Outline of James

William Younger
Pastor, Pleasant View Baptist Church, Bromley, Kentucky

  1. Introduction. It is believed that James, the brother of Jesus, was for many years the head of the First Baptist Church at Jerusalem(Acts 15:13-21) and was the author of this book. He describes himself as a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ (James 1:1). I believe James wrote this book to show the churches the glory of Jesus Christ and how to grow in the glory and power that was given them in Jesus Christ through the local church. Some believe that these pieces of literature were first delivered as sermons and afterward sent out to a wider audience as letters to dispersed Christian Jews and Gentiles who would make up churches of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:2).

  2. Opening salutation: believers and the circumstances of Life (James 1:1).
    1. Faith – the means – the way to grow up (1:2-8 and Matthew 5:10 -12, 48).
      1. Welcome trials, 1:2.
      2. Benevolence of temptations, 1:3.
      3. Work of patience, 1:4.
      4. Availability of wisdom, 1:5.
      5. How should we ask of God? 1:6.
      6. The man with two souls, 1:7,
    2. Joy obtained through living experiences (fall into different temptations) and trials of your faith as Jesus Christ was tested (Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 5:7-10).   In all trials we will be victorious if this same mentality is in us that was in Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5-8). We are to let patience (wait upon the Lord) have its work in our lives (Romans 5:3-5). If we lack wisdom in these matters, ask God for it. We will receive it fully, but ask in faith (Hebrews 11:6 ,17). Don't be double minded. If you lack faith, you will not receive anything from the Lord because a two-faced man is unstable in all his ways.
    3. Do not to be confused by riches of this life (James 1:9-11; Matthew 7:7-12).
      1. Height of humility, 1:9.
      2. Our attitude toward riches, 1:10.
      3. The wearing out of the rich, 1:11 .
      4. We must remember that in Scripture and in life, treasures on earth are contrasted against treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19 -21). The carnal ( worldly) is opposite to the spiritual (I Corinthians 3:1-4). Because of pride and lack of humility, the rich will find it difficult to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25 ). Even a rich church could hear the Lord say, I will spew you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16 ). All things in this life are short lived.  


  3. If we are to be exalted in the eyes of the Lord, let us rejoice because of what the Lord has done.
    1. Assurance by God's loving promise ( 1:12 ; I Corinthians 9:25 ).
      1. The blessing of temptation, 1:12.
      2. We see the positive side of temptation (1:2-4). Receiving a crown is equated with achieving a victory. Chaplet Diadem (I Corinthians 9:25 ) is a crown or medal of distinction granted to those who attain maturity. A crown of life (Revelation 2:10 ) – God gives promises on this condition of maturity (Ex­odus 20:6; Deuteronomy 7:9).
    2. Tempting because of covetousness (James 1:13 -15; Romans 7:7-25).
      1. Shall we blame God? 1:13a.
      2. Does God tempt or is He tempted? 1:13b.
      3. The desire to sin, 1:14.
      4. God is the author of all things, but when men are enticed (hooked) by Satan through their own lust, they cannot say it was of God. God does test, but it is impossible for God to tempt us. Our temptation comes from within (covetousness) not without. This is why death is attached to covetousness (Jeremiah 21:8).
    3. God's gift ( 1:16 -18; John 1:1-5).
      1. God, the source of good, 1:17a.
      2. The Father of lights, 1:17b.
      3. God's will for man, 1:18a.
      4. How God re-creates man, 1:18b.
      5. Having shown God is not the author of man's death, James now turns to the contrary affirmation that God is the author of his salvation. We err when we charge God with man's shortcomings. It's God who is the good giver, the perfect gift of salvation (I Peter 1:23 ) because God has no shadow or turning (immutable). God gives life, not death. We who are saved are a kind of first fruits of that gift.
    4. Reception and humility ( 1:19 -21; Matthew 5:20 ; 6:33 ).
      1. The Christian use of our ears and tongue, 1:19.
      2. Is it forbidden for the Christian to be angry? 1:19b, 20
      3. The growth of the implanted word, 1:21.
      4. Do some cleaning yourself, 1:21a.
      5. If it's God's creative agency in man's redemption, then we are to receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your soul. This is done in humility – quick to hear (a good listener), slow to speak (thoughtful and deliberate), slow to anger (don't jump to conclusions), putting away excess of naughtiness and receive God's enervated (im­planted) word.
    5. Don't deceive yourself ( 1:22 -25; II Corinthians 3:18 ).
      1. Practice what you hear, 1:22a.
      2. Don't cheat yourself, 1:22b.
      3. The hearer in front of a mirror, 1:23.
      4. It's good to remember what you were, 1:24.
      5. Obeying the perfect law of liberty, 1:25a.
      6. The blessedness of doing, 1:25b.
      7. Humility is very good, but was never meant to cause us to sit idle (Romans 2:13 ). We are to make sure we are not deceived. False humility is compared with the man who takes a quick look in a mirror and forgets what he saw (someone who does nothing for God). Those who realize God has set them free from sin, world, and self should be a doer of the word, not forgetting what's been heard.
    6. Social and personal ethics ( 1:26 ,27 ; Ephesians 2:1-6).
      1. Being religious, 1:26 .
      2. Pure and undefiled religion, 1:27a.
      3. Philanthropy and a clean life, 1:27b.
      4. Our speech should be Godly and our Christianity (religion) holy before God the Father and all those we visit (Acts 6:3; Galatians 1:4).

  4. Inconsistency of our faith and partiality (2:1-13).
    1. Distinctions based on wealth (2:1-4; I Peter 1:14 -19).
      1. Preferential treatment in the house of God, 2:2.
      2. Ushering in the house of God, 2:3 ,4.
      3. James here deals with partiality practiced in the church – the difference between rich and poor. To gain an impression with those who are rich, the poor are treated with disrespect; the assembly becomes a judge of who is honorable and who is not. In other words, placing one above the other in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:14 ).
    2. Condemnation against such practice (2:5-13; Romans 13:9 ,10).
      1. Poor yet rich, 2:5.
      2. The oppression of the poor by the rich, 2:6 ,7.
      3. Do you really love your neighbor? 2:8.
      4. Being a transgressor, 2:9.
      5. Transgressors of the law, 2:10 ,11 .
      6. Judged by the perfect law of liberty, 2:12 .
      7. The triumph of mercy, 2:13.
      8. God is not partial. If God discriminates at all, He does so in favor of the poor in this world (Matthew 5:3; Luke 12:32 ; I Corinthians 1:26 ). James explains why the rich as a class have an unsavory reputation in view of their treatment of those who are less fortunate, such as Christians. He explains this is true on two counts: (1) they oppress Christians, dragging them into court (Acts 4:1-3; 13:50 ); and (2) they blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ. The royal law for the church is Leviticus 19:18 which shows us that love is an attitude to be cultivated toward other persons and that this should be the practice of the church (Mt. 22:37 -40). The idea is that all are free men in Jesus Christ (I Peter 2:9). So the final argument against partiality is derived from the conception of the law as a unit-so that whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all (Matthew 5:9; Galatians 3:10); therefore, all have sinned in some manner (Matthew 5:22-39). So the principle of judging the law of liberty, the Christian conscience (Matthew 22:34 -40), or God's example of mercy which triumphs over judgment is this-in all matters, man's true guide is mercy.
    3. Faith in relation to works ( 2:14 -26; Romans 4:2-25).
      1. A confession of faith without works, 2:14.
      2. Our attitude toward the naked and the hungry, 2:15-17.
      3. How can we see faith?
      4. Can belief in God save anyone?   2:19 .
      5. Idle faith, 2:20 .
      6. Was Abraham justified by faith or works, 2:21 .
      7. The perfection of faith, 2:22.
      8. Man’s appropriation of God’s righteousness, 2:23a.
      9. Abraham – A friend of God, 2:23b.
      10. The means of justification, 2:24.
      11. How was Rahab, the harlot, justified? 2:25 .
      12. The loathsomeness of dead faith, 2:26.
      13. We see here the teaching of justification and many here pit Paul against James, but Paul and James do not disagree! Both use the argument of Abraham's justification and in a close examination, it is clear that both are employing the same terms with different meaning. Paul is saying that means, works of the law, cannot secure salvation (3:2 ,14; 2:1; 6). James, by works, means the natural product of true faith, the same as what Paul calls the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22 ,23 ) – a grace worked by God in the heart and works are the evidence of that grace.
    4. Study futility of faith without works ( 2:14 -17).
    5. Study futility of faith with and without works ( 2:18 -26).


  5. Opposition between God's Word and man's word (3:1-18).
    1. Man's need of controlling his word (3:1 ,2).
      1. Being a teacher in the House of God, 3:1.
      2. Can a human being be infallible? 3:2a.
      3. Who is counted a perfect man? 3:2b.
      4. The Christian work must measure up at every point, but there is one member of a man's body which is hard to make measure up (his tongue). If we can bridle the tongue, we can bridle the whole body and the Christian can measure up to his faith. This is the true mark of maturity in the Christian, especially those who take on a ministry in the church.
    2. Examples of small controls (3:3-4).
      1. The bridling of our tongues, 3:3.
      2. Why does the horse need a bridle? 3:3.
      3. The importance of little things, 3:4.
      4. We see size has nothing to do with significance. The tongue is a small member, so we must take care of the small members as well as the big – as we would do to a horse or a huge ship, so all can be brought under control.
    3. The smallest let loose can create the biggest (3:5-12).
      1. The duty of the Christian tongue to boast, 3:5.
      2. The tongue is a fire, 3:5b, 6a.
      3. An evil tongue affects the whole body, 3:6b.
      4. The tongue that cannot be tamed by man, 3:7,8
      5. The tongue a tool of hypocrisy, 3:9
      6. Is cursing allowed for the Christian? 3:10
      7. How can opposites have the same source? 3:11,12
      8.  Here we see the Holy Spirit uses analogy of how we are to control ourselves and He cites birds, serpents, and beasts so that we can see man can tame everything else with which he has to do, but states that the tongue is restless, wild, full of deadly poison, a fire, an unrighteous world among our members that can set the fire of hell. Please note – it kindles the entire cycle of the nature – the cycle of man's whole existence from morning to night. It can put off blessings and cursings toward man and God. Warning! These things ought not to be – we are to control the tongue. If there be any boasting, let it be in   the Lord and His work.
    4. Wisdom from above ( 3:13 -18; Joshua 2:1-21).
      1. Wisdom and Knowledge, 3:13a.
      2. The Exhibition of Wisdom, 3:13b.
      3. The Meekness of Wisdom, 3:13c.
      4. The Zeal That Breeds Strife, 3:14a.
      5. Politics among Christians, 3:14a ,b.
      6. The Sin of the Justification of Sin, 3:14c.
      7. Earthly wisdom, 3:15a.
      8. Sensual and demon-like wisdom, 3:15b.
      9. Confusion, 3:16 .
      10. It is wise to be pure, 3:17a.
      11. It is wise to be without partiality and hypocrisy.
      12. The relation of the seed to the fruit, 3:18 .
      13. Remember if we lack wisdom, we are to ask for it (1:5) because wisdom must come from God. Those who have the knowledge and wisdom of God will show it through a good conversation that professes godliness ( 1:26 ). If our speech is full of devilish conversation, we lie against the truth and this wisdom decendeth not from God, but is earthly, sensual, devilish and only causes confusion. Godly wisdom is pure, peace, gentle, full of mercy, good fruit, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

  6. Passion and humility (4:1-17; Romans 7:23-25).
    1. Friendship with the world (4:1-4; Matthew 7:7-8).
      1. Christians at war.
      2. Contentions among Christians, 4:1.
      3. Desire and success, 4:2.
      4. Why doesn't God give us what we ask? 4:3.
      5. The Christian and the world, 4:4.
      6. Friend of the world – enemy of God, 4:4a.
      7. Here once again we see the contrast between two kinds of wisdom. This is the cause of wars and fighting and thus things come from lusts in your members which is called the world. Indulgences are man's own passions. Listen, these are natural impulses if we live for this world (I John 2:15 ,16 ). James seems to be saying the natural man or he who loves this world is apart from God's grace and will find themselves in a place where they cannot escape (Matthew 6:24).
    2. To escape, there must be friendship with God (4:5-10) (Luke 18.9-14).
      1. Our propensity to envy, 4:5
      2. Inexhaustible grace, 4:6a.
      3. How God deals with the proud and the humble, 4:6b.
      4. Submissiveness to God, 4:7a (submit yourselves!).
      5. War Against the Devil, (Resist the Devil).
      6. The Nearness of God, 4:8a (draw nigh to God).
      7. Clean Hands and Pure Hearts, 4:8b (Cleanse your hands, Purify your hearts) Self-Imposed Sorrow, 4:9 (Be afflicted).
      8. Repentance with Lamenting and Weeping, 4:9 (Mourn; Weep) Sinful Laughter and Joy, 4:9b.
      9. God's Elevator, 4:10 (Humble yourselves).
      10. There is a different emotional attitude which brings real joy and peace to the human heart. This is the attitude of a man who does not insist on his own desires but rather submits to God (Romans 6:13 ). Note – Jesus' instruction for us (Matthew 6:33 ). Compare ( 4:10 with Luke 14:11 ).   James seems to be quoting (Proverbs 3:34 ) to show God is in opposition to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
    3. Speaking and judging others ( 4:11 ,12 ; Matthew, 7:1-5).
      1. Speaking Against Each Other, 4:11a (Speak not evil one of another) Being a Judge, 4:11b.
      2. One lawgiver and judge, 4:12a.
      3. God's power to save and to let perish, 4:12b.
      4. Who Are You, Anyway? 4:12c.
      5. James has spoken against judging on the basis of wealth. Now he speaks out against speaking evil and judging of brethren. He becomes a judge of the law. The law of God will judge all men. We are not to set ourselves up as judge as though we know more than the law.   Beware, God is the lawgiver!
    4. Beware of boasting ( 4:13 -17; Luke 12:16 -21).
      1. In planning, don't leave God out, 4:13 .
      2. Tomorrow, 4:14a.
      3. The mystery of life, 4:14b, 15.
      4. The evil of boasting, 4:16 .
      5. What is sin? 4:17
      6. When we boast of what we are and what we will do, such boasting comes from the heart and acts accordingly, as though life were to run on indefinite­ly, as though we are the author of it. We fail to see it's but a mist that appears and then vanishes (Psalm 90:5 ,6). This is the attitude and practice of a materialistic person who really is arrogant and for all practical purposes disregards the existence of the Lord of life.

  7. Salvation in the light of eternity (5:1-20)
    1. Worldly riches (5:1-6; Matthew 6:19 -21).
      1. The weeping of the rich, 5:la
      2. The torments of the rich, 5:1b.
      3. Does wealth rot? 5:2a.
      4. Safeguard against moths, 5:2b.
      5. Do gold and silver rust? 5:3a
      6. The suppression of the laborer, 5:4
      7. The sins of luxury and waste, 5:5
      8. The earthly condemnation of the just, 5:6
      9. The statement that the rich have killed the righteous man" shows that in this passage their riches will not only be a witness against them in judgment, but shall corrupt their life here and lead them away from true holiness, which is the mark of a Christian. You see, love of riches and practical materialism shows they have not learned a Christian attitude toward worldly values.
    2. Patience until the Lord's Coming (5:7-11; I Thessalonians 5:1-11).
      1. The long-suffering of the just, 5:7.
      2. The expectation of his appearing, 5:7a.
      3. The farmer, an example of long-suffering, 5:7b.
      4. Prop up your hearts, 5:8.
      5. Holding grudges against each other, 5:9.
      6. Evil Action and Christian Reaction, 5:10 .
      7. The Blessing of Endurance, 5:11a.
      8. The Patience of Job, 5:11b.
      9. These are those who identify with the Lord who is about to come again. His coming is at hand. As judge He is standing at the door (Matthew 24:33); Revelation 3:20 . This was accepted as fact although (II Pet 3:8-10 and Psalm 90:4) teach the Lord's ways of reckoning time are not man's; but nonetheless, man must always be ready and watching for the Lord of life. Although the Christian man is treated unfairly, he is to be patient – like the prophets and Job. He must also be steadfast, ready to exemplify the same suffering and patience as the Lord did in His life (Romans 8:19 ) and realize the Lord who is man's judge is compassionate and merciful.
    3. Oaths and the judgment ( 5:12 ; Matthew 5:33 -37).
      1. Swearing – Why is it forbidden? 5:12 .
      2. Taking of an oath during ordinary conversation was a longstanding custom with the Hebrew (Jewish tradition) as it is in the Muslim world today. The idea here is if one was converted from being a liar into a truth-teller and was no longer to take oaths. Because what he said was now truth, his word was his bond and all liars will be judged.
    4. Praying and healing ( 5:13 -18; Matthew 6:9-13).
      1. Variety is the spice of life, 5:13 .
      2. Sickness and the Christian, 5:14 .
      3. What should a Christian do when he gets sick? 5:14 .
      4. Which heals:   the oil or the prayer?   Both or Neither? 5:14 – Faith.   Does God always answer prayer for healing? 5:15
      5. Sick because of sin, 5:15a
      6. Confession – What Is It? 5:16 .
      7. Can our prayers control the forces of nature? 5:17,18.
      8. Is it permissible to pray God's vengeance upon others? 5:17b, 18
      9. Going astray from the truth, 5:19a.
      10. Returning a backslider to the truth, 5:19b, 20.
      11. Does working for others bring salvation to ourselves? 5:20a.
      12. Saving a soul from death, 5:20b.
      13. Here we see sickness and healing. Both are to be taken before God. One in petition, the other in praise ( 5:13 ). Consider the suffering here is for sickness and in such cases James says call for the elders of the church that they may do two things:   pray and anoint with oil in the name of the Lord. This was the standard in the Jewish community (Luke 10:34 ). This prayer is called intercessory prayer between both of their faiths. Consider this prayer will raise him up and the actual healing is not the oil but the Lord (Mark 11:24 ,25 ; Romans 8:26 ,27). The soul shall be saved from death ( 15:20 ) and a multitude of sins covered (overlooked, forgiven, Psalm 32:1). May we see God honors the request for the leaders of the church and those who not only see their sinfulness, but recognize His church as His authority on earth.