James 4:5 (KJV) The Sense of the Scripture Everywhere

James 4:5 (KJV)
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

John Gill has an interesting remark concerning this passage,

• “Some think that the apostle refers to a particular passage of Scripture others think he had in view some text in the New Testament; 
• some have imagined that he refers to a passage in the apocryphal book: and 
• others have been of opinion that it is taken out of some book of Scripture then extant, but now lost, which by no means can be allowed of:[1]

but it seems best of all to conclude that the apostle has no regard to any one particular passage of Scripture, in which the following words are expressly had, since no such passage appears; but that his meaning is, the sense of the Scripture everywhere…”

It is often that a preacher is confronted by a person who wants one verse to prove some point of Biblical truth. In the case of most truths of God’s Word a single verse cannot be produced as conclusive and irrefutable proof. Truth, in order to be firmly established, requires “the sense of Scripture everywhere”.

This is the case with:

• The closed ordinance of the Lord’s Supper
• Baptism under the authority of a local and Scripturally organized Baptist church
• The preservation of the Bible in an inerrant fashion in the English language
• The pre tribulational rapture of the saints

Even the doctrine of the Trinity, which is agreed upon by all who are orthodox in doctrine, Requires a student of the Bible to grasp “the sense of the Scripture everywhere”.

Nothing in the Bible is said in vain. Every word has purpose, meaning and value. Most important of all is that the Bible as a whole has purpose, meaning and value. It is that message which is in the whole that we must not think vain.

[1] Bullet points are added by me

To my readers:
I would love to hear from you. Leave comments below.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others

James 4:5 (KJV) The Sense of the Scripture Everywhere

Please consider helping our church’s teen department by signing up for cash back shopping at Bible Baptist Church Fundraiser. This program has three levels of participation, the first being completely free.