NT Letters to the Scattered & Sojourning Ones

As I started to read through the Book of James this morning, verse one stood out to me yet again. Unless one properly understands who James was addressing, the entire Book will be misunderstood.

Yes, again we are discussing identity. The counsel of James was not penned to the Christian church. It was not written to the evangelicals. It was not for the Catholics, Protestants or charismatics. It was surely not to the entirety of the world. It was specifically addressed to the Diaspora – the scattered, sojourning ones.

1 Peter chapter one starts out in the exact same way. As letters always are, the words that these men penned were for a specific People. The counsel that they contained was dependent upon many things being rightly understood and in proper place, foundationally. Imagine, if you will, a letter that you sat down and wrote to your mother and father. It would, of course, contain specific details that they alone would be privy to. The foundation of the relationship would be key to them rightly discerning what the letter shared. It would be specialized unto them, because they are your family. They would know things that you would reference, in proper context, because of identity.

 Now give that same letter to someone without any knowledge of the particulars within the things shared. One would expect for the letters purpose to be entirely misunderstood and misappropriated. This has been what has happened with the letters of so many authors, that are contained within our Bibles.

 Let us settle this matter of identity quickly. There is no biblical reference of a “Christian church” now. From the Torah and the Prophets to the coming of New Jerusalem, all is about a returning of the sojourning Ones. A one new man People, set apart unto the Most High. Do you know who you are, today?