Bible Commentaries
James 4

Verses 1-17

IV:1-14 Sources of Discord— A serious lack of control of the tongue, and an absence of true wisdom, are manifested by party strifes and individual quarrels, that originate from innate concupiscence and selfish desires. Concupiscence has its seat in our bodily members, and uses them as instruments to self-gratification which, far from leading to true happiness, engenders hatred and envy of others. Necessary favours should be sought from God through prayer. But when one asks for worldly things for the purpose of selfgratification, how can God grant the request!

4. The attachment to worldly riches or pleasures is a species of spiritual adultery. God and the world stand opposed to each other as rivals, and we cannot serve two opposed ing masters, Matthew 6:24.5. In many places the inspired writings state that the Spirit who dwells in man is a jealous God, Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:2; Os

1-3; Zach 8:2. 6. If God craves the undivided love of man, it is because he bestows blessings incomparably greater than the world can offer. 7. In order to obtain this more abundant grace, we must first be humble and submissive to his will, resist the devil and put him to flight, and then draw near to God and live in his presence. The hands, typical of exterior actions, and the heart, seat of our affections, must be cleansed from sin by sincere contrition and purpose of amendment, and from attachment to worldly honours and pleasures; otherwise we remain ’double-minded’, i.e. divided in our allegiance, wishing to follow God and the world simultaneously.

9. When St James urges his readers to ’be afflicted, and mourn, and weep’, he does not ask them to suppress all moderate laughter, and forego all innocent joy; but he is pointing out to the worldlyminded what they must do to regain God’s favour and grace.

11-12 Detraction— Further cautions are given against sinful judging and censuring one’s neighbour, which have their origin in resentment and envy. To depreelate the character of a fellow-man, is to depreciate the law. A detractor steps out of his province and invades that of Almighty God, who alone is the supreme and universal Lawgiver and Judge.

13-17 Presumption— Who will dare boast his independence of God and display an arrogant self-reliance in temporal matters? Our Lord’s parable of the Rich Fool, Luke 12:19f., should be a sound warning against drawing up far-reaching plans for the future. 17. Whoever is aware of his duty of dependence on God and deliberately ignores it, cannot be free from sin.