[testallthings]

“It shall greatly help ye to understand the Scriptures if thou mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom and to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what circumstances, considering what goeth before and what followeth after. ”
Miles Coverdale (1488 – 20 January 1569).


“We could hardly have a more suitable and powerful example of the importance of attending to
the one great requirement of "the Word of Truth"; as to rightly dividing its subject matter.
In the matter of letters, or epistles, it is very important in our social life to carefully observe the
address written on the envelope. It makes for peace and harmony, and prevents awkward
mistakes and misunderstandings.
It is a mistake that is sometimes made, and it may be that when we have opened a letter that is
not addressed to us we commence to read it; and as we read on we find things said that are
exceedingly interesting and most instructive; but we come upon other things which we cannot
make out, and we find references to matters which we do not understand, and to circumstances
with which we are unacquainted, because we are not the persons directly written to.
Then, if we are wise, we turn to the address, and there we discover the mistake we have made,
and the cause of all our confusion. It is exactly so with
3. The Epistles to the Dispersion.—No Epistle has been the source of such confusion, and none
has received such treatment as that written by James.
(a) The Epistle of James is addressed:—
To the Twelve Tribes which are scattered abroad.
Doubtless they were believers, up to a certain point; but exactly what they believed, or how far
they believed we are not told.
They evidently, as Jews, believed that Christ was the Messiah, and had a certain amount of light:
but the question is, Did they, as sinners, believe in Christ as their Saviour; or know that "Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth"? It is clear from the surface
of the Epistle that they did not have the standing of those who were "called to be saints": or of
members of the spiritual Body of Christ, as set forth in the Epistles addressed to the churches of
Ephesus, Philippi, and Colosse.
They were "Christians" as distinguished from Jews and Gentiles, but were they members of "the
Church of God?" Who are the "ye" in chapter 4? Who are the "rich men" in 5:1? The stand-point
of the epistle is wholly Jewish. They were monotheists as appears from 2:19. Their place of
worship was the "Synagogue" (2:2, margin).
In 5:12 the prohibition of swearing is according to the Jewish formula; and, in verse 14 the
anointing with oil is in accordance with Jewish practice at that time.
Spiritual and vital Christianity is nowhere seen. Only twice is "Christ" named at all (1:1; 2:1).
The word "Gospel" is not used, and the "Mystery" is unknown. The fundamental doctrines of
the Gospel are not even alluded to: such as Incarnation, Atonement, Redemption, Resurrection,
or Ascension.
The Morality of the Law is there (2:8,13). The coming of the Lord as the Judge is there (5:8,9).
Justification by works is there (2:20-26).
All the errors combated refer to Judaism. Religion (threskeia) is there, but it is shown that the
works of mercy and charity are better than all the outward forms of religious worship. Fatalism,
formalism and hypocrisy, arrogance and oppression, are specially dealt with; but surely these are
not the sins which distinguish and characterize the Church of God.
All the phenomena are Palestinian or Eastern, as we may gather from the references to the early
and latter rain (5:7); to the fig, oil, and wine (3:12); to drought (5:17,18); to salt and bitter
springs (3:11,12); and to the hot wind (1:11).
The Epistle is full of references to the Sermon on the Mount, which (as we shall see later) has
reference to the past Dispensation, not to the present. We may compare
James 1:2, 5:10,11 with Matthew 5:10-12
James 1:4 with Matthew 5:48
James 1:5,17, 5:15 with Matthew 7:7,11
James 1:9, 2:5 with Matthew 5:3
James 1:22-25, 2:10,11 with Matthew 5:19
James 1:20 with Matthew 5:22
James 1:22, 2:14, 5:7-9 with Matthew 7:21-26
James 2:1-3 with Matthew 6:2,5
James 2:8 with Matthew 7:12
James 2:10,11 with Matthew 7:12
James 2:13 with Matthew 6:14,15, 7:2
James 2:14 with Matthew 7:21
James 3:1, 4:11 with Matthew 7:1
James 3:12 with Matthew 7:16
James 3:17,18 with Matthew 5:9
James 4:3 with Matthew 7:8
James 4:4 with Matthew 6:24
James 4:8 with Matthew 5:8
James 4:9 with Matthew 5:4
James 4:10 with Matthew 5:3,4
James 4:11 with Matthew 7:1
James 4:13-16 with Matthew 6:25
James 5:2 with Matthew 6:19
James 5:10 with Matthew 5:12
James 5:12 with Matthew 5:34
From other parts of the Lord's teaching in connection with the Kingdom we may compare
James 1:14 with Matthew 15:19
James 4:12 with Matthew 10:28
James 5:1 with Luke 6:24
These phenomena in the subject-matter, when interpreted of the Church of God, and
appropriated by those who are "in Christ," and "complete in Him," led to such confusion that,
though the Epistle was in the primitive Syriac version from the first (cent. ii.), and was quoted as
Canonical by the great Greek Fathers or cent. iv., yet there were always great doubts about its
canonicity, and delays in receiving it.
These doubts were revived when translations of the Bible began to be made at the Reformation.
Erasmus, Luther, and others questioned the canonicity of the Epistle; and it is well known that
Luther went so far as to call it "a veritable Epistle of straw" ("Eine rechte stroherne Epistel").
The same difficulties and doubts are felt to-day. But they are all caused by interpreting of the
Church of God that which is written to quite a different class of people belonging to "the Twelve
Tribes."
The question is, Do we belong to "the Twelve Tribes"? Do we worship in a Synagogue? Is it our
custom, as a People, to anoint with oil? Is not the "Assembly" of James 5:14* identical with the
"Synagogue of 2:2?**
* Which is translated "church" in AV and RV.
** Which is translated "Assembly" in AV and "Synagogue" in RV.
The answers to these questions will show that the Epistle is not addressed to us, i.e., to those
who are "in Christ," and who are "the Church of God."
The moment we discern this, and rightly divide off, the class of persons addressed, there will be
an end of all the laboured arguments to bring the Epistle of James into harmony with the Epistle
to the Romans; and of all attempts to reconcile its teaching with that of Ephesians or Colossians.
There will be nothing either to harmonize or to reconcile. James will be seen to be true in what
he wrote to those whom he addressed, and Paul will be seen to be true in what he wrote. Both
will be seen to be true in what they said to those to whom they were respectively inspired to
write, if we rightly divide these portions of the Word of truth.” (How to enjoy the Bible, E.W. Bullinger, 1916)

This is just a short excerpt from a book I highly recommend, and it is in the public domain. I am making the “mistake” of only posting this part, so this may raise more questions than answers. I hope those who have time and are willing may read more from the book itself. At the same time I do not want to distract anyone from the main reason of this thread. (But I am guilty of just doing that. Sorry.)