Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It
Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
OUTLINE OF THE EPISTLE OF JAMES
INTRODUCTION
1:1
(1) The Author 1:1a
Servant of God
Servant of Jesus Christ
(2) The Recipients 1:1b
(3) The Greeting 1:1c
I. THE CHALLENGE OF TRIALS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE 1:2-27
A. Trials From Without 1:2-12
1. The Proper Attitude For Facing Trials 1:2-4
a. The Attitude Commanded 1:2
b. The Outcome Considered 1:3-4
(1) Trials Purify Faith 1:3a
(2) Trials Produce Patience 1:3b
(3) Trials Perfect Character 1:4
2. The Provided Resource For Facing Trials 1:5-8
a. The Necessity of Wisdom 1:5a
b. The Availability of Wisdom 1:5b
c. The Bestowal of Wisdom 1:5c-8
(1) The Divine Response 1:5c
(2) The Human Responsibility 1:6-8
(a) The Required Attitude 1:6a
(b) The Rejected Character 1:6b-8
3. Two Particular Examples Of Trials To Be Faced 1:9-11
a. Poverty 1:9
b. Prosperity 1:10-11
4. The Prize Embraced For Facing Trials 1:12
a. The Happiness Experienced 1:12a
b. The Honor Embraced 1:12b
B. Temptations From Within 1:13-18
1.The Analysis Of Human Temptation 1:13-16
a. The Source of Temptation 1:13-14
(1) A Denial of A Divine Source 1:13
(a) The Denial Stated 1:13a
(b) The Denial Substantiated 1:13b
(2) A Declaration of A Human Source 1:14
b. The Consequence of Yielding To Temptation 1:15
c. The Caution Concerning The Issue 1:16
2. The Activity Of God In Human Affairs 1:17-18
a. The Source of Good Gifts 1:17
b. The Supreme Gift 1:18
(1) The Initiative In Salvation 1:18a
(2) The Instrument In Salvation 1:18b
(3) The Intention In Salvation 1:18c
C. The Role Of The Word Of God In Facing Trials 1:19-27
1. The Word Of God Demands Attention 1:19-20
a. Be Swift To Hear 1:19a
b. Be Slow To Speak 1:19b
c. Be Slow To Wrath 1:19c-20
2. The Word Of God Demands Reception 1:21
a. The Sin of Filthiness Rejected 1:21a
b. The Scriptures Received 1:21b
The Responsibility To Receive It
The Attitude For Receiving It
The Incentive For Receiving It
3. The Word Of God Demands Action 1:22-27
a. The Imperative 1:22
(1) Doers of The Scriptures 1:22a
(2) Deceivers of Selves 1:22b
b. The Illustration 1:23-25
(1) The Negative Picture 1:23-24
(2) The Positive Picture 1:25
c. The Application: Three Tests For Applied Christianity 1:26-27
(1) The Test of Controlling The Tongue 1:26
(2) The Test of Comforting The Troubled 1:27a
(3) The Test of Caution Against Becoming Tainted 1:27b
II. THE CHARACTER OF TRUE FAITH 2:1-26
A. Faith Excludes Discrimination 2:1-13
1. The Condemnation of Discrimination 2:1-4
a. Discrimination Prohibited 2:1
b. Discrimination Illustrated 2:2-3
c. Discrimination Admitted 2:4
2. The Conflict of Discrimination 2:5-11
a. Conflicts With God=s Choice 2:5-6
b. Criticizes God=s Character 2:7
c. Contradicts God=s Commandments 2:8-11
(1) A Concession 2:8
(2) A Correction 2:9
(3) A Conviction 2:10-11
3. The Caution Concerning Discrimination 2:12-13
a. Discrimination Violates The Law of Liberty 2:12
b. Discrimination Violates The Law of Mercy 2:13
B. Faith Expresses Itself In Deeds 2:14-26
1. The Essence Of Dead Faith 2:14-17
a. False Faith Declared 2:14
b. False Faith Described 2:15-16
c. False Faith Denounced 2:17
2. The Expression Of True Faith 2:18-26
a. True Faith Identified 2:18-20
(1) The Assertion of An Objector 2:18a
(2) The Answer to The Objector 2:18b-19
(3) The Appeal to The Objector 2:20
b. True Faith Illustrated 2:21-26
(1) Abraham=s Faith Produced Works 2:21-23
(a) The Evidence of His Faith 2:21
(b) The Results of His Faith 2:22-23
1) The Perfecting of His Faith 2:22
2) The Fulfillment of Scripture 2:23a
3) The Friendship with God 2:23b
(2) True Faith Produces Works 2:24
(3) Rahab=s Faith Produced Works 2:25
(4) Faith That Produces No Works Is Dead 2:26
III. THE CONTROL OF THE TONGUE 3:1-18
A. The Importance Of Controlling The Tongue 3:1-8
1. It Has The Power To Direct 3:1-4
a. The Desire To Teach 3:1
b. The Discipline Of The Tongue 3:2-4
(1) The Imperative of Discipline 3:2
(2) The Illustration of Discipline 3:3-4
2. It Has The Power To Destroy 3:5-8
a. The Power of The Tongue 3:5a
b. The Pollution by The Tongue 3:5b-6
c. The Paradox of The Tongue 3:7-8
(1) It Is Untameable 3:7-8a
(2) It Is Unruly and Poisonous 3:8b
B. The Inconsistency Of The Tongue 3:9-12
1. The Inconsistency Declared 3:9-10a
2. The Inconsistency Decried 3:10b
3. The Inconsistency Demonstrated 3:11-12
a. The Illustration of The Fountain 3:11
b. The Illustration of The Fruit Tree 3:12
C. The Introduction of Two Wisdoms 3:13-18
1. The Challenge To Demonstrate Wisdom 3:13
2. The Conduct Of Earthly Wisdom 3:14-16
a. The Detection of Earthly Wisdom 3:14
b. The Derivation of Earthly Wisdom 3:15
c. The Demonstration of Earthly Wisdom 3:16
3. The Character Of Heavenly Wisdom 3:17-18
a. The Features of Heavenly Wisdom 3:17
b. The Fruit of Righteousness 3:18
IV. THE CORRUPTION OF WORLDLY MINDEDNESS 4:1-5:6
A. The Problem Of Strife 4:1-12
1. The Symptoms Of The Problem 4:1-3
a. Unbridled Desires 4:1
b. Unrestrained Behavior 4:2
c. Unanswered Prayer 4:3
2. The Seriousness The Problem 4:4
3. The Solution To The Problem 4:5-12
a. The Spirit=s Intention 4:5
b. The Spirit=s Enablement 4:6-10
(1) The Promise of Abundant Grace 4:6
(2) The Principles for Appropriating Grace 4:7-10
(a) Submit to God 4:7
(b) Draw Nigh to God 4:8a
(c) Cleanse Your Hands 4:8b
(d) Purify Your Hearts 4:8c
(e) Be Afflicted, Mourn and Weep 4:9
(f) Humble Yourself before The Lord 4:10
c. The Scriptural Injunction Against Evil Speaking 4:11-12
(1) The Injunction Stated 4:11a
(2) The Injunction Substantiated 4:11b-12
B. The Presumptuousness Of Self-Will 4:13-17
1. Self-Will Revealed 4:13
2. Self-Will Replaced 4:14-15
3. Self-Will Rebuked 4:16-17
C. The Prediction Concerning The Self-Willed 5:1-6
1. The Declaration Of The Judgment 5:1
2. The Description Of The Judgment 5:2-3
3. The Delineation Of The Charges Bringing Judgment 5:4-6
a. The Oppression of The Poor Laborers 5:4
b. The Self-Indulgence of The Rich 5:5
c. The Violence Against The Righteousness 5:6
V. THE COMING OF THE LORD 5:7-12
A. The Exhortation To Patient Waiting 5:7-9
1. The Powerful Injunction 5:7a
2. The Pertinent Illustration 5:7b
3. The Personal Application 5:8
4. The Prohibition Against Blaming One Another 5:9
B. The Examples Of Patient Waiting 5:10-11
1. The Prophets 5:10
2. The Patriarch Job 5:11
C. The Exclusion Of Self-Serving Oaths 5:12
V. THE CORRECTNESS OF PRAYER UNDER ALL CONDITIONS 5:13-18
A. The Occasions For Prayer 5:13-15
1. In Times Of Pressure 5:13a
2. In Times Of Pleasure 5:13b
3. In Times Of Physical Weakness 5:14-15
a. The Procedure to Follow 5:14
b. The Prayer of Faith 5:15
B. The Opportunity Of Prayer 5:16
1. The Practices Required 5:16a
2. The Purpose Revealed 5:16b
3. The Prayer Rewarded 5:16c
C. The Object Lesson In Prayer 5:17-18
1. A Man Of Passions 5:17a
2. A Man Of Prayer 5:17b
3. A Man Of Power In Prayer 5:17c-18
CONCLUSION 5:19-20
1. The Possibility Of Erring From The Truth 5:19a
2. The Productivity Of Restoration 5:19b-20
a. Conversion Of Souls 5:19b-20a
b. Covering of SinsOutline By Dr. David Clark
