Quote:
Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah
OK, great point, it is hard to read James if you can't get past the first verse.
Do "tribes in the dispersion" and the use of the word "synagogue" indicate that these must be Jewish believers and not Gentile believers?
Let us use the Lord's Recovery Church as an example since that would be the most appropriate for this forum. Also, although there were some Jewish believers in the LRC let's say that this for the most part were Gentile believers, especially since WN and WL are clearly Gentiles.
Lord's Recovery -- That refers to the Jewish believers who returned from Babylon. This term has a very Jewish flavor.
Meeting hall -- Everyone in the LRC is very clear to not refer to the meeting hall as the church but as a meeting hall. That word is equivalent to the word synagogue.
Ground of the Church -- This teaching is based on the OT type of the temple and is built on commandments in the books of Moses concerning the temple. This is a doctrine that comes straight from the OT, just as the woman at the well said. Like the Mormons it has a very OT flavor.
Minister of the Age -- this doctrine comes straight from Deuteronomy where Moses says that there will be a minister like him. Of course Moses was referring to Jesus, not to Watchman Nee. Once again OT flavor used to build key doctrines of this sect. Quite similar to the Mormons and Joseph Smith.
Mingling -- this word is based on a word in the book of Leviticus.
So I would argue that James is written to believers, like those in the LRC. The fact that false prophets will lead the believers astray by using the OT typology will of necessity, give these "tribes in dispersion" an OT flavor. It doesn't mean that the background of the believers was Jewish, but rather the background of the false teachings was the OT.
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You seem to be making a round about argument that because Lee's doctrines have an old testament flavor, then James must apply to them?
This is not considering the plain meaning of the text.
James verse 1 is clear : "To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations" can only be Jewish believers.
Bensen commentary on this verse says
"to the twelve tribes — Of Israel; that is, to those of them that were converted to Christianity, and with an evident reference, in some parts of the epistle, to that part of them which was not converted; which are scattered abroad — In various countries; ten of the tribes were scattered ever since the reign of Hoshea, and a great part of the rest were now dispersed through the Roman empire, as was foretold Deuteronomy 28:25; Deuteronomy 30:4. That the twelve tribes were actually in existence when James wrote his epistle, will appear from the following facts. 1st, Notwithstanding Cyrus allowed all the Jews in his dominions to return to their own land, many of them did not return, but continued to live among the Gentiles, as appears from this, that in the days of Ahasuerus, one of the successors of Cyrus, who reigned from India to Ethiopia, over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, (Esther 3:8,) the Jews were dispersed among the people in all the provinces of his kingdom, and their laws were diverse from the laws of all other people; so that, by adhering to their own usages, they kept themselves distinct from all the nations among whom they lived. 2d, Josephus considered the twelve tribes as being in existence when the Old Testament Scriptures were translated into Greek, (namely, in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, about two hundred and fifty or two hundred and sixty years before Christ,) as he says that six persons were sent out of every tribe to assist in that work."