I think i know what you are doing... Come on, Wormwood! You think thats really a fair comment?
You are comparing a chapter which obviously uses symbolism (insomuch as the book itself admits its symbolic by explaning thesymbolism) to one verse which is merely a salutation.
FHII,
I think it is a fair comment. Yes, Revelation uses symbolism. Other books use metaphor and hyperbole. The point is that it is not as simple as quoting something and saying, "Do you believe this?" The context of first century Christian thought and the rest of the letter/Bible qualify to what "this" refers. Clearly, most Christian scholars throughout church history have understood the salutation in James 1 to be inclusive of believing Gentiles as part of Israel. To suggest that they denied the Bible is a straw man. The rest of the NT makes it very clear that this is how the early church saw itself....no longer Jew or Gentile, race distinctions didnt matter. Phrases that were used exclusively of Israel in the OT were now used of believing Jews and Gentiles in the NT. This is overwhelmingly evident and there is NO indication that James would have rejected this or that his identification of Israel would have been limited to believing Jews only while excluding believing Gentiles. So, we have to understand phrases and concepts in their Biblical context and how the early church identified itself. Consider the following:
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12–13, ESV)
“For
there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” (Romans 10:12, ESV)
“But it is not as though the word of God has failed.
For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”” (Romans 9:6–7, ESV)
“and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:10–11, ESV)
“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:26–29, ESV)
“But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,
and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:22–24, ESV)
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9–10, ESV) (btw, Peter is also writing to those of the "dispersion." and he is clearly including the Gentiles in his letter)
Part of that understanding is that James and Paul were not on the same page.
I find this to be a very unhealthy and unChristian doctrine. Essentially you are claiming that one of the two authors of Scripture was in error. Are you suggesting you have a better understanding of God's revelation than Paul did? Paul, who, over and over again, claimed that his revelation came straight from God!? James and Paul
were on the same page. This is a summary of their teaching on justification:
James teaches - Faith without works does not justify
Paul teaches - Faith plus works does not justify
Both teach - Faith THAT works DOES justify.
In sum, God is no respecter of persons and he does not have a separate plan based on someones flesh. All poeple will be judged according to their faith and the actions that expressed or denied that faith.
See also, Acts 10:34–35; Rom 2:6,11; Eph 6:8–9; Col 3:25; 1 Pet 1:17.