Was James Written to Saints or Sinners?

The letter of James, addressed to the twelve tribes, is emblematic of a broader error in biblical interpretation where modern Christians assume that warnings directed against unbelieving Jews were instead describing believing saints. James is full of warnings against unbelieving Jewish leaders who would be condemned if they continued their course, but modern churches have misapplied these warnings as challenges to believers struggling to walk in faith.

Take, for example, James’ warning against the rich oppressors who were persecuting Christians in their communities, and the condemnation threatened against them:

James 5:1-6 (New Living Translation) Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you. 2 Your wealth is rotting away, and your fine clothes are moth-eaten rags. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. The very wealth you were counting on will eat away your flesh like fire. This corroded treasure you have hoarded will testify against you on the day of judgment. 4 For listen! Hear the cries of the field workers whom you have cheated of their pay. The cries of those who harvest your fields have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

5 You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and killed innocent people, who do not resist you.

James’ warning is not meant to steer Christians back to the light. Rather, he is addressing unbelieving Jewish leaders who were persecuting and even killing Christians in their community. That is why his tone is so dire. He wants them to “receive in humility the implanted word, being able to save your souls.” (James 1:21 [Berean Literal Bible]), exhorting them to accept and believe the gospel they once heard but rejected.

Why Does James Call Unbelievers “Brothers?”

Notice that James identifies these rich people with the pronoun “you,” showing that the letter is addressing these unbelievers directly. Modern scholars point to the fact that James often calls his audience “brothers” and that the letter is addressed to the “twelve tribes scattered abroad,” which they assume describes Christians who fled from Jerusalem during the persecution under Paul, formerly Saul (Acts 8:1-3). However, both of these terms identify the audience as Jewish, not specifically Christian. Consider how Peter addresses the crowd of unbelieving Jews as his brothers, despite the fact that most of them were not Christian (Acts 2:29-40; Acts 3:17).

Acts 3:17 (BLB) And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers also. 18 But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent, therefore, and turn again, for the blotting out of your sins…

Identifying James’ Audience

James does include encouragement and exhortation written specifically to believers (James 1:2-5, 9, 12, 16-18; 5:10-11, 19-20), but his primary audience is Jewish, not specifically Christian, and most warnings and teachings are directed against unbelieving Jews. Consider the following examples where warnings against unbelieving Jewish leaders clearly indicate that his audience is not all believing:

James 1:6-8 (NIV) But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

James 1:21 (NIV) Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

James 2:1, 14, 19-20 (NLT) My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

…

14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?

…

19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?

James 3:10 (NLT) And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!

James 3:13-16 (NLT) If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

James 4:1-2 (NLT) What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.

James 4:4 (NLT) You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

James 4:7-10 (NLT) So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James 5:9 (NLT) Don’t grumble about each other, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. For look—the Judge is standing at the door!

James 5:12 (NLT) But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.

James 5:15 (NLT) Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

James 5:19-20 (NLT) My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

While I cannot claim to be an expert on the context of James, the internal evidence of the letter suggests that he is writing primarily to Jewish unbelievers who aspire to lead the synagogues (James 1:19-21, 22-25; 2:2, 8-9; 3:1). However, they teach the law rather than faith, and they condemn believers (James 2:6; 3:10; 4:11-12; 5:6, 9). James warned that their wisdom was useless, their faith lacked evidence, their works were dead, and they would be judged unless they changed course. His exhortation to believers to pray for wisdom directly from God (James 1:5) may have empowered Christian Jews to trust in God as their sole source of wisdom, rather than continuing to attend synagogues under Jewish teachers who persecuted them.

James Condemned the “Birkat haMinim”

If James was written in the early 60s AD as Edward Stevens argues,¹ the Jewish community was persecuting the believers in their midst and expelling them from their services (John 9:22). In fact, James’ warning against taking oaths and cursing (James 3:10; 5:9, 12) seems to condemn a practice where unbelieving Jewish leaders would pray a curse upon the believing Jews in their synagogues. Known as the “Birkat haMinim,” these leaders would cite the following against Christians:

For the apostates let there be no hope, and uproot the kingdom of arrogance, speedily and in our days. May the Nazarenes and the sectarians perish as in a moment. Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written together with the righteous. You are praised, O Lord, who subdues the arrogant.²

The Nazarenes were a Jewish sect who partially followed Judaism and partially followed Christianity. Ancient Biblical scholar and translator Jerome, living in 347–420 AD, wrote

Until now a heresy is to be found in all parts of the East where Jews have their synagogues; it is called “of the Minaeans” and cursed by the Pharisees up to now. Usually they are named Nazoraeans. They believe in Christ, the Son of God born of Mary, the virgin, and they say about him that he suffered and rose again under Pontius Pilate, in whom we also believe, but since they want to be both Jews and Christians, they are neither Jews nor Christians.²

Who Were The Twelve Tribes?

The twelve tribes scattered abroad does not distinctly describe Christians who fled before Saul, but rather describes the Jewish communities who were scattered among the nations from conflicts in previous centuries (Deuteronomy 28:64; Leviticus 26:33; 2 Kings 17:5-6; Jeremiah 9:16; Ezekiel 11:16; Luke 21:24). These Jews continued to practice Judaism and even established synagogues in their foreign countries. Scholars cannot rule out that James had these Jewish communities in mind in his introduction rather than specifically believers who fled under Saul.

Resolving Scriptural Contradictions

It is essential for preserving core Christian doctrine that we distinguish who the intended audience is in New Testament letters. If James is writing exclusively to believers, one must assume that believers can be called “sinners” (James 4:8), that they can be “condemned” (James 5:12) and “judged” (James 5:9), that a believer’s future sins remain unforgiven (James 5:15), that their hearts are called impure (James 4:8), that they can be identified as “enemies of God” and “adulterers” (James 4:4), and that their faith may not be adequate to save them (James 1:21; 2:1, 14, 19-20).

In contrast, Scripture never calls a believer a sinner (Romans 5:8; Titus 3:3; 1 Timothy 1:13-15; Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 6:11), not even in the letter of James (James 5:19-20). Believers’ hearts are purified by faith alone (Acts 15:9; Hebrews 10:14; Colossians 2:11–14; Titus 3:5–7). Christians will never be judged or condemned (John 5:24; Romans 8:1). All of a believer’s sins are forgiven (Hebrews 9:26; 10:14, 17-18; Colossians 2:13-14; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 1:7; 2:12). They are friends of God and no longer his enemies (John 15:14-15; Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:21-22).

Scripture would not be true if it contradicted itself. Something that is true is not simultaneously untrue. Scripture does not contradict itself, but apparent contradictions prove that our understanding and interpretation of Scripture is flawed. By realizing that James is writing primarily to unbelieving Jews, all these contradictions are resolved, the gospel is not distorted, and Scripture is vindicated.

While I am not an expert, I am wholly committed to the gospel message and believe the popular understanding of James is critically flawed and antithetical to the gospel message. Realizing his audience is not entirely Christian resolves all this tension and is supported by all the available evidence.

Footnotes