Known for its declaration, "Faith without works is dead," (2:26), the letter of James is not addressed to a single church or community. Rather it is addressed to the “diaspora” or Jews who were scattered among the nations. James, however, is not merely writing to Jews, but Jewish Christians living outside Israel specifically scattered among the nations (also Hellenistic Jewish Christians). As to the location of his audience, there is no mention of it in the book, though the book mentions that these believers meet in a synagogue (2:2), and had somehow experienced persecutions, harassment and “trials of various kinds”, were forced out of their homeland, taken advantage of by their rich neighbors by dragging them to court(1;2; 2:6), and driven to poverty by abusive wealthy landowners (1:9-11; 5:4-6).

Knowing that they are already “brought forth” by God’s Word to be His first fruits (v.18), James teaches them to exercise self-control to bring about the right behavior and harmony in their social relationships, and as they strive to “put off” sin, they should with humility expose themselves to the “implanted Word” as much as they can because it is able to keep them from judgment and bring them into God’s kingdom. In vv.22-25, James builds on the theme of being “quick to hear” that those who have been brought forth by the Word of truth and receive it with humility (1:18,19-21) should also strive to commit to long-term obedience to it and be blessed in it. In Vv. 26 – 27, picking up on the theme of "slow to speak," James specifically addresses the issue of self-control against impulsive speech, caring for the helpless and distancing oneself from the sinful ways of the world as marks of an effective doer’s transformed life.