Ye kill, and, desire to have - Ye are constantly engaged in insurrections and predatory wars, and never gain any advantage. Every genuine Christian is a habitation of the Holy Ghost, and that Spirit προς φθονον επιποθει, excites strong desires against envy; a man must not suppose that he is a Christian if he have an envious or covetous heart. The factions also, into which the Jews were split, had violent contentions among themselves, in which they massacred and plundered each other. James 4. Then, changing the subject, he said, 'I purpose to go and settle at Alexandria, because the air of that city is salubrious.' James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. [12] T. Carson, A New American Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1967), p. 579. Hebrews 3:6 has the instruction that Christians should "hold fast our boldness and the glorying of our hope firm unto the end." James shows that a man who breaks the law by speaking against a brother is doubly guilty. He that speaketh against a brother, or judgeth his brother, speaketh against the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judgeth the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. Ezekiel 16:15-59 gives a graphic description of Israel's spiritual adultery, and Hosea 1:1-2 shows the same symbolism in Hosea's marriage. v11-12: Judgment belongs to the Lord, it is not our responsibility. James may refer to his own generation of believers when he calls them firstfruits, especially as being mainly written to Christians from a Jewish background. In the provinces, likewise, the Jews became very turbulent; particularly in Alexandria, and different other parts of Egypt, of Syria, and other places, where they made war against the heathens, killing many, and being massacred in their turn. It may be found in Lucian, in the piece entitled, Χαρων, η επισκοπουντες, c. 6: Επι δειπνον, οιμαι, κληθεις ὑπο τινος των φιλων ες την ὑστεραιαν, μαλιστα ἡξω, εφη· και μεταξυ λεγοντος, απο του τεγους κεραμις επιπεσουσα, ουκ οιδ ' ὁτου κινησαντος, απεκτεινεν αυτον· εγελασα ουν, ουκ επιτελεσαντος την ὑποσχεσιν . David Mathis Feb 19, 2020 6.6K Shares Article. "The law" spoken of here is the law of Jesus Christ, the law of the gospel, the law of the New Testament, the Christian law. The reason so many do not understand James is that they do not see it as, almost totally, an extension of the teachings of Christ. The idea that James is here speaking only of religious teachers and their disputes, and another notion to the effect that James, writing to Jews of the Diaspora, directed these teachings against the wars of Jews with each other - both ideas, according to Lenski, "are untenable. When people follow this road, they try to get what they want for themselves, frustrated by the people standing in their way. May 7, 2019. James 4:1-17 SECONDARY SCRIPTURE Philippians 2:3-11 TEACHING PREP The short overview below is designed to help you prepare for your lesson. This is a disputed text, of course, with almost as many renditions of it as there are translators and commentators, the first sentence usually being presented as a formula for introducing a Scriptural quotation. Ecclus. Progress Of A Modern Pilgrim. Email. I answered, Hast thou never heard what a traveler said, who fell from his camel in the desert of Joor? Lenski noted that all such efforts are "unsupported by the context."[25]. The conduct James described was not that of mere thoughtlessness, but that of consciously leaving God out of consideration in the making of human plans. Personal Resources. Wisdom for Busy Professionals. As Harper said, "The sin of these men was not in planning for the future, but in failing to consider God in their plans."[27]. Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and covet, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war; ye have not, because ye ask not. The friendship of the world is enmity with God, James 4:4, James 4:5. [] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murderYou covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. In addition, it may be pointed out regarding the pursuit of pleasure that: (5) It cannot lead to satisfaction, requiring continually that both the amount and the intensity be increased, until finally the pleasure-mad soul is utterly miserable. The frustration and misery of the selfish, pleasure-craving soul are eloquently portrayed in this verse. A False Comfort and Threat. That it is Christ whom James had in view here is plain from his stressing the law of Christ in the very next two verses. James 4:1. "Commentary on James 4:4". l. Is it not this, that your passions [] are () at war within you? So, as an example, James speaks aboutmerchants who are in the … (6) It produces soul-hunger, disquietude and unhappiness, actually the death of the soul (1 Timothy 5:6).SIZE>. The blunt, powerful charges made in this verse are difficult to punctuate; but Tasker's arrangement of them in a parallel seems to be commendable: And you covet and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage war.[7]. As Gibson observed, here again "is an evident allusion to the sermon on the mount (Matthew 7:7). Come now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow, we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain: The presumption of men is a dreadful and arrogant conceit: Tomorrow ... Of course, we shall be alive and in health tomorrow. Seeing these things are so, submit yourselves to God; resist the devil, who would tempt you to envy, and he will flee from you; draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you.". "[21] We might add also, "indicating that the people addressed had not already done them." The concept of self-denial is at the heart of Paul's teaching on submission to God: We have died with Christ and must sacrifice our lives for Him. New American Standard Version. There can be little doubt that James was familiar with the New Testament theology of drawing near to God; and it is not amiss, therefore, to see a reflection of it in this verse. BAGD 496. Obtain ... Roberts said that "obtain" means "to attain one's goal or purpose (cf. James 4:13-17. James 4 Commentary, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary provides a free-flowing commentary on the entire text of each biblical book, along with background material. Only God has the right to prescribe the terms upon which men may approach him, and these are outlined in Hebrews 10:22ff, where faith, repentance and baptism are laid out as preconditions of drawing near to God "in Christ.". "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. Who is there among men who would not like to draw near to God? 4:14 Our view of the future is blind. Scripture: James 4:13–16. "Spiritual adultery" is the unfaithfulness of the church, which is the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Romans 7:1-6; Revelation 21:2; 22:17). IV (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. He appoints it its work, and furnishes discretion and power; and its chief excellence consists in being a resolute worker together with him. James's counsel for the church goes beyond superficialities and guides the church into holiness in its internal relationships. St. James had produced the same figure, James 1:10, James 1:11. 2 My brothers, 1 w show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, x the Lord of glory. James 4. 4:1-10 Since all wars and fightings come from the corruptions of our own hearts, it is right to mortify those lusts that war in the members. 4. "envious" This Greek term, like "lust," is a neutral term and can be used of "zeal" or "strong desire." Bible Study Questions & Study Helps. Giveth grace unto the humble - The sure way to please God is to submit to the dispensation of his grace and providence; and when a man acknowledges him in all his ways, he will direct all his steps. Scripture: James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6, 2 Chronicles 32:26. Submit - to God - Continue to bow to all his decisions, and to all his dispensations. The exact equivalent of this expression, "Let us draw near," as used in Hebrews 10:22ff, has a marked application to conversion, faith, repentance and baptism, all three being specifically referred to. This is the true notion of קדש kadash, in Hebrew, and ἁγιαζω in Greek. They continued supper till midnight. Ye have not, because ye ask not - Ye get no especial blessing from God as your fathers did, because ye do not pray. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3. Douglas Webster is very helpful in telling us to see James as a "spiritual director" for the church... View the entire commentary. I believe James means the Jewish law; and by the lawgiver and judge, God Almighty, as acknowledged by the Jewish people. These issues are important; they must deal properly with them, and get themselves right with God. This, however, is not clear to me. But perhaps something more than spiritual adultery is intended. Speaketh evil of the law - The law condemns all evil speaking and detraction. Quid tam circumcisum, tam breve, quam hominis vita longissima? Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. [5] William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter, Revised (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 100. Here are cautions against corrupt affections, and love of this world, which is enmity to God. As Barclay noted: (2) It drives men to wickedness, envy, hatred, even murder. James Through African Eyes . This is a frequent metaphor with the Hebrews; see Psalm 102:11; My days are like a shadow: Job 8:9; Our days upon earth are a shadow: 1 Chronicles 29:15; Our days on the earth are a shadow, and there is no abiding. The weather will be good; transportation will be available; we shall meet with no accident; no car will be wrecked, airplane fall, or train derail; we shall arrive exactly as planned. Through pride, Satan fell; pride leads the list of the seven deadly sins; pride cankers and destroys human personality; pride incurs the enmity of God himself. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask () wrongly, to spend it on your passions. True magnanimity keeps God continually in view. Whence come wars and whence come fightings among you? "The Adam Clarke Commentary". Be subject therefore unto God ... That primary Christian obedience is inherent in this admonition is apparent from McNab's comment: Of course, if men submit to God, they must resist Satan in order to do so initially, and recurrently ever afterward. Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God. There are good times, and there are bad times but Godliness does not guarantee a life of ease; a life free of pain, or trouble. Is it not from - Bible verse Site Resources. Saady, a celebrated Persian poet, in his Gulistan, gives us a remarkable example of this going from city to city to buy and sell, and get gain. Have repeatedly noted his amazing familiarity with the world, which will not content... Terms taken together show that a dissolute life is intended Jesus spoke regarding the publican and the of. V james 4 commentary Scene 5, line 11 show that it is much more than that. you Continue to to. 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