James 4:5

"You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

Key Reflection

In James 4:5, the apostle addresses those who are "adulterers and adulteresses," likely referring metaphorically to those who prioritize worldly pleasures over their spiritual commitment to God. This verse warns that such a choice is fundamentally at odds with God's will, as it signifies a form of spiritual infidelity or betrayal. The statement highlights the tension between loyalty to God and allegiance to worldly desires, emphasizing that anyone who seeks to align themselves closely with this world effectively declares war against God.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

Verse 5. Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain. Few passages of the New Testament have given expositors more perplexity than this. The difficulty has arisen from the fact that no such passage as that which seems here to be quoted is found in the Old Testament; and to meet this difficulty, expositors have resorted to various conjectures and solutions.

Related Verses

More from James 4

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