James 4:4 Kommentar

In this chapter we are directed to consider, I. Some causes of contention, besides those mentioned in the foregoing chapter, and to watch against them (Jam 4:1-5). II. We are taught to abandon the friendship of this world, so as to submit and subject ourselves entirely to God (Jam 4:4-10). III. All detraction and rash judgment of others are to be carefully avoided (Jam 4:11, Jam 4:12). IV. We must preserve a constant regard, and pay the utmost deference to the disposals of divine Providence (Jam 4:13 to the end).

INTRODUCTION TO JAMES 4 In this chapter the apostle gives the true cause of contentions and strifes; and cautions against intemperance, covetousness, pride, detraction, and vain confidence. Having, in the latter part of the preceding chapter, inveighed against strife and contention, he here shows from whence they spring, from a covetous desire of riches and honour; and which yet are not obtained, because they did not ask these things of God with submission to his will; or they asked with a wrong view, namely, to gratify their lusts, Jam 4:1 and he dissuades from such unlawful desires, partly because they were no other than adultery; and partly because indulging them was declaring themselves enemies of God, Jam 4:4 and he deters from pride, under the name of envy, proud men being generally envious; from the sense of the Scripture, which says, not in vain, that the spirit lusts unto it; and from the consequence of it, such as are proud being resisted by the Lord, when he gives more grace to humble ones, Jam 4:5 hence follow several exhortations, and various duties relating to humility; as to submit to God, and resist the devil, encouraged thereunto by this motive, he will flee, Jam 4:7, to draw nigh to God in a way of religious worship, who will draw nigh in a way of grace to his people; to purity of action, and of heart, or to that which is outward and inward, Jam 4:8 to be humbled, mourn, and weep, instead of joy and laughter, Jam 4:9 to lie low before the Lord, who will raise such up, Jam 4:10 and not to speak evil of anyone, since this is judging a brother; nay, a speaking evil of the law, and a judging of that; which is to invade the prerogative of God, the lawgiver, who is able to save, and to destroy; and therefore one man should not take upon him to judge another, Jam 4:11 and as another instance of great neglect of God, and his providence, and disrespect unto it, the apostle takes notice of a common practice among men, and even professors of religion, who resolve to go to such a place, and continue so long, and there make merchandise, and promise themselves success; not considering what frail short lived creatures they are, and how much all depends upon the will of God; and which they should consider, submit to, and be determined by, Jam 4:13 and he reproves them for their boastings and joy in them, as evil, Jam 4:16, and observes, that it is not enough to know what is right and good, unless it is done; and that such knowledge is but an aggravation of the evil of sin committed, Jam 4:17.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses,.... Not who were literally such, but in a figurative and metaphorical sense: as he is an adulterer that removes his affections from his own wife, and sets them upon another woman; and she is an adulteress that loves not her husband, but places her love upon another man; so such men and women are adulterers and adulteresses, who, instead of loving God, whom they ought to love with all their hearts and souls, set their affections upon the world, and the things of it: the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the word "adulteresses": these the apostle addresses in the following manner; know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? that an immoderate love for the good things of the world, and a prevailing desire after the evil things of it, and a delight in the company and conversation of the men of the world, and a conformity to, and compliance with, the sinful manners and customs of the world, are so many declarations of war with God, and acts of hostility upon him; and show the enmity of the mind against him, and must be highly displeasing to him, and resented by him: whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God; whoever is in league with the one must be an enemy to the other; God and mammon cannot be loved and served by the same persons, at the same time; the one will be loved, and the other hated; the one will be attended to, and the other neglected: this may be known both from reason and from Scripture, particularly from Mat 6:24.

Since evil forms a friendship with the world and virtue a friendship with God, virtue and evil cannot coexist.

It was because of these enmities toward God that not even his only-begotten Son was spared.

Whoever loves the world by committing sin is revealed as an enemy of God, just as, on the other hand, one who affirms friendship with God by not sinning is a constant enemy of the world. Therefore, just as it is impossible to serve both God and mammon, so it is also impossible to be a friend of the world and of God at the same time.

Love of honor and pride and boastfulness is hostile to God, for these things were the undoing of the fallen angels as well as of the first human couple, which is why to this day they are described as “enemies of God.”

You adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hatred against God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. "You adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world." For James had previously reproached a few false wise men who would corrupt the divine Scripture and pervert it to their own will, so that they might have a backing for their luxurious life: this arises from nothing other than arrogance and pride, and for this reason, he now proceeds more severely and uses words that are particularly strange to his own humor, calling such people adulterers and adulteresses, and by reproaching them, he brings them to shame, and using almost such accusations: Tell me, vain one: do you wish to present yourself as wise? and from where do you have that, while you continually avoid conflict and war, you are always fixated on the present and pursue the joy of this life with certainty of mind? This is not the way of the wise but of ordinary men, and those who have inclination towards the friendship of the world, and it shows you to be adulterers who prefer the vulgar, profane, and shameful over the hidden, divine, and honorable beauty, and bear hatred towards God out of affection for the present. Do you not know that the friendship of the world alienates from the friendship of God, or makes one an enemy of God? In this context, the world refers to all material and vile life, as if it were the mother of corruption, of which he who attempts to partake becomes an enemy of God. For due to a passion for the useless, he neglectfully and disdainfully regards the divine, which pertains only to those whom we hate and who are our enemies. Therefore, since there are two things that men strive for, namely God and the world, and around both of these revolve two things, friendship and hatred: if we are found to be studious of either, we seem to entirely neglect the other. However, diligence produces friendship, while negligence produces hatred. Therefore, whoever clings to the divine is a friend of God, and it is said: But whoever neglects God and is firmly attached to the things of the world should be considered among those who are the greatest enemies of God. Moreover, since this and all such evil has been shown to have originated from the arrogance of the false wisdom of the teachers, he used another argument, wishing to bring them back from such drunkenness and to free them from gluttony, and he says:

Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with this world is enmity with God? He rightly calls adulterers those whom, having turned from the love of heavenly wisdom to the embrace of worldly friendship, he reproaches, seeing that they serve mammon more than the Creator whom they despise. He had indeed spoken above about the manifest enemies of God: Do not the rich oppress you by their power, and do they not drag you to the courts? Do they not blaspheme the good name that has been invoked upon you (James II)? But lest you think that only those who openly blaspheme God, who persecute His faith in the saints, and unjustly condemn them are His enemies, he shows that those are also enemies of God who, under the faith and confession of the name of Christ, serve the lure and love of the world, who, only in name being faithful, set earthly things above heavenly ones. This he more earnestly enforces in the following verse, adding: Whoever therefore wishes to be a friend of this world constitutes himself an enemy of God. Therefore, all lovers of the world are enemies of God, all seekers of trifles, all who belong to those of whom it is said: Behold, your enemies, O Lord, shall perish (Psalm XCI). Whether they enter the churches or do not enter the churches, they are enemies of God. For a time they may flourish like grass, but when the heat of judgment appears, they will perish, and the beauty of their face shall fade.

When one is at enmity toward someone else, he has no idea how to explain to others what that person approves of or likes, nor is he able to instruct them concerning his desires.

Above, the apostle only slightly rebuked certain false wise men who distort the Divine Scriptures and of their own will use them in a perverted manner, so as to have a pretext for their sensual life — and this is nothing other than a form of pride. But now he comes against them more sternly and, as if contrary to his usual mildness, employs words of reproach, calling such people adulterers and adulteresses, and makes rebuke somewhat like this: "Tell me, thoughtless one, you wish to present yourself as a wise man? But whence come the quarrels and constant enmity in your life? Whence comes the constant attachment to the present? Whence the unceasing pursuit of the pleasures of this present life? This is characteristic not of wise men, but of ordinary people inclined to friendship with the world, which also shows that you are adulterers, for you prefer common, shameful, and base beauty to the Divine and chaste beauty hidden within, and by your striving for the present you raise up enmity against God. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God, alienating us from the love of God and showing us to be His enemies?" By "world" he here means the entire material life as the mother of corruption, and whoever partakes of it immediately becomes an enemy of God, for in his zeal for what is useless he negligently and contemptuously relates to Divine matters — the kind of attitude we have toward people who are hateful and hostile to us. Since there are two objects with which people occupy themselves — God and the world — and toward each of these two objects one turns with either love or hatred, as soon as we strongly attach ourselves to one, we obviously appear negligent of the other, for attention produces love, and negligence produces hatred. Therefore, whoever cleaves to Divine matters is and is called a friend of God, while whoever has grown negligent of God and has loved the world is numbered among the enemies of God. And since all this proceeds from the arrogance and pride of the false wise men, the apostle employs yet another rebuke, wishing to sober such people from their drunkenness and rouse them from their slumber.

The origin of wars and contentions, and the wretched lot of those who are engaged in them, Jam 4:1, Jam 4:2. Why so little heavenly good is obtained, Jam 4:3. The friendship of the world is enmity with God, Jam 4:4, Jam 4:5. God resists the proud, Jam 4:6. Men should submit to God, and pray, Jam 4:7, Jam 4:8. Should humble themselves, Jam 4:9, Jam 4:10. And not speak evil of each other, Jam 4:11, Jam 4:12. The impiety of those who consult not the will of God, and depend not on his providence, Jam 4:13-15. The sin of him who knows the will of God, and does not do it, Jam 4:16, Jam 4:17.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses - The Jews, because of their covenant with God, are represented as being espoused to him; and hence their idolatry, and their iniquity in general, are represented under the notion of adultery. And although they had not since the Babylonish captivity been guilty of idolatry; according to the letter; yet what is intended by idolatry, having their hearts estranged from God, and seeking their portion in this life and out of God, is that of which the Jews were then notoriously guilty. And I rather think that it is in this sense especially that St. James uses the words. "Lo! they that are far from thee shall perish; thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee." But perhaps something more than spiritual adultery is intended. See Jam 4:9. The friendship of the world - The world was their god; here they committed their spiritual adultery; and they cultivated this friendship in order that they might gain this end. The word μοιχαλιδες, adulteresses, is wanting in the Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Vulgate, and one copy of the Itala. Whosoever - will be a friend of the world - How strange it is that people professing Christianity can suppose that with a worldly spirit, worldly companions, and their lives governed by worldly maxims, they can be in the favor of God, or ever get to the kingdom of heaven! When the world gets into the Church, the Church becomes a painted sepulchre; its spiritual vitality being extinct.

AGAINST FIGHTINGS AND THEIR SOURCE; WORLDLY LUSTS; UNCHARITABLE JUDGMENTS, AND PRESUMPTUOUS RECKONING ON THE FUTURE. (Jam. 4:1-17) whence--The cause of quarrels is often sought in external circumstances, whereas internal lusts are the true origin. wars, &c.--contrasted with the "peace" of heavenly wisdom. "Fightings" are the active carrying on of "wars." The best authorities have a second "whence" before "fightings." Tumults marked the era before the destruction of Jerusalem when James wrote. He indirectly alludes to these. The members are the first seat of war; thence it passes to conflict between man and man, nation and nation. come they not, &c.--an appeal to their consciences. lusts--literally, "pleasures," that is, the lusts which prompt you to "desire" (see on Jam 4:2) pleasures; whence you seek self at the cost of your neighbor, and hence flow "fightings." that war--"campaign, as an army of soldiers encamped within" [ALFORD] the soul; tumultuously war against the interests of your fellow men, while lusting to advance self. But while warring thus against others they (without his knowledge) war against the soul of the man himself, and against the Spirit; therefore they must be "mortified" by the Christian.

The oldest manuscripts omit "adulterers and," and read simply, "Ye adulteresses." God is the rightful husband; the men of the world are regarded collectively as one adulteress, and individually as adulteresses. the world--in so far as the men of it and their motives and acts are aliens to God, for example, its selfish "lusts" (Jam 4:3), and covetous and ambitious "wars and fightings" (Jam 4:1). enmity--not merely "inimical"; a state of enmity, and that enmity itself. Compare Jo1 2:15, "love . . . the world . . . the love of the Father." whosoever . . . will be--The Greek is emphatic, "shall be resolved to be." Whether he succeed or not, if his wish be to be the friend of the world, he renders himself, becomes (so the Greek for "is") by the very fact, "the enemy of God." Contrast "Abraham the friend of God."