James calls his readers adulteresses (G3428) in James 4:4. Some translations have James addressing adulterers and adulteresses, but most ancient manuscripts have only the feminine, showing James is addressing all in the feminine gender metaphorically as the adulteress wife of the Lord. The masculine adulterer is an addition to the text.
James was actually alluding to Ezekiel 23, where the prophet calls Samaria Aholah and Jerusalem Aholibah. Both names mean my tent or my tabernacle and the text refers to them as the adulterous wives of the Lord (Ezekiel 23:1-4). Both played the harlot in Egypt and later continued their whoredom in the religious and political alliances they made with the gentile nations around them. Ezekiel refers to them as adulteresses (Ezekiel 23:45) saying “righteous men” (i.e. the Lord’s prophets) would judge them, as though they were the Lord’s duly appointed magistrates. They would judge the two nations after the manner of adulteresses, or after the manner of women who shed blood, because blood was in their hands.
In the context of James’ epistle, the believers to whom he wrote were playing the part of harlots siding with those who slandered the legitimately appointed leaders of their local churches (cp. James 4:11). If the Lord is the head of the Church, he will raise up or tear down those who hold leadership positions in the Body of Christ, according to his estimation of their service (Romans 14:4; cp. Jeremiah 1:10). He doesn’t need the help of some self-appointed reformer to care for his people.
James accuses his readers of having a friendly relationship with the world, which in reality would make them an enemy of the Lord, because the world is in rebellion against him. One cannot be the friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time (1John 2:15-16). How could one say the world is evil and still be its friend (John 7:7)? If the Lord had taken his people out of the world, how is it possible to be of the world and its friend (John 15:18-19, 23; 17:14)?
Many scholars have claimed James 4:5 is ambiguous, and it is impossible to know to which text James refers. Some have tried to make the second phrase in the verse to be the general meaning of the text referred to, but this is doubtful. Rather, I believe what James had in mind was the very text to which he alluded in James 4:4. In other words, he Once again alluded to Ezekiel 23:45 in James 4:5. He was asking his readers, if they thought the text (Ezekiel 23:45) said in vain that they (i.e. James’ readers) would be judged according to an adulteress or a woman who had shed blood. Then James adds: “…the Spirit which dwells in you loves with a jealous love (Vulgate; cp. Exodus 34:14). Nevertheless, the Lord will always be gracious toward the repentant (James 4:6).
James then concludes this part of his argument by quoting the Septuagint at Proverbs 3:34, “God resists the proud, but gives grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). In other words and also referring back to James 4:4, James is telling his readers that they, who resist the legitimately appointed authorities, resist God and bring judgment upon themselves, because they, the believers to whom James writes, have allied themselves with men, who have presumed to take authority to themselves in rebellion against the Lord, whose authority they oppose (Romans 13:2; cp. James 4:4). They have slandered the legitimate authorities (James 4:11), which is spiritual murder, yet the one these rebels have slain says nothing against them (James 5:6; 1Corinthians 4:12-13).
The duly appointed messengers of the Lord, on the other hand, are greater in authority than those who oppose them, yet the Lord’s messengers bring no accusation against the rebels, but are content with the judgment of the Lord (2Peter 2:11; Jude 1:8-10), because just as naturally violent beasts are made to be destroyed, these who speak evil of things they don’t understand will perish in their own evil plans (2Peter 2:12). Their arrogant words titillate the fleshy minds of believers who are given to spiritual adultery. Promising liberty, they end up in bondage to the judgment of their own error (2Peter 2:18-19).
Smoodock's Blog 