James, The Letter of

The first of the “Catholic” or “General” Letters in the NT. Attributed to James, the brother of Jesus who led the early church in Jerusalem, the letter has many affinities with Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and seems to have been written for Jewish Christians in or near Palestine. Its focus is on Christian conduct, which includes concern for social justice.

Outline of Contents

James

I. Epistolary introduction (Jas 1:1)

II. Introduction of major themes (Jas 1:2-27)

A. Enduring trials (Jas 1:2-4, Jas 1:12-15)

B. Prayer and divine wisdom (Jas 1:5-8)

C. Rich and poor (Jas 1:9-11)

D. Wisdom from above (Jas 1:16-18)

E. The use of the tongue (Jas 1:19-21)

F. Doers of the word (Jas 1:22-27)

III. Development of major themes (Jas 2:1-5:20)

A. Rich and poor in the assembly (Jas 2:1-13)

B. Doers of the word (Jas 2:14-26)

C. The use of the tongue (Jas 3:1-12)

D. Prayer and divine wisdom (Jas 3:13-4:1)

E. Doers of the law and judging one’s brother (Jas 4:11-12)

F. Rich and poor and the pursuit of wealth (Jas 4:13-5:6)

G. Endurance of trials (Jas 5:7-11)

H. On swearing (Jas 5:12)

I. Prayer and faith (Jas 5:13-18)

J. The recovery of a brother (Jas 5:19-20)