James

This is the fifteenth in a series of twenty-one summaries of the New Testament letters.  The fifteenth is James, and the outline comes from John Paul Heil:

a   Do Not Be Led Astray By Sin That Brings Forth Death, 1:1-16
     b   Be Slow to Speak not Deceiving the Heart For Useless Worship, 1:17-27
          c   A Rich One Enters for Worship but the Poor who Enters is Rich in Faith, 2:1-13
               d   You Want to Know that Faith Without Works Is Useless For Life, 2:14-26
                     e   The Tongue is Constituted a World of Unrighteousness
                          Within Our Members, 3:1-10
                          f   Worship in the Humility of Wisdom that is From Above, 3:11-18
                     e'  Passions Battle Within Your Members and an Enemy of God is
                          Constituted, 4:1-10
               d'  If the Lord Wants It Then We Will Live to Do What is Praiseworthy, 4:11-17
          c'  The Cries Caused by the Rich Have Entered into the Ears of the Lord of Hosts, 5:1-6
     b'  Strengthen Your Hearts Like Prophets Who Spoke in the Name of the Lord, 5:7-11
a'  Whoever Brings Back One Led Astray will Save Him From Death, 5:12-20

The 'a' pattern is linked by sections about prayer and standing firm in the Lord.  In the first section, James writes: "...each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." (1:14-15)  In the second section, James writes: "My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." (5:19-20).  In the first section, James says people should "ask God." (1:5)  He also says people should not be  doubting and double-minded when they pray and "that person shouldn't expect to receive anything from the Lord." (1:7-8)  In the second section, James says people in trouble should pray, and that "the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." (5:16)  Both sections also have illustrations from creation: the first section with wild flowers, and the second section with crops.

The 'b' pattern is linked by sections about speaking.  The first section cautions the reader to be slow to speak and slow to anger. (1:19).  The second section says, "Be patient," describes a patient farmer, and says, "You too, be patient."  Again, as the first section cautions about being slow to anger, the second section says, "Don't grumble against one another." (5:9).  The first section beseeches the reader to "humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." (1:21)  The second section mentions "prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." (5:10)

The 'c' pattern is focused upon the rich.  The first section depicts a rich man who comes into the meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes.  The rich man is shown favoritism, but it is the poor who is rich in faith. (2:5)  In the second section, the gold of the rich has "corroded." (5:3)  The cries of the poor against the rich have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. (5:4)

The 'd' pattern links doing what is right to speaking what is right.  In the first section, while pointing out the uselessness of faith without works, James asks, "do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"  In the second section, James exhorts people to do their good deeds while they have time, saying people should say, "If the Lord wants it, we will live and do this or that." (4:16)  In the second section, James writes, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them." (4:17)

The 'e' pattern describes how small, simple things cause great damage.  In the first section, the tongue is a small part of the body which makes great boasts. (3:5).  It is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.  It corrupts the whole body. (3:6)  In the second section, fights and quarrels among people come from "our desires that battle within..."

The 'f' section is central, focusing on true wisdom.  Selfishness is not wisdom: "Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." (4:16-18)