What type of study is this?

This is a Literature Review study.

October 15, 2025

Is James a Spiritless Text?

Puntos clave

The interpretation of James 4.5 presents challenges, particularly regarding the identity of the 'S/spirit'.
A lack of consensus exists around the meaning of the termen 'spirit' in James, with implications for understanding humility and unity.
The article proposes that James likely does not refer to the Holy Spirit, aligning with a broader theological discourse.
It further investigates the potential for a Pentecostal interpretation of the text despite the absence of direct references to the Holy Spirit.

Resumen

Abstract The letter of James’s structure, sources, thought, and frequent ambiguities present difficulties for interpreters. James 4.5 is difficult, first with respect to the referent of the citation and second with respect to the actual meaning of the statement. In an argument contrasting relationship with God and relationship with ‘the world’, James includes a saying he attributes to ‘Scripture’ about the envy or jealousy either or God or of ‘the S/spirit’ (πνεῦμα) which God ‘has made to dwell in us’. This saying supports James’s exhortations to humility and unity. Beyond its linguistic ambiguities, there is no consensus as to whose ‘S/spirit’ is in view, and if it is not the Holy Spirit, James joins only three other NT texts without reference to the Spirit. The first part of this article will explore the meaning of Jas 4.5 and its role in the broader argument of James 3.13–4.10. This exploration leads to the conclusion that it is unlikely that James refers to the Holy Spirit. The second part of this article will explore the possibility of a Pentecostal reading of James even without a direct mention of the Holy Spirit, thereby further developing contemporary Pentecostal hermeneutics.

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