BIBLE SUMMARY: JAMES

Book of James Synopsis: Statistics And Summary of Main Topics.

Book of James Chapter by Chapter Summary.

JAMES TOTAL CHAPTERS: 5

JAMES TOTAL VERSES: 108

TOTAL WORDS: 2,309

DATE WRITTEN: 45 – 50 AD

AUTHOR: James

JAMES THEME: 

Testing Of Faith. Trials, Temptations, and Christian Maturity. An exposition on the efficacy of faith combined with good works. 

MAJOR CHARACTERS:

James.

BOOK OF JAMES KEY VERSES:

1:2-3: Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

1:19: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

2:17-18: It isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is not faith at all—it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ I say, ‘I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds’

3:5: The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.

5:16: The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.

JAMES SUMMARY

With the book of James starts another section of Bible New Testament which we call as General Epistles. These seven books from James to Jude are called general letters because they are not addressed to some particular church or person. James is the author of the first book of this section of the New Testament. In NT we can see that there are two James who can be the candidates of authorship of this book. One is James son of Zebedee, the brother of John but he was executed too early to have written this epistle, so the second possibility pointed to James the brother of Jesus. As there are references in the Gospels that Jesus had siblings, although they were half-siblings, but four brothers were named in Matthew out of those one is James. James initially was not a believer of Jesus but as per Paul, James was also one of the persons to whom Jesus came after his resurrection and after that, he became a believer of Jesus as Messiah Christ. James was stoned to death about 62AD and this book is believed to be written around 45-50AD. James became a leader of the church in Jerusalem presiding over the conference in Jerusalem and penned the message from the conference to the Gentiles churches. He was put to death by Ananus, the high priest who ordered James to be stoned. The letter is directed to the twelve tribes which are dispersed and is the most Jewish in style and form of any of the New Testament books. It is not an exposition on Christian theology but rather a practical letter dealing with Christian values. James insists that works, not words, are the mark of a disciple. James is the New Testament counterpart of the Old Testament’s wisdom tradition. The primary thing we are to do with our faith, according to James, is to wisely live by it, especially when we undergo sufferings and temptations.

CHAPTER WISE SUMMARY:

Chapter#1. Ask For Wisdom Chapter. Trials, Testing, And Faith. Desire leads to sin and death. Consider it all joy when you encounter different trials. Every good gift is from above. A man looking in a mirror
Chapter#2. Relationship of Faith and Works. Faith without works is dead. Favoritism, a sin. Abraham called God’s friend.
Chapter#3. Tongue Chapter. No one can tame the tongue. Not many should become teachers. The Wisdom That Comes Down From Above.
Chapter#4. The Rebuke of Worldliness. Do not be a friend of the world. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. “If Jehovah wills”
Chapter#5. Practical Pointers on Riches, Patience, & Prayer. Warning to the rich. Be composed until the coming of the Lord. Help Those Who Have Wandered Away From The Truth.