"John Knight" <jwknight at polbox.com> wrote in message
news:Hrrc9.38036$Ic7.2576188 at news2.west.cox.net...
THE "DIASPORA"
Notice how James, the Lord's half-brother, addressed his epistle around
A.D. 60: "James, a servant of God and of... Jesus Christ, to the TWELVE
TRIBES [not just the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin] which are scattered
abroad [Gk. diaspora, "dispersed"]" (1:1). James did not address his epistle
to just the Jews. Rather, he addressed his inspired letter to ALL the
Israelites-"to the TWELVE TRIBES in the Dispersion"(same verse, NRSV and
Moffatt).
--
John, the letter of James is a part of the New Testament. The people to whom
he is writing are not literally Jews and Israelites, nor are they literally
divided into twelve tribes; they are the Christian Church of his day, still
drawing part of their numbers from the Jesush faith, but invcreasingly,
under Paul's leadership, beginning to become a gentile phenomonon. It is
only in a spiritual sense that they are "a new Israel" " Synagogue of the
true Jews"
Incidentally; you now seem to be saying that James the brother of Jesus was
not aware of the distinction between "Israelites" and "Jews". He's
"mistaken" and you're "righr?!!!
Oh, My!
Joe