Outline of James I. Introduction 1:1 II. Faith at work during trials and temptations 1:2-18 A. The trials that fall upon people 1:2-12 1. The proper attitude toward trials 1:2-4 2. The provision during trials 1:5-8 3. A primary area of trials: finances 1:9-11 4. The reward from trials 1:12 B. The temptations that people bring upon themselves 1:13-18 1. The true source of temptation 1:13-15 2. The true nature of God 1:16-18 III. Faith at work through proper response to the Word of God 1:19-27 A. Mere bearing is insufficient 1:19-21 B. Mere doing is insufficient 1:22-25 C. True faith in action 1:26-27 IV. Faith at work against partiality 2:1-13 A. The exhortation concerning partiality 2:1 B. The illustration of partiality 2:2-4 C. The arguments against partiality 2:5-13 1. It is inconsistent with one's conduct 2:5-7 2. It violates God's law 2:8-11 3. It results in God's judgment 2:12-13 V. Working faith, instead of spurious faith 2:14-26 A. Examples of spurious faith 2:14-20 1. Inactive faith is dead 2:14-17 2. Credal faith is vain 2:18-20 B. Examples of working faith 2:21-26 1. Abraham's faith was perfected by works 2:21-24 2. Rahab's faith was demonstrated by works 2:25-26 VI. Faith at work in teaching 3:1-18 A. The teacher's warning 3:1-2a B. The teacher's tool: the tongue 3:2b-12 1. The tongue, though little, controls a person 3:2b-5a 2. The careless tongue destroys others as well as oneself 3:5b-6 3. The wicked tongue is untamable 3:7-8 4. The vile tongue cannot praise God 3:9-12 C. The teacher's wisdom 3:13-18 1. The wise teacher 3:13 2. Natural or worldly wisdom 3:14-16 3. Heavenly wisdom 3:17-18 VII. Faith at work against worldliness and strife 4:1-17 A. Natural or worldly desires 4:1-3 B. Natural or worldly affections 4:4-6 C. Exhortations to turn from worldliness 4:7-10 D. Exhortation against judging a brother 4:11-12 E. Natural or worldly planning 4:13-17 VIII. Miscellaneous admonitions for working faith 5:1-20 A. Faith during affliction 5:1-12 1. A warning to the rich who cause affliction 5:1-6 2. An exhortation to patient endurance 5:7:12 B. Faith that works through prayer 5:13-18 C. Restoring a brother 5:19-20