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.