Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangelical
It is all God-breathed but we must understand which applies to us today according to the New Testament and which does not.
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James uses the term "the twelve tribes", an Old Testament term, but his use does not indicate that he himself is still in the OT mindset. Instead, it indicates he has a burden to "turn back those who have wandered from the truth" which is what he says in chapter 5. This isn't an inference or assumption, James makes it very clear that he does not consider himself to of "the twelve tribes" rather he considers himself to be a bondservant of God and of Jesus Christ.
James also uses the term "synagogue". This is a word that refers to a building where a Jewish congregation meets for religious worship. All this indicates is that the Lord has given him the gospel for the circumcision, just as He gave Paul the gospel to the uncircumcision. The New Testament opens the gospel to the gentiles, that does not mean that it closes the gospel on the Jews.
Finally, James talks about keeping the royal law. This law refers to the two commandments Jesus gave us: To love God with our whole heart and to love our neighbor as ourself. If you read the Life Studies of Witness Lee on this book you will see that this is the portion where he is strongest to condemn James as not having a clear vision of the New Testament Economy.
I go over this portion in careful detail in the book "Carry Up My Bones From Here". It is evident that in that portion James refers to 4 things: the two commandments from Jesus and the two ordinances given to us by Jesus (Baptism and the Lord's Table). This portion, more than any other examination of Witness Lee's ministry, proves that it is Witness Lee that does not have a clear vision of God's New Testament Economy.
In addition, nothing exposes Witness Lee's lack of faith more than James' word about the proof of Abraham's faith.
Finally, what we are doing here on this forum can be compared to the proof of Rahab's faith.
No book deals with the catastrophe that is a false prophet better than the book of James.