James - An Outline

We'll begin our study of the book of James with an overview of the book as a whole.  The outline below is taken from Henry Krabbendam's commentary, "The Epistle of James," privately published in 1995.

Introduction 1:1

1. 1. The Author 1:1a

      1. James, the brother of Jesus (Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal. 1:19), leader of the Jerusalem church, presided at Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15; Gal. 1:19). Initially skeptical of Christ (John 7:5), but converted when Christ appeared to him after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7). Martyred in AD 62, thrown from the pinnacle of the temple.

      2. Date of writing: Probably before the Council in Jerusalem in AD 49; perhaps earliest NT book.

   2. The Addressees 1:1b

      1. Twelve tribes – Luke 22:30; Acts 26:7

      2. Dispersion – 1 Pet. 1:1; Acts 2:9-11; John 7:35

   3. Characteristics

      1. Content: Epistle, sermon, wisdom literature, diatribe, moral exhortation

      2. Construction: Separate preaching units loosely woven together by linked themes? Better: a unified guidebook on holiness.

2. The Way to Holiness: The Divine Perspective 1:2-27

   1. The Trial-Temptation Complex 1:2-18

   2. The Word of God 1:19-27

3. The Principles of Holiness: The Biblical Framework 2:1-26

   1. The Law as Substance of Holiness 2:1-13

      1. The Focus upon Partiality 2:1-7

      2. The Nature of Partiality 2:8-13

   2. Faith as the Dynamics of Holiness 2:14-26

      1. Faith and Works 2:14-19

      2. Faith and Justification 2:20-26

4. The Implementation of Holiness: The Christian Experience 3:1-4:10

   1. The Obstacle to Victory 3:1-9

      1. The Fact of Human Impotence 3:1-5

      2. The Root of Human Impotence 3:6-9

   2. The Nature of Victory 3:10-18

      1. The Rejection of Compromise 3:10-13

      2. The Description of Defeat 3:14-16

      3. The Description of Victory 3:17-18

   3. The Requirements for Victory 4:1-10

      1. Self-knowledge 4:1-5

      2. Godcenteredness 4:6-10

5. The Range of Holiness: The Fabric of Life 4:11-5:18

   1. The Relationship to "The Other" 4:11-17

      1. Facing your Brother 4:11-12

      2. Facing the Future 4:13-17

   2. The Relationship to Yourself 5:1-11

      1. The Rich 5:1-6

      2. The Poor 5:7-11

   3. The Relationship to the Circumstances 5:12-18

      1. The Description of a Godcentered Attitude 5:12-14

      2. The Effectiveness of a Godcentered Attitude 5:15-18

6. Conclusion 5:19-20

   1. Instruments of Conversion 5:19-20a

   2. Instruments of Pardon 5:20b-20c