Full Answer
What does James chapter 4 mean in the Bible?
What does James chapter 4 mean? The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers.
What does verse 4 mean in the Bible?
Verse 4. - Ye adulterers and adulteresses. Omit μοιχοὶ καί, with א, A, B. The Vulgate has simply adulteri; the Old Latin (ff), fornicatores. Similarly the Syriae.
What does James 4 say about adulterers?
Benson Commentary James 4:4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses — Who have broken your faith with God, your rightful spouse.
What bothered James more than the quarrels of others?
i. “James seems to be bothered more by the selfish spirit and bitterness of the quarrels than by the rights and wrongs of the various viewpoints.” (Moo)
What is the meaning of James 4 4?
Explanation and Commentary of James 4:4 This he calls “friendship with the world,” and this friendship he considers adultery. We make ourselves enemies with God when we choose what is antithetical to God and his ways. James takes his language from God himself through the prophets and Christ himself.
What does it mean friendship with the world is enmity with God?
Those who want to be friends with the world make themselves the enemies of God. This Scripture does not say that our family members, colleagues and friends who are not believers are to be avoided like a plague. Timi David. Those who want to be friends with the world make themselves the enemies of God.
What does the word enmity mean biblically?
Enmity and its synonyms "hostility," animosity, and animus all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. Enmity (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed.
What does it mean God will heal the land?
Our land is hurting and in deep need of God's divine healing. Appropriately, this admonition from God addresses the critical fact that the sin and wickedness in our life as a nation has direct — and disastrous — effects on our health as a nation and as a global community.
Where in the world but not of the world?
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 Jn. 2:15–17.)
How can two walk together?
After seven years of being married the verse in the Bible from Amos 3:3 “How can two walk together unless they are agreed?” rings more true than ever. Who wants to walk through life together miserably?
What does bruise your heel mean?
A bruised heel is an injury to either the fat pad that protects the heel bone, or stress to the heel bone (calcaneus) itself when the fat pad fails to protect the bone from forces. Whatever the cause the end result is heel pain.
What is the meaning of seed of the serpent?
The doctrine of the serpent seed, also known as the dual-seed or the two-seedline doctrine, is a controversial and fringe Christian religious belief which explains the biblical account of the fall of man by stating that the Serpent mated with Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the offspring of their union was Cain.
Can you put enmity between you and the woman?
Greek: And I will set enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will watch out for your head, and you will watch out for his heel." Old Latin: And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed.
How do you pray for healing of the land?
Lord, Heal Our Land! The prayer of my heart in the time in which we are living is, Lord Heal Our Land. We all need to increase our prayer, praise, worship and service to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in times like these.
Why do we need to take care of our land a prayer for healing?
We all need air, water and food to live. The earth and its atmosphere give us all these. If we want fresh air and water in the future, we must take care of our land, the air around us and the water sources, by not polluting them and by preventing people who try to do so.
Can you humble yourself and pray?
I believe it's what God told Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
What does James 4:4 mean?
James 4:4, NIV: "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God ? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."
Why did James and James fight?
They were fighting with each other because they couldn't get what they wanted. James says that living that way is adultery. It's ''cheating'' on God. He calls them to quit their friendship with the world, humble themselves, repent from their sin, and receive God's grace. God is the Lawgiver and Judge, not man.
What does James say about living in adultery?
James says that to live that way is adultery, but God gives grace. Christians should repent and move close to God again.
What does James 4:4 mean?
John Piper writes that James 4:4 "pictures the church as the wife of God. God has made us for Himself and has given Himself to us for our enjoyment. Therefore, it is adultery when we try to be “friends” with the world. If we seek from the world the pleasures we should seek in God, we are unfaithful to our marriage vows. And, what’s worse, when we go to our heavenly Husband and actually pray for the resources with which to commit adultery with the world, it is a very wicked thing. It is as though we would ask our husband for money to hire male prostitutes to provide the pleasure we don’t find in him! (Piper, J. Desiring God. Page 164. Sisters, Or.: Multnomah Publishers)
What does Hiebert say about James 4?
Hiebert introduces James 4 observing that "James first describes the reader's turbulent manifestations of worldliness ( Jas 4:1-3) and then rebukes their adulterous friendship with the world ( Jas 4:4) ( D Edmond Hiebert - James - Highly Recommended Commentary - Any commentary written by Hiebert is excellent!)
What are the four dangerous steps that take the believer into a wrong relationship with the world?
There are four dangerous steps that take the believer into a wrong relationship with the world: (1) friendship with world, Jas 4:4; (2) being soiled by the world, Jas 1:27 - note; (3) love with the world, 1Jn 2:15, 16, 17; (4) conformity to the world, Ro 12:1 - note, Ro 12:2 - note.
Whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God?
Whoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" ( James 4: 4 ). "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" ( 1John 2:15 ). This is plain speaking, and happy is he who faithfully receives it.
Who said James appeals to their consciences?
Puritan Thomas Manton remarks that James "appeals to their consciences; this is a rousing question. Worldly people do not sin out of ignorance so much as not thinking." ( A Practical Exposition of James)
Who wrote "There is no surer evidence of an unconverted state than to have the things of the world upper?
The English Puritan Nonconformist pastor and author Joseph Alleine whose best known work was An Alarm to the Unconverted (1672) once wrote that "There is no surer evidence of an unconverted state than to have the things of the world uppermost in our aim, love and estimation."
What does James seem to be bothered by?
i. “James seems to be bothered more by the selfish spirit and bitterness of the quarrels than by the rights and wrongs of the various viewpoints.” (Moo) ii. Almost all who have such a critical and contentious attitude claim they are prompted and supported by the Spirit of God.
What does the Bible say about uncertainty?
The uncertainty of life should make us ready to recognize what is good and then do it. “This uncertainty of life is not a cause either for fear or inaction. It is always a reason for realizing our complete dependence on God.” (Moffatt) b. To him it is sin: Jesus told a story with much the same point in Luke 12:41-48.
What is the source of wars and fights among Christians?
The source of wars and fights among Christians is always the same. There is some root of carnality, an internal war within the believer regarding the lusts of the flesh. No two believers who are both walking in the Spirit of God towards each other can live with wars and fights among themselves. i.
Where in the Bible does it say that life is a vapor?
i. The idea that our life was a vapor or shadow was a frequent figure of speech in the Old Testament ( Psalm 102:11; Job 8: 9; 1 Chronicles 29:15 ).
Who said God resists the proud?
i. James used a powerful word in the phrase, resists the proud: “Sets himself in battle array against him.” (Clarke) “God resisteth the proud, ‘setteth himself in battle-array against such,’ above all other sorts of sinner, as invaders of his territories, and foragers or plunderers of his chief treasures.” (Trapp) c.
Did James cite a particular passage?
James seemed to present an idea that is alluded to in several passages without quoting any specific passage. i. “More probably is the view that James was not citing a particular passage but summarizing the truth expressed in several Old Testament passages.” (Hiebert) ii.
What does God give to the humble?
The honour and help God gives to the humble. Grace , as opposed to disgrace, is honour; this God gives to the humble; and, where God gives grace to be humble, there he will give all other graces, and, as in the beginning of this sixth verse, he will give more grace .
What does it mean when a proud man resists God?
The proud resists God; in his understanding he resists the truths of God; in his will he resists the truths of God; in his will he resists the laws of God; in his passions he resists the providence of God; and therefore no wonder that God sets himself against the proud.
What afflictions does God send?
Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep. "What afflictions God sends take them as he would have you, and by duly sensible of them. Be afflicted when afflictions are sent upon you, and do not despise them; or be afflicted in your sympathies with those who are so, and in laying to heart the calamities of the church of God.
What does Paul say about clean hands?
Cleanse your hands. He who comes unto God must have clean hands. Paul therefore directs to lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting ( 1 Tim. 2:8 ), hands free from blood, and bribes, and every thing that is unjust or cruel, and free from every defilement of sin: he is not subject to God who is a servant of sin.
What does chapter 4 mean?
Following this worldliness was the cause of fights among James's Christian readers. He called them to repent and, in humility, receive God's grace.
When did James come to believe Jesus was the Messiah?
James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50.
What is the book of James about?
The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.