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continues to unveil more problems among those Jewish Christians who were scattered among the
nations.

This time, there are evidential fights and quarrels among them. But where did those come from and
why? Well, James says they came from their desires which were battling within them. Human beings
(just like Adam and Eve [Gen. 3:12-13]) are always found in blame-shifting. Adam answered God that
“The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (v12). And Eve;
“The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (v13). What did God do? He poured His wrath on Adam, Eve, and
the serpent. All of those were responsible in disobeying God. That fall would affect the entire creation of
God until God’s mediation through Jesus Christ. James raised a similar caution when he admonished
them on how they were tempted and fall into sin (cf. Jas. 1:14). It was because of their own desires. He
would say the same on fights and quarrels. The fact that those desires were battling withing them could
possibly signify the presence of two desires in opposition against one another. It could be that one
desire (seemingly godly, good, and of the Holy Spirit) is battling against another desire (seemingly
fleshly, bad, and of the devil). Even though that interpretation is foreign in James’ thoughts, it seems
believable but not convincing because James used one Greek word for desire.

What were those desires withing them? It seems that James’ audience thought
desiring after something was a guarantee that they would have what they desired
for. Upon their realization that that was not the case, they would resort to killing. Is
it reported anywhere in this epistle that there were such killings? He does not
report that. However, elder John said somewhere that “Everyone who hates his

fellow Christian is a murderer,and you know that no murderer has eternal life
residing in him” (1 John 3:15). Did James mean such kind of murdering? Indeed, it is
fair to suggest that where there are bitter envy and selfish ambition there should be
hatred (cf. Jas. 3:14). Also, where there is favoritism there should also be hatred (cf.
Jas. 2:1-4). Some scholars think James might be suggesting that some among the
Jewish Christians may have been practicing Zealots’ beliefs which states that through violence, God’s
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kingdom can be ushered in. Perhaps, James was simply referring to “the ultimate consequence of
unrestrained desire.” So, unbridled and continued desire without finally having what one desired for
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would give birth to murder. James also observed that they were coveting and since they could not get
what they wanted, they would resort to quarrelling and fighting.

James offered to them the best solution to quarreling and fighting which was caused by coveting; and
killing/murder which would be caused by desiring after something. First, they needed to ask God.
Secondly, they needed to ask with right motives. James defined wrong motives as trying to spend what
they would receive on their own pleasures. In previous chapters, James has already discouraged bitter
envy and selfish ambition. It seems they were very slow or neglected the application of James’
discomfort in their exercise of bitter envy and selfish ambition. So, James reiterates that when they do
not receive what they asked for, they needed to purposefully check the levels of influence of bitter envy
and selfish ambition on their motives behind their asking. In the context of James’ epistle, James was
unbending in his identification of selfish ambition as the cause for not receiving what they asked for. In
which case, right motives can be inferred as desire to spend selflessly what one would receive from God.

Because of evidential wrong motives among them, James calls his brothers and sisters as adulterous
people. Where else is such used? Well, Jeremiah used that word in reference to Judah who after God
had tried to bring them back to Himself did not listen but continued in their ways of life away from their
God (cf. Jer. 3:7-10). “You adulterers! it is taken from the Old Testament portrait of unfaithful Israel as

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