[20] Comp. _Strom._ VI. viii., where Clement speaks of James, Peter, John, Paul (note the order) as possessing the true _gnosis_, and knowing all things.
[21] Hegesippus evidently distinguishes James the brother of the Lord from any of the Twelve.
[22] It is incredible that he should be allowed the privileges of the high priest.
[23] What is the meaning of this tautology? And could a Rechabite, who was not a Jew, become a priest?
_THE PERSONS ADDRESSED IN THE EPISTLE; THE JEWS OF THE DISPERSION._
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion, greeting."--JAMES i. 1.
These words appear to be both simple and plain. At first sight there would seem to be not much room for any serious difference of opinion as to their meaning. The writer of the letter writes as "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ," _i.e._ as a Christian, "to the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion," _i.e._ to the Jews who are living away from Palestine. Almost the only point which seems to be open to doubt is whether he addresses himself to all Jews, believing and unbelieving, or, as one might presume from his proclaiming himself at the outset to be a Christian, only to those of his fellow-countrymen who, like himself, have become "servants of the Lord Jesus Christ." And this is a question which cannot be determined without a careful examination of the contents of the Epistle.
And yet there has been very great difference of opinion as to the persons whom St. James had in his mind when he wrote these words. There is not only the triplet of opinions which easily grow out of the question just indicated, viz. that the letter is addressed to _believing Jews_ only, to _unbelieving Jews_ only, and to _both_: there are also the views of those who hold that it is addressed to Jewish and Gentile Christians regarded _separately_, or to the same regarded _as one body_, or to _Jewish Christians primarily_, with references to Gentile Christians and unconverted Jews, or finally to _Gentile Christians primarily_, seeing that they, since the rejection of Jesus by the Jews, are the true sons of Abraham and the rightful inheritors of the privileges of the twelve tribes.
In such a Babel of interpretations it will clear the ground somewhat if we adopt once more[24] as a guiding principle the common-sense canon of interpretation laid down by Hooker (_Eccles. Pol._ V. lix. 2), that "where a literal construction will stand, the farthest from the letter is commonly the worst." A literal construction of the expression "the twelve tribes of the Dispersion" will not only stand, but make excellent sense. Had St. James meant to address all Christians, regarded in their position as exiles from their heavenly home, he would have found some much plainer way of expressing himself. There is nothing improbable, but something quite the reverse, in the supposition that the first overseer of the Church of Jerusalem, who, as we have seen, was "a Hebrew of Hebrews," wrote a letter to those of his fellow-countrymen who were far removed from personal intercourse with him. So devoted a Jew, so devout a Christian, as we know him to have been, could not but take the most intense interest in all who were of Jewish blood, wherever they might dwell, especially such as had learned to believe in Christ, above all when he knew that they were suffering from habitual oppression and ill-treatment. We may without hesitation decide that when St. James says "the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion" he means Jews away from their home in Palestine, and not Christians away from their home in heaven. For what possible point would the Dispersion (ἡ διασπορά) have in such a metaphor? Separation from the heavenly home might be spoken of as banishment, or exile, or homelessness, but not as "dispersion." Even if we confined ourselves to the opening words, we might safely adopt this conclusion, but we shall find that there are numerous features in the letter itself which abundantly confirm it.