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From the day Paul wrote his letters they were used as the main guide in doctrine and considered sacred scripture.

Actually it was the 4 canonical gospels that were considered "the main guide in doctrine". Everything Paul wrote was subject to them, as he himself would tell you first. Both the 4 gospels and the Pauline letters were considered canonical from very early times.

Incidentally, where something is placed in your Bible doesn't have much to do with its status or the degree to which you should heed it. The order of the books is not divinely inspired.

Again, James’ letter was to THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, not the Gentile believers.

I think you're not quite understanding something.

The ten tribes in the north of Israel were conquered by Assyria in 722 BC. Those tribes were dispersed and forcibly intermarried among the Gentiles. They were lost as individual national units, hence the term "Lost Tribes of Israel". The whole messianic promise was that those tribes would be reunited back into the one people of God.

But how is that even possible, when they are intermingled with Gentile nations? Precisely by bringing the Gentiles into the covenant, that's how!

So saying James is writing to "the twelve tribes of Israel, not to Gentile believers" is nonsense. Ten of those twelve tribes were Gentile believers (if they were to be believers at all), so for him to address his letter to "the twelve tribes in the diaspora" is precisely the same as addressing his letter to the whole church of God.

This isn't a work of Jewish homiletics, and it isn't teaching the Mosaic law in opposition to Paul's teaching of salvation by grace through faith. The bishops in AD 400 knew exactly what they were doing, and put it in the Bible for a reason.

And no, it doesn't contradict Paul. Not if you understand Paul correctly, and James as well.

***The ten tribes in the north of Israel were conquered by Assyria in 722 BC. Those tribes were dispersed and forcibly intermarried among the Gentiles. They were lost as individual national units, hence the term “Lost Tribes of Israel”. ****

There were still enough of Israel who returned to Jerusalem that sacrifices were offered for ALL OF THE TRIBES.

Ezr 6:16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,

Ezr 6:17 And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.

Ezr 8:35 [Also] the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats [for] a sin offering: all [this was] a burnt offering unto the LORD.

Plus we have the mention in the NT of Anna of the tribe of ASHER..

So not all came back to Israel but enough did to be considered Twelve Tribes, even though most were still in Persia.