The book of James and the LRC

[aron]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

The book of James is written “to the 12 tribes that are scattered abroad”. This book is written right at the beginning of the New Testament, the transition from the Old Testament to the New...

Witness Lee taught that writing to these believers indicates James was not clear on the New Testament. I would completely disagree with this. Instead I would say that this verse indicates James burden is with those having trouble making that transition...

There is a quote from Jesus to the 12 disciples, in Matthew 19, where he says, ""I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Now who is you who have followed me? Judas Iscariot got eliminated, right? So maybe there was an opening for one of the twelve thrones, for a judge of one of the tribes of Israel? And how do we know what Jesus said (or didn't say) to James when He met with him, per Paul's account in 1 Cor. 15:7? We don't know, and we probably never will; in this age, anyway. So why judge James so harshly for writing to the twelve tribes? Maybe because someone has a "God's New Testament Economy" template which allows them to bulldoze the sacred texts according to what "fits" and what doesn't?

How do we know how much (or little) of what Jesus said to James, and what James saw (he did live with Jesus for a couple decades, after all) came out, for our benefit, in James' epistle? Like the psalmist who professed love for God's law, maybe the text is shallow and natural only if we want it to be. Maybe it's really as deep as we want it to be. No more and no less.

Psalm 18:25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd. (NIV)