direct, pungent … 124-125). (1Sa 3:9, 10) Speaks is in the present tense - Scripture continually speaks. Home >> Bible Studies >> James Studies >> James 5:1-12 These small group studies of James contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. You fight and 2 war. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, e he is a perfect man, f able also to bridle his whole body.              (1)      Nearness to God (James 4:8a) James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. 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