James 4:2

You want things. The Expositor's Greek Testament says: "It must be confessed that these verses are very difficult to understand." Yet I think MacKnight gives the key by viewing James as a unity. He says: "Next he told them, they never could succeed in converting the heathens, and destroying idolatry, because they did not use the methods proper for these ends (results). They neither prayed to God for assistance and success, nor exercised (used) meekness towards those whom they wished to convert. The Jews still expected an earthly version of Messiah's Kingdom, and they thought it would come by converting Gentiles to Judaism. Even many Christian Jews still thought this, and they expected to be able to live their lives wallowing in sensual pleasure when Messiah's Kingdom came!!! The paradox is their mixed attitude, wanting to bring the Gentiles to Christ, but also to the Law of Moses. Rather than asking God's guidance, they used ranting and raving, quarreling and fighting, to try to make converts, and were ready to kill when they failed to succeed!!!