Structure in James?

While our detailed inductive study takes us deeper into the text of Scripture, it is also important to consider the wider context, such as the book of James as a whole document.  Most of us sitting down to write a letter may not produce a formal or detailed outline.  But we usually have at least a general idea of topics we want to cover.

Likewise, while James may not have had a detailed plan for his letter, he probably did have (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) several topics in mind.  Examining his entire letter can give us some clues about that range of topics and perhaps how those topics relate to each other.  The overview can help us understand the distinct topics, and detailed study of the topics James addresses can help us see the whole of his letter more clearly.

The following examples show different ways the organization of the letter of James has been viewed:

  • Personal observations show a scattering of related topics throughout the letter.
  • Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) and Mariam J. Kamell (University of St. Andrews) suggest that the first three paragraphs (James 1:2-11) encapsulate the themes that James used in the letter.[1]
  • Douglas Moo (Wheaton College Graduate School) proposes an outline based on the theme of “spiritual wholeness” throughout the letter.[2]
  • Peter H. Davids (Schloss Mittersill Study Center in Austria) outlines the letter as a sequence of relatively independent topics,[3] although, like Blomberg and Kamell he identifies the major themes in the first three paragraphs of the text (p. 65).
  • Joseph B. Mayor (1892, Kings College London) divides the letter into even more disconnected subjects.[4]

A comparison of the four commentary outlines is found here.

[1] Craig L. Blomberg, Mariam J. Kamell, James, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2008), 26-27.

[2] Douglas J. Moo, The Letter of James, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000), vi-vii.

[3] Peter H. Davids, The Epistle of James, The New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982), vii-viii.

[4] Joseph B. Mayor, The Epistle of James: The Greek Text with Introduction and Comments (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1978), xvi.