ENVY

ENVY

"For he knew that for envy they had delivered him." Matt. 27:18

"For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy." Mark 15:10

Webster-A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, QUALITIES, or luck.

The Bible defines envy as a painful or resentful awareness of another's advantage joined with the desire to possess the same advantage. The advantage may concern material goods (Gen. 26:14) or social status (Gen. 30:1). Old Testament wisdom frequently warns against envying the arrogant (Psa. 73:3), the violent (Prov. 3:31), or the wicked (Psa. 37:1; Prov. 24:1, 19). In the New Testament envy is a common member of vice lists as that which comes out of the person and defiles (Mark 7:22), as a characteristic of humanity in rebellion to God (Rom. 1:29), as a fruit of the flesh (Gal. 5:21), as a characteristic of unregenerate life (Tit. 3:3) and as a trait of false teachers (1 Tim. 6:4). Envy (sometimes translated jealousy by modern translations) was the motive leading to the arrest of Jesus (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10) and to opposition to the gospel in Acts (Acts 5:17, 13:45; 17:5). Christians are called to avoid envy (Gal. 5:26; 1 Pet. 2:1). 

    Envy is sometimes a motive for doing good. The Preacher was disillusioned that hard work and skill were the result of envying another (Eccl. 4:4). Paul was, however, able to rejoice that the gospel was preached even if the motive were envy (Phil. 1:15).

    The KJV rightly understood the difficult text in James 4:5, recognizing that it is a characteristic of the human spirit that it "lusteth to envy". Contrary to modern translations, the Greek word used for envy here (phthonos) is always used in a negative sense, never in the positive sense of God's jealousy (Greek zealos). God's response to the sinful longings of the human heart is to give more grace (James 4:6).

Wicked men promote envy to enrage people to evil ends. Such was the case for Jesus and His death brought about by those who were envious of His acclaim. Politicians today are using envy of the classes to bring about the destruction of a country that was named the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. They are bringing about the separation of the classes that were UNITED to bring hope to many around the world. Our constitution and its laws brought unity to the diversity of this great country that was being used by God. In His Kingdom there are no politics for there is one view that rules in unity of the Spirit. All others are said to be dealt with using a rod of iron as we who have entered His Kingdom blameless to rule and reign with Him will see the removal of all that fights the sanctification of the Kingdom inhabitants.