James 4:1-10 - A Plea for Purity

James 4:1-10 - A Plea for Purity

The epistle of James could be considered NT wisdom literature. Like the OT book of proverbs, it is filled with pithy practical statements, which can prove invaluable for those seeking to practice “pure religion” (1:27). Addressed to a Jewish audience, James reflects a Hebraic outlook – including heavy reliance on OT Scripture. One could easily imagine James writing with the Hebrew Scriptures in one hand and a pen in the other. Yet, this epistle is perhaps the most catholic of all the NT letters. 

Structure can be difficult to discern in this epistle. In fact, at times there seems to be no connection between adjoining units of thought. Practical godliness may be the one unifying theme. This epistle is not about theology proper. It is about theology incarnated.     

Presupposed

            I come to this text with a number of what I believe to be helpful presuppositions. Most importantly, I believe that the God who is Truth inspired all Scripture. I also believe the epistle of James to be Scripture. Therefore, I believe that the entire epistle of James is a true and authoritative word from God.

            I believe that language is one of God’s good gifts to us. Though He does use other means of revelation, our Lord has chosen reveal the particulars of His will through words. If God has spoken to us in Scripture in an intelligible way, all meanings cannot inhere within the text. I do believe that He has spoken to us meaningfully. I am optimistic concerning the understandability of the epistle.

            I come to this text as a believer. I am prepared to “be a doer” of these words. From within an obedient love relationship with God, I expect to understand His expectations as revealed in Bible doctrines (John 7:17; 1 Cor 2:9-16). Only within such a relationship can Scripture be understood as it ought to be understood (Zimmerman, 97-107).

Author/Text/Reader

The traditional view (beginning with Origen) is that this epistle was written by James, the brother of our Lord. Tradition (Josephus and Eusebius amongst the witnesses) also holds that he ultimately died a martyr’s death. If tradition is correct in this instance, we can conclude that the epistle was written prior to A.D. 62, when, according to Josephus, James was martyred (EBC, 162). James, the brother of our Lord, was raised in a godly Hebrew family in the town of Nazareth. There is much contention about exactly which of his phrases are Hebraisms. It is agreed, however, that he makes use of them. Apparently, he was quite familiar with both the Greek and Hebrew versions of the OT Scriptures (Adamson, 18-19). James’ pastoral passion shines throughout the epistle. He wants to see his readers put the “royal law” into action.

The vocabulary of this epistle consists of 570 words. Of these, 73 occur only here. It is believed that at least ten words of the letter were first coined by James himself. This text expects action. Within 108 verses are found over 50 imperatives (Adamson, 18-19).

The epistle assumes a Christian audience well-versed in the OT Scriptures. Shared theological understanding is largely assumed. Readers will be confounded by much of what James says if they do not bring these theological concepts with them to the text. The epistle is not introducing new concepts as much as it is challenging readers to obey what they already know. Right action is emphasized as a higher priority than right belief (2:19).

Literary Form

            James is considered epistolary literature. It is much more a general religious tract than are most of the NT letters. Its lack of unified argument and assortment of ethical admonitions make it look less like a letter than a sermon. Dibelius considered James to be a collection of homilies. And Luther went so far as to say that James guilty of ‘throwing things together…chaotically.’ Others, such as Adamson and P. B. Davids, have seen much more unity in the book (Moo, 38-40).

Though the entire NT is occasional, James is less occasional than perhaps any other NT book. It does not appear to be written to correct specific situations. It includes no personal greetings. And it ends abruptly, with no farewell.

Finally, the imagery of the book deserves mention. This epistle is filled with pictures – the rolling sea, flowering grass, a vapor, wars, a ship, a woman giving birth to sin, a mirror, a horse, wild animals, springs of water, a farmer, businessmen, people without food or cloths, a rich man with fancy clothes and a gold ring, rusted gold and silver, and moth-eaten clothes. The concrete imagery of the book adds to its power and appeal.  

Unit of Thought Under Consideration

            The focus in this paper is James 4:1-10. This unit of thought is typical of the general atmosphere of the epistle. The entire pericope is an exhortation to practical godliness. The OT is very much in the forefront. Hebraic expressions make an appearance. As usual, the writing is very direct.

Outline of James 4:1-10

I.                    Lust

a.      Lust is the source of contention

b.      Pray for the things you want

c.       Do not pray selfishly (a reason for unanswered prayers)

II.                  Love for the World

a.      Considered spiritual adultery

b.      Can be overcome by God’s grace

                                                              i.      Be humble

                                                            ii.      Submit to Him

                                                          iii.      Resist the devil

                                                           iv.      Draw nigh to God

1.      He will draw nigh to you

                                                             v.      Cleanse your hands

                                                           vi.      Purify your hearts

                                                         vii.      Be afflicted

1.      Mourn

2.      Weep

3.      Humble yourself

Verse by Verse

             Verse 1: From whence come wars and fightings among you? It is not hard to imagine the sort of wrangling that was taking place within those ancient communities. What is the source of such strife? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? The word translated lusts is h`donw/n and refers to pleasure or enjoyment. Greek philosophers and diaspora Jews both disapproved of lives lived in pursuit of pleasure. Plato, Plutarch and Philo all considered wars to be the result of physical passions (Keener, 698). Following the example of the rabbis, James points to the physical members as the locus of the passions (Adamson, 166). These Christians failed to live harmoniously because they were living for pleasure rather than exhibiting the self-giving love exampled by our Savior.

            Verse 2: You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not. James makes good use of hyperbole in this verse. Their divisions are magnified to the point of absurdity, making the imprudence and ungodliness of their strivings plain to see. Rather than seeking good gifts from the God from whom every good gift descends (1:17), these wayward believers were greedily grasping for the things they perversely desired – and yet found no satisfaction. This lack of satisfaction, as it so often does, gave way to violence (143-146, Moo).

            Verse 3: You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts. The depth of the covetousness buried within the hearts of those James addresses is a solemn warning of the extent to which sin can lead to delusion. These people were bringing their greed to God in the form of petitions. God wants us to make our requests known to Him, but, if our desires are selfish and destructive we cannot expect for Him to hear us. May the Lord preserve us from such self-deception.

            Verse 4: You adulterers and adulteresses, know you not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Apparently, copyists were confused by the original text which only referred to adulteresses and therefore added the masculine. However, the OT regularly refers to Israel as an unfaithful wife to God (e.g. Hos. 1-3) – explaining James’ use of the feminine alone. Adulteresses without the accompanying masculine counterpart is witnessed by Alexandrian and Western witnesses (Metzger, Textual Commentary on the Greek NT). According to the Expositor’s Greek Testament, “…the weight of the evidence is strongly in favor of this reading.” Regardless, the point remains the same – if you choose (boulhqh/|) to be a friend of the world (in NT generally refers to humanity in rebellion against God) you become the enemy of God.

            Verse 5: Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The spirit that dwells in us lusts to envy? This text has been called “one of the most difficult in the epistle” (EBC, 193). NT writers sometimes interweaved various OT texts to suit their contemporary purposes (Keener, 699). This may be an example of such meshing. Though this quote does not exactly correspond to any OT text, the general idea is likely that conveyed in Exodus 20:5, 34:11, etc. The God who bought us with an infinite price earnestly desires to keep our devotion.

            Verse 6: But he gives more grace. Wherefore he says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. God’s jealous devotion to us (and the demands that come with it) is not a problem since he gives us more grace. James continues to demonstrate his internalization of the OT Scriptures, quoting Proverbs 3:34. This begins a call to action that is expected to produce responses from God Himself. James’ perspective is synergistic. Charles Hodge gives this helpful insight, “Sanctification does not exclude all cooperation” but instead demands “unremitting and strenuous exertion” (Oden, 215). The cooperation expected is not apart from God’s grace. As Arminius put it, “Free will is unable to begin or to perfect any true and spiritual good, without Grace.” (Olson, 144). This sort of cooperation is summarized by Paul in Philippians 2:12-13, “Work out your own salvation…For it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.” Grace does not destroy freedom. Rather, “divine grace is most truly itself when it is enabling human freedom. God is both the source and goal of human freedom” (Wainwright, 84). Since God resists the proud, it behooves us to humble ourselves and receive greater grace.

            Verse 7: Submit yourselves therefore to God. The first step in the process of cooperating with grace in order to receive more grace is to submit to God. By yielding to His will we glorify God and draw grace to ourselves. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. By submitting to God we resist the devil. Satan fell by pride and is constantly seeking to draw others away from God through pride and other folly. When the enemy sees that you are yielding to God he knows to fear the one who works in you.

            Verse 8: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. The theme of cooperation with divine grace continues. This drawing near is reminiscent of OT language referring to the activities of the priesthood (Ex. 19:22; Lev. 10:3; Ezek. 43:19; Adamson, 174). These verses do not prescribe a lazy fatalism. Earnest pursuit of God is rewarded. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (Mat. 5:6). Those who seek God with all their power will find him (Jer. 29:13). Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. In the OT, priests were to wash their hands when entering the tabernacle (Ex. 30:19). Anyone responsible for the shedding of blood (even if only guilty by association) was to wash their hands (Deut. 21:6). Now those who had defiled themselves through lust, envy, fighting, and friendship with the world are called to follow suit. A divided mind is contrasted with a pure heart. It is the pure in heart who will see God (Mat. 5:8). The double-minded cannot even expect to have their prayers answered (1:5-8). This “harsh diatribe rhetoric” (Keener, 699) is employed to bring God’s people to the purity that is essential to life with a holy God.

            Verse 9: Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. These pursuers of pleasure are now called to a zealous repentance. If they will replace their gusto for sin with an equally earnest repentance, there is hope for their souls.

            Verse 10: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Orientals showed their repentant attitudes by rolling in the dust. When they felt that they had received forgiveness they would arise and cleanse themselves (Beacon, 234). This principle of humility before honor is found time and again throughout Holy Writ. Even our Lord humbled himself before He was exalted. If it was fitting for our Lord to abase Himself, how much more appropriate is it for those who have committed spiritual infidelity to humble themselves?

Conclusion

James has some hard words for us. Those who resist the temptation to reject such a pointed message will be rewarded with peace with God and neighbor. James reveals that, through specific, divinely ordained, methods, sin and strife can be overcome. Those who make use of their grace-enabled freedom to submit to God will be delivered from their oppressors and exalted in due time.

References

Adamson, James. (1976). The New International Commentary on the New Testament: James.

Eerdmans: Grand Rapids, MI

Burdick, Donald. (1981). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: James. Zondervan: Grand Rapids,

MI

Harper, A. F. (1967). Beacon Bible Commentary: James. Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City: Kansas            City, KS

Keener, Craig. (1993). The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. InterVarsity

Press: Madison, WI

Moo, Douglas J. (1985). Tyndale New Testament Commentary: James. InterVarsity Press:            Downers Grove, IL

Oden, Thomas. (1992). Life In the Spirt: Systematic Theology: Volume Three. HarperCollins

Publishers: New York, NY

Olson, Roger. (2006). Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities. InterVarsity Press: Downers

Grove, IL

Wainwright, Geoffrey. (1980). Doxology: The Praise of God in Worship, Doctrine, and Life.

Oxford University Press: New York

Zimmermann, Jens. (2004). Recovering Theological Hermeneutics: An Incarnational-Trinitarian

Theory of Interpretation. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI

The Lazy Sluggard in Proverbs

I had the pleasure of reading Derek Kidner's excellent introduction to Proverbs in the TOTC the other day. I particularly enjoyed his subject studies. My favorite of all is the study of the sluggard. I found myself challenged and inspired to not be a sluggard! Here's what Kidner has to say about the sluggard: 

The sluggard

1. The sluggard’s character

The sluggard in Proverbs is a figure of tragi-comedy, with his sheer animal laziness (he is more than anchored to his bed: he is hinged to it, 26:14), his preposterous excuses (‘there is a lion outside!’ 26:13; 22:13) and his final helplessness.

1. He will not begin things. When we ask him (6:9, 10) ‘How long …?’ ‘When …?’, we are being too definite for him. He doesn’t know. All he knows is his delicious drowsiness; all he asks is a little respite: ‘a little … a little … a little …’. He does not commit himself to a refusal, but deceives himself by the smallness of his surrenders. So, by inches and minutes, his opportunity slips away.

2. He will not finish things. The rare effort of beginning has been too much; the impulse dies. So his quarry goes bad on him (12:27, av, rv; see commentary) and his meal goes cold on him (19:24; 26:15).

3. He will not face things. He comes to believe his own excuses (perhaps there is a lion out there, 22:13), and to rationalize his laziness; for he is ‘wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason’ (26:16). Because he makes a habit of the soft choice (he ‘will not plow by reason of the cold’, 20:4, av—see commentary) his character suffers as much as his business, so that he is implied in 15:19 (see commentary) to be fundamentally dishonest. (A suggestion of the way he would describe himself is made in the commentary on 26:13–16.)

4. Consequently he is restless (13:4; 21:25, 26) with unsatisfied desire; helpless in face of the tangle of his affairs, which are like a ‘hedge of thorns’ (15:19); and useless—expensively (18:9) and exasperatingly (10:26)—to any who must employ him.

2. The sluggard’s lesson

1. By example. The locus classicus is 6:6ff.: ‘Go to the ant …’—for he shames the sluggard twice over. First, in needing no ‘overseer’ (7), whereas he must be prodded; he waits for it, resigned and defensive. Secondly, in ‘knowing the time’. To him, all time is alike: summer and harvest (8) suggest long, languorous days (cf. 10:5), rather than the time of crisis in which the year’s work will be crowned or cancelled, and the battle with winter decided (cf. Jer. 8:20). Like the pharaoh of Jeremiah 46:17, ‘he hath let the appointed time pass by’; like the slumbering watchmen of Isaiah 56:9–12, his motto is ‘tomorrow shall be as to-day was, and braver, braver yet!’ (Knox’s translation).

2. By experience. This lesson comes too late. He will suddenly wake to find that poverty has arrived (‘like a vagabond, … like an armed man’, 6:11, rsv), and there is no arguing with it. Through shirking hard work he has qualified for drudgery (just when his too energetic friend has risen to more rewarding duties, 12:24); and through procrastination the disorder of his life has become irreversible: all is wasteland (24:30, 31).

‘Then I beheld, and considered well: I saw, and received instruction’ (24:32). The wise man will learn while there is time. He knows that the sluggard is no freak, but, as often as not, an ordinary man who has made too many excuses, too many refusals and too many postponements. It has all been as imperceptible, and as pleasant, as falling asleep.

---

av English Authorized Version (King James).

rv English Revised Version, 1885.

Knox The Old Testament Newly Translated from the Latin Vulgate by Ronald A. Konx, 1949.

rsv American Revised Standard Version, 1952.

The Traveler's Guide from Death to Life

One of the more interesting books in my library goes by the title The Traveler's Guide From Death to Life. You may not have heard of the book. Neither had I when I stumbled upon it. Why should I have? Apparently, it was quite popular in its day. Over 5 million copies of the book were printed! English and French were reading this book in the trenches during WWI. 

The Guide is a fun little book. It's full of brief redemptive stories, sermons, aphorisms, illustrations, marginalia, and Bible verses. Though first published in 1880, this book is still fascinating and relevant today. 









The Traveler's Guide is available for purchase from Schmul Publishing 

What We Can't Not Know

This is a wise book. It probably won’t convince the unconvinced, but it’ll help the likeminded to think more clearly.

A little section near the end of the book especially caught my attention. In it, Budziszewski (pronounced Boojeeshefski) gives some suggestions on how not to engage culture.

Exclusivism

By this he means not engaging the culture at all. Rather, enjoying your own subculture – “preaching to the choir.” This approach can activate one’s base but it won’t win hearts and minds. It will however activate and enrage the other camp’s base.

Pearl casting

This is a way of trying to engage the culture but without speaking the language of the culture. Quoting Scripture is a great way to settle a disagreement – as long as the debate is with someone who recognizes the authority of Scripture (though even then it can be tricky!). But what is the use of appeals to biblical authority when you’re in dialogue with people who don’t recognize that authority? When Paul preached in a pagan setting he did not immediately quote Scripture. Rather, he started from the truths that his audience already recognized.

Conversionism

This approach focuses on getting people converted to Christ. Nothing wrong with that! But as a means of cultural engagement it’s lacking. Our society will probably never be made up of mostly Christian people. And even those who have been converted need to have their minds renewed. Finally, some who will never turn to God can still side with us in cultural conflict – if we will give them the opportunity.

Accommodationism

While it is important to speak the language of the culture with which we engage, we must continue to distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable allies and grounds for cooperation. We cannot appeal to just any motives that might lead people to common ground. Rather, we must appeal to true and good common beliefs and motives. 

Repentance: God's gift and our responsibility

 

What repentance is

A change of mind

The Greek words translated as ‘repent’ in the New Testament normally mean to ‘change one’s mind’. Repentance means to turn one’s mind right. Like the prodigal son, all who repent come to their senses (Luk 15:17). Repentance always involves the recognition that one has been wrong.

A change of emotions

Sorrow is often associated with repentance. Jesus spoke of a repentant man who beat his breast, a sign of mourning, as he prayed a prayer of repentance (Luk 18:13). Fasting, sackcloth and ashes, the garb of mourning, were typical signs of repentance in the OT. Repentance involves sorrow followed by salvation (2 Cor 7:10). Yet mere sorrow for sin without a change of mind and will is not full repentance (Mat 27:3-5).

A change of will

Repentance is a decision. It is a choice to live in a new way. New behaviors come with repentance (Mat 3:8; Acts 26:20). The repentant tax collector who told Jesus that he would give half of his possessions to the poor and repay anyone he had ripped off four times what he took is a good example of what the change brought about by repentance can look like (Luk 19:8). The Scripture teaches that thieves, drunkards, liars, the verbally abusive, the greedy, adulterers, homosexuals and others who live in sinful ways will not be part of the kingdom of God. The good news is that the repentant were living in those ways but are not anymore (1 Cor 6:9-11).

The common Hebrew term for human repentance means ‘to turn’. This concept frequently appears in the New Testament as well. Repentance and conversion (turning) are often seen together (Luk 22:32; Acts 3:19; 9:35; 11:21; 14:15; 15:19; 26:18, 20; 28:27; 1 Thes 1:9; James 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:25). The term ‘repentance’ is especially a turning from sin while ‘conversion’ most often refers to turning to God.

True and false repentance

Ideally, no Christian would ever sin after their initial act of repentance. However, this is seldom if ever the case. As far as I know, there is no total escape from temptation in this life. The decision to reject ungodly behaviors must be reaffirmed repeatedly. Some people suppose that they have truly grieved for and turned from their sins only to later realize that they were fooling themselves. Others have truly repented only to succumb to temptation at some later point. Regardless, the only right response is to confess and forsake sin – repent – whether for the first time or the twenty-first time. Know that God is generously merciful. He is more than merciful enough to forgive us seven times in the same day. Seven times in one day – that’s how often Jesus taught his followers to forgive an apologetic brother (Luk 17:4).

Who is responsible for repentance – us or God?

Humans

The Bible makes very clear that repentance is a human responsibility. The preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles emphasized the human duty to repent (Mat 3:2,8; 4:17; 9:13; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 8:22; 17:30; 26:20). Jesus criticized and threatened those who refused to repent (Mat 11:20; Luk 13:2-5; Rev 2:5, 16, 21-23). God has commanded every last person to repent (Acts 17:30).

God

The Bible also teaches that God plays an active role in human repentance. God wills that everyone repent (2 Pet 3:9). Both repentance and forgiveness are God’s gifts to us through Christ (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Tim 2:25). God’s generosity, threats, promises, and punishments are all designed to lead us to repentance (Rom 2:4-5; Amos 4:6-11; Hos 6:1-3; 2 Chr 15:4; Neh 1:9; Psa 78:34).

What happens when we repent?

God deals with repentant people and rebellious people differently. When we repent we change God’s relationship with us (2 Chr 7:14; Zec 1:3; Mal 3:7). Those who turn to God in repentance receive his mercy (1 Sam 7:3; Jer 18:8; 26:3, 13, 19; Eze 18:21-24; Jon 3:10 - 4:2). On the other hand, those who turn away from God suffer for it (1 Sam 15:11; Gen 6:6-7; Deut 30:1-10). Repentance makes all the difference in the plans God has for you. The time for repentance is now – before it’s too late.

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Surprised by God

One of the most common myths about God is that he wants to suck the joy out of life. 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

God invented pleasure

• Food? God created that. He created the food and he created the taste buds, sense of smell, and teeth that enable us to enjoy it.

• Sex? He is the one who invented sex. The emotions. The bond. The excitement. The hormones. The pheromones. The children. Everything that makes sex sex is God's gift to humanity.

• Music? God again.

• Work? Yes, work can be a pleasure. That sense of accomplishment when you've done your job well? That comes from God. God created us to work and enjoy it.

• Art? God gave us raw materials, creativity, and senses to make and enjoy art.

There's a Bible story that drives the point home for me. As Jesus began his earthly ministry he was invited to a wedding. Jesus accepted the invitation. During the festivities (which typically lasted a week) the host ran out of wine. This was a huge embarrassment in that culture. The Jesus many believe in would have probably said something like, "Hey, you have water. Water is good enough. You'll survive." But the Jesus of the Bible did something quite different. He turned several gallons of water into wine. I see this as a demonstration of one of Jesus' teachings:

The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. 

                                                             -- Jesus (John 10:10)

Don't believe the hype. Jesus isn't out to steal from you! His desire is that you receive abundance from him. The only question is whether you are willing to receive it. 

God didn't bring you this far to leave you now

God brought his people out of slavery in Egypt.

• While pursued by an enemy too strong for them, their progress was halted by the Red Sea. They thought they were going to die. So God parted the waters, allowing them to cross on dry ground. Their enemies were killed when they tried to follow suit.

• Then they went 3 days without water. When they did find water it wasn't fit to drink.  So the Lord showed Moses a tree that would make the water safe to drink.

• The nation of Israel was in the wilderness without enough food to eat. They thought they would die. So God rained bread out of heaven.

• Again, the people were without water. And again they thought they were going to die. So God told Moses to strike a rock with his staff. When he did water gushed from the rock. 

Sound familiar? Life is filled with trouble. That doesn't mean that you're out of God's protection and care. Every new trial is an opportunity to trust and obey God. He'll never fail you.