James’ question in verse-1 follows immediately upon his description of the man of peace who is endowed with wisdom from above. (James 4:1; cp. James 3:17-18). In an earlier study I mentioned that Paul’s list of qualifications for a church overseer in 1Timothy 3:2-7 takes into account the idea that he shouldn’t be a brawler (G269), a Greek word made up of a negative particle ‘a’ (G1) and mache (G3263), which is used in 2Corinthians 7:5 and James 4:1 for fights and in 2Timothy 2:23 and Titus 3:9 the same word is translated strife. In other words, the man of peace (James 3:18) is a person who doesn’t engage in fights or disputes (strife).
The man of peace, then, allows the word of God to work on the consciences of folks to turn their hearts toward the Lord. He doesn’t seek to force this issue or intimidate folks into thinking the way he does or to accept the understanding he has. Those who love debating issues, of course, will be unaffected by the Spirit of peace, working in and through the man of peace (James 3:17-18). Instead of disputing, such a man lives out the truth, and the wisdom from above is witnessed in his example and understood by those whose hearts are willing to obey and yearn for truth.
What James has to say in James 4:1 reminds me of an earlier study I did on the Genesis Flood. I believe most people have really misunderstood Genesis 6 and the reason for the Lord’s judgment upon that world. Peter also points to the judgment of Noah’s day and likens it to the coming judgment upon the world of the ungodly in the first century AD (1Peter 3:20; 2Peter 2:5). The key to understanding what occurred in the antediluvian period is Genesis 6:1-2. Notice:
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. (Genesis 6:1-2)
Remember, the Lord’s original command was to increase and multiply and fill the earth (Genesis 1:28). So, why would there be a problem with men multiplying and daughters being born to them? Why would the Lord be angry over the fact that men did what he told them to do (Genesis 6:4)? Most folks miss the point entirely and try to say angels from heaven somehow married these women and bore giants, but this is so wrong, and completely subjective in interpretation, having absolutely no objective evidence to support their weird theory.
The Hebrew word used for daughters (bath – H1323) is sometimes translated elsewhere into towns (Joshua 15:45, 47; 17:11, 16; Judges 1:27; 11:26; 1Chronicles 5:16; 7:28; 8:12; 18:1; 2Chronicles 13:19) or villages (Numbers 21:25, 32; Nehemiah 11:27-28; 30-31). If the word were translated so in Genesis 6, the text would make more sense and all the weird interpretations would be exposed for what they are, really weird traditions of men, having no basis in fact.
Looking at Genesis 6:1-2 again, we would discover that when man began to multiply towns or villages came into existence, and when the sons of the gods (i.e. the patriarchs) saw this they lusted after them and took to themselves wives (i.e. they entered into a covenant relationship with them) and became their leader. Thus, mini-empires were born and the leaders became giants (tyrants) and violence erupted between conflicting groups of towns and villages. It was violence that angered God, and this is what he judged in the Flood.
In the context of James’ letter the false teachers, who were sent by Jerusalem or who may have arisen from within the local churches, themselves by slandering the legitimate overseers (cp. James 4:11) in an effort to take the leadership of the local churches. Thus, they contended and debated (James 4:1) in an effort to claim the office of overseer for themselves, just as Korah tried to do, in an effort to unseat Moses and Aaron (Jude 1:11; cp. Numbers 16:1-3). However, Moses proved to be a man of peace endowed with the wisdom from above (James 3:17-18). Instead of debating with Korah or otherwise engage him in his error and cause division among the people, he merely allowed the Lord to choose between him and Korah. The fruit of righteousness cannot spring forth from the seeds of strife and division. Striving produces confusion and separation. This is what false teachers want, but the man of peace waits upon the Lord, who will both vindicate the faithful and judge the ungodly.
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