No, the burden falls on you since you made the claim. I have already demonstrated that the section that was included in the first chapter was addressed to the group James calls "my brethren." James continues to write regarding the testing of their faith. Your assertion is that he is writing regarding the unsaved which of course have no faith. Later he instructs them to ask of God if they lack wisdom, obviously not written to the unsaved. Even later he writes to them about receiving the crown of life which again is obviously written to the saved. Verse 16 again to "my beloved brethren" which is not a term used to describe the unsaved even in Covenant Theology. Even verse 1 of chapter 2 continues to be written to "My brethren." Since you will undoubtedly call my view novel and request commentary to support that my view is correct while demonstrating the error of your ways I offer the following: "(v. 25): Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, etc. Observe here, [1.] The gospel is a law of liberty, or, as Mr. Baxter expresses it, of liberation, giving us deliverance from the Jewish law, and from sin and guilt, and wrath and death. The ceremonial law was a yoke of bondage; the gospel of Christ is a law of liberty. [2.] It is a perfect law; nothing can be added to it. [3.] In hearing the word, we look into this perfect law; we consult it for counsel and direction; we look into it, that we may thence take our measures. [4.] Then only do we look into the law of liberty as we should when we continue therein —"when we dwell in the study of it, till it turn to a spiritual life, engrafted and digested in us’’ (Baxter) —when we are not forgetful of it, but practice it as our work and business, set it always before our eyes, and make it the constant rule of our conversation and behaviour, and model the temper of our minds by it." Matthew Henry You have failed to support your claim that the forgetful hearer is only referring to the unsaved. Obviously it can't be done from the text. Interpretation of the text leads to understanding, understanding leads to application, being both hearers and then doers. Harry Chad Richard Bresson <breusswane@...> wrote: ----- Original Message ----- From: "H Dorrington" >I do agree that there is a discussion involving the unsaved that follows in >the later chapters but you have failed to demonstrate that is the case in >the first chapter. Since you have made the claim the burden of proof falls >on you. The burden of proof falls on you to prove the discussion switches midstream, which would be unlike any of the NT authors. Pastor Chad --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. PC-to-Phone calls for ridiculously low rates. -- Read the Sound of Grace pages at http://www.soundofgrace.com To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: soundofgrace-unsubscribe@... To view our online archive go to our web page at http://www.associate.com/groups/soundofgrace