Friends of the World

info All commentaries are written by volunteers, readers, or supporters of our Bible translation project. These are not official views of our project; we are not a religious denomination and we do not establish doctrine. These commentaries reflect a variety of views and some disagree with each other.

Jesus’ half-brother James wrote (at James 4:4, 5):
‘Adulteresses, don’t you know that if you’re a friend of the world you’re an enemy of God?
So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy.’

Why did James call such ones ‘adulteresses?
Well, notice what Paul wrote about this to Christians in Corinth, Greece (at 2 Corinthians 11:2, 3): ‘I’m jealous over you with a Godly zeal, because I personally promised you in marriage as chaste virgins to a husband…
Yes, to stand beside the Anointed One.
However, I’m afraid that somehow, in the same way that the snake cunningly seduced Eve, your minds might be corrupted away from the sincerity and the chastity that is owed to the Anointed One.’

Then, what must a Christian do to remain a ‘chaste virgin’ and not become an ‘adulteress?’
As James pointed out;
We must stay free from the wicked ways of the world.
Notice how those that are found worthy to reign in God’s Kingdom were described at Revelation 14:4, 5:

‘These are the ones that didn’t make themselves unclean with women.
In fact, they are virgins.
They’re the ones that keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes.
They were bought from among mankind as first fruits to God and to the Lamb, no lies are found in their mouths, and they don’t have any defects.’

Therefore, spiritual ‘virginity’ is required to be counted among this special group.
How is this virginity obtained?
Well, notice what was also said of these ‘spiritual virgins’ at Revelation 20:4:

‘And I saw thrones…
And those that sat down on them were the ones that had been executed with axes for testifying about Jesus and for telling about God, and hadn’t worshiped the wild animal or its image, nor had they received its mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They were appointed to be judges, and they came to life and ruled as kings with the Anointed One for a thousand years.’

So, what must a person do to avoid worshiping ‘the wild animal and its image’ and having its ‘mark?’ Clearly, those who wish to be found as virgins that are promised in marriage to ‘the Lamb’ (Jesus) will not be found supporting ‘the wild animal or its image.’ And since the ‘wild animal’ appears to be something political and worldly, the point seems to be that true Christians should put their allegiance and hopes in God’s Kingdom, not in nationalistic or political schemes.
For notice that according to Revelation 16:13, 14, 16;
These very governments (kings) will soon go to war against God and His people at the battle that is described in the Revelation as ‘Har-Mageddon.’
It says there:

‘And then I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs come out of the mouths of the Dragon, the wild animal, and the false prophet.
These were the unseen powers of demons, and they were to serve as signs.
They were sent to all the kings of the habitation of mankind in order to assemble them for the battle of the Great Day of the Almighty God.

So the question arises:
How can Christians that are promised in marriage to Jesus and that owe their allegiance to God’s Kingdom still show active support for and put their trust in this world’s nationalistic political schemes and its wars, and still remain ‘chaste virgins’ that are worthy of becoming ‘one’ with Jesus?
As James concluded:
‘Whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy.’