I finished up reading James and am rereading it hoping to get a different/ better perspective of it. But I came across James 4:5.
NIV - “Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?”
NASB- “Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?”
NLT- “What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?”
I’m lost. I just don’t get what James is talking about and haven’t found a good answer online. What do you think?
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April 26, 2007 at 12:50 pm
parke
My limited understanding in light of the previous verses is that God desires our full attention and energy. God is jealous and wants all of us. Why the world “spirit” is used and whether it is spirit in the sense of our essence or the Holy Spirit is a topic I’d need to study more.
April 27, 2007 at 2:21 pm
jewlianne
I think you have to look at the verses around it as well, as is often true, to get a full perspective. The verse just before the one you quoted states “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God”. To me he’s saying that God is jealous and wants us to seek him only and not to “cheat” on him with the world. But thank goodness for the next verse, “6But he gives us more grace.”
I’d be interested to know what “spirit” the author is referring to as well. Even the footnote in the NIV is confusing, ” that God jealously longs for the spirit that he made to live in us; or that the Spirit he caused to live in us longs jealously”.