James 4:1–12

4:1–3 Did James know of specific quarrels among the Christians he addressed? Perhaps. Or, with Spirit-given insight into fallen human nature, perhaps James addresses an issue that arises (sooner or later) within every gathering of people. He denotes the beginning of a new section with a question and a shift in topic. He asks, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?” In skillful pastoral style, James draws out his readers, who, if allowed to respond, could surely have enumerated a list of individuals and situations causing conflict in the community. Wrong, says James. The quarrels in the community were caused neither by people nor by specific wrongs committed against them. Rather, the invisible “passions . . . at war within you” (v. 1) were causing this intracommunity fighting. James directs his readers to look into their own hearts and ask what wicked, self-focused desires within them are the actual cause of the external conflicts they are experiencing.

If any doubt remains as to what such “passions” (v. 1) are, James removes the ambiguity in verse 2. He paints a picture of people driven by covetous desires for others’ belongings, status, relationships, or influence. The actual objects of illicit desire are not explicitly stated, perhaps to allow a broad application by James’s hearers.

In the first part of verse 2, we are surprised to read James’s accusation, “You desire and do not have, so you murder.” Does James mean that members of this early Christian community were actually killing each other? Given James’s relatively subdued tone and the fact that the verse continues with a discussion of coveting and quarreling, it does not seem that literal murder is intended. If it were, we would expect this accusation to appear in a more climactic position in the passage. Erasmus (1466–1536) suggested a copying mistake had been made in the Greek manuscript tradition and the text should read not phoneuete (“you murder”) but phthoneite (“you envy”). Admittedly, this emendation seems to make much sense in context and was adopted by Calvin and others, though no manuscript evidence has been found to support it.¹ Perhaps it is best to understand “murder” here as a vivid figurative denunciation of people’s hatred (cf. similar language in Matt. 5:21–22; 1 John 3:15).

In 4:2b, James rebukes these quarreling Christians for envying and fighting with each other instead of going to God in prayer. Indeed, a Christian’s attitude toward God should be that of a child looking to his loving Father for provision. James echoes the teaching of Jesus, who said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. . . . If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:7, 11)

James continues in 4:3 by noting that even in cases in which his readers have asked God, they have not received because they have asked “wrongly,” with corrupt intent. James clarifies this point at the end of verse 3 by adding, “to spend it on your passions” (cf. v. 1). The petitions they have offered are inseparable from their wicked motivation—whether it be pride, greed, lust, or some other sinful inclination.

God graciously invites his children to approach him in prayer, but there is always the condition (stated or implied) that prayer be “according to [God’s] will” (1 John 5:14). A wicked desire to have something so as to compete with (or flauntingly surpass) another member of the Christian community is not a desire according to God’s will. God is not a vending machine who dispenses toys indiscriminately to those who ask. God is a holy Father who relates to his children so as to promote his ultimate glory and our good in conforming us to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:28–29).

4:4–10 These verses offer both a prophetic denunciation and a gracious invitation. Verse 4 begins with a striking direct address: “You adulterous people!” As the ESV footnote points out, the Greek vocative form here (moichalides) is feminine and so could be translated, “You adulteresses!” James here alludes to Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, who is depicted in the OT as the nation’s “husband” (Isa. 54:5; Jer. 2:2). Similarly, in the NT the church is described with marital imagery as the bride of Christ (e.g., Eph. 5:32; Rev. 21:9). James’s arresting language sets before us the ultimate loyalty, faithfulness, and relational intimacy that God’s people share with him—and the heinous sin it is to violate that intimacy.

In using terms of “friendship” and “enmity”/“enemy” (James 4:4), James calls his readers to recognize that ultimate devotion can be shown to only one person. His rebuke accords with Jesus’ teaching: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24).

By “world” (4:4), James describes individuals and society with reference to their active rebellion against God. Thus “friendship” with the world means being united closely with values antithetical to God and his kingdom. Looking more broadly at James’s letter, friendship with the world would be exhibited, e.g., in a Christian who adulterously buys into the world’s values of prestige, pride, and honor. He wickedly desires to be the leader of his local assembly and covets the position belonging to another, slanderously accusing the current leader and stirring up strife in hopes of replacing him. The wicked man does not desire to serve others or use his gifts. He seeks the role of leader for the raw power, adulation, and social status his wicked heart craves. To hold such values and act upon them is to manifest “friendship” with the world, which, in essence, establishes oneself as an enemy of God.

In verse 5, James appeals to “the Scripture” to support his point that God demands our ultimate loyalty and, like a jealous husband, will not share his bride’s affections. James does not cite a specific passage but summarizes a prevalent OT theme of God’s jealous affection for his people (e.g., Ex. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 6:15). In Greek, the word translated “spirit” (pneuma) could be either the subject or the object of the sentence. If “spirit” serves as the subject, the word surely refers to the Holy Spirit as jealously (and righteously) longing for God’s people’s ultimate loyalty. If “spirit” is the object, the word likely refers to the created human spirit, from which God jealously desires full allegiance (so ESV). Regardless of how one translates the verse, the point of God’s holy demand for his people’s unadulterated loyalty is clear.

God’s demand for perfection can sometimes feel overwhelming and unattainable to his sin-stained followers in a broken world. How wonderful, then, that God’s grace is sufficient for his people’s many stumblings. The fiery, consuming jealousy of God is outdone only by his gracious kindness and favor (James 4:6, cf. also Heb. 12:18–21). James quotes the Greek OT text of Proverbs 3:34 to support his argument that, while God will brook no rival (he “opposes the proud”), he is eager to forgive and welcome all who come to him in repentance (he “gives grace to the humble”; James 4:6). Just like the father in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), the heavenly Father is eager to welcome back his children who have wandered off, when they return in humility and repentance.

In 4:7–10, James employs numerous imperatives to call wandering, worldly, double-minded, quarrelsome Christians to repentance: submit, resist, draw near, cleanse, purify, be wretched, mourn, weep, let your laughter be turned to mourning, [let] your joy [be turned] to gloom, humble yourselves. In Hebraic parallelism, many of the commands are balanced with a promise of gracious response. That is, James’s readers are commanded to “draw near to God” and at the same time are assured that “he will draw near to you” (v. 8). They are told to “resist the devil” and also are promised that “[the devil] will flee from you” (v. 7).

We can make several observations concerning the list of imperatives and counterbalancing assurances in this passage:

(1) God uses the instrument of his Word, delivered by human preachers and applied by the Spirit, to call his people to repentance.

(2) Like James, preachers must insist upon the necessity of human repentance while realizing that, apart from the prior convicting work of God, no one will seek him. One should never hesitate to plead passionately with people to draw near to God. Such language does not negate divine sovereignty but assumes it.

(3) Although humans are responsible for their wicked actions, there is a demonic element underlying (or sometimes explicitly present in) all human rebellion (v. 7). If the Devil had not tempted and deceived the first humans, the world would not have been corrupted by sin. Further, the Devil remains active in this current age through ongoing temptation, deceit, and other tactics.

(4) True repentance involves a change both in inner disposition (“purify your hearts”; v. 8) and in outward behavior tied to that new disposition (“cleanse your hands”; v. 8).

(5) Even though Christians are commanded to be joyful always (Phil. 4:4; 1 Thess. 5:16; James 1:2), when one has sinned grievously against God, heartfelt weeping (4:9) is a proper expression of humble sorrow for having disobeyed our loving heavenly Father.

4:11–12 These verses could be read as an independent section condemning slanderous and judgmental speech, but most modern Bible versions include the verses as part of the discourse unit beginning in verse 1. This is to be preferred because: (1) This section is shorter than the independent sections of the letter and thus likely belongs with the paragraph above. (2) This section is the A' section in a small chiastic structure: A (vv. 1–3), B (vv. 4–10), A' (vv. 11–12). So in other words, viewed rightly, verses 11–12 provide admonitory ballast, matching the opening section and beautifully encircling the central call to repentance. (3) Conceptually, judgmental speech is a concrete example of the quarrels (v. 1) spoken of more abstractly above.

In verse 11 James summarily forbids “speak[ing] evil against one another.” The Greek word translated as “speak evil” (katalaleō) is quite broad and encompasses “defamation, slander” (BDAG), and various other kinds of speech attacking another person or harming his reputation. In addressing the congregation as “brothers” at this point (v. 11), James highlights the sad irony that spiritual siblings need to be restrained from such destructive calumny. At many places in his letter James seems to be reflecting on Leviticus 19. Here he may have in mind Leviticus 19:16: “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people.”

In addition, James writes that a believer should not “judge” his brother (4:11), either in speech or in thought. Indeed, James tells us that in maligning or judging a Christian brother, we are actually slandering or judging God’s holy law. How can this be? In taking upon oneself the role of judge and accuser, a Christian arrogates to himself a position that the law never gives to him and so in essence disregards and disrespects the law, apparently judging it as not accurate or worthy of his obedience. Ironically, the man who plays the judge (applying the law to others in judgmental accusation) is himself the one flagrantly breaking God’s law by failing to love his neighbor. The proper response to the law, James tells us, is not to seize from it the role of judicial accuser but rather to submit oneself to it in humble obedience.

God alone is the lawgiver and the judge, so to misuse his law and illegitimately seize his duties is an offense indeed. By speaking of God’s unique purview to “save” and “destroy,” James highlights the incomparable sovereignty and authority of the divine lawmaker and judge. Eternal life and eternal destruction are in his hands.

James closes this section with the searching question, “But who are you to judge your neighbor?” The obvious answer is, “I am a fool to judge my neighbor. I have wickedly and wrongly claimed for myself the knowledge and authority that only God has. Rather than focusing my attention on loving and obeying God’s law, I have nitpicked others’ obedience and jumped to conclusions about their actions and their motives. I have not loved but rather have slandered and judged.”