James 4

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye…” The line’s distinctive content terms include desire, fight, kill. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” The line’s distinctive content terms include amiss, consume, lusts. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” Naming Wherefore keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Naming Resist keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double…” Naming Cleanse and Draw keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” The line’s distinctive content terms include afflicted, heaviness, laughter. Its relationship to verses 8 and 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell…” The line’s distinctive content terms include city, continue, gain. Its relationship to verses 14 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.” The line’s distinctive content terms include boastings, evil, rejoice. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.