What is a summary of the book of James?

from the old testament

• One enduring moral principle of Scripture is that wisdom comes from God. James exhorts believers to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), as Proverbs teaches (2:6, 3:5-7) and Solomon exemplifies (1 Kings 3:9–12).
• James 2 warns against favoritism. God gave His people that command in the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 19:15).
• As James 3 reminds readers of the power of words, so does Proverbs. Proverbs notes that "Whoever restrains his lips is prudent" (Proverbs 10:19) and points out that "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).
• Many Proverbs convey the same message as James 4: humankind's plans are always subject to God's will (Proverbs 16:3, 16:9, 19:21, 27:1).
• Many Old Testament verses convey messages also found in James 5, such as the futility of placing faith in wealth (Proverbs 11:4, 11:28; Ecclesiastes 5:10) and the wisdom of turning to God in prayer (2 Chronicles 7:14).

from the new testament

• In chapter one, James calls believers to be joyful when persecuted for God's sake, to seek wisdom from the Lord, to resist sinful desires, and to "be doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22).
• In chapter two, James warns believers against showing partiality.  He also discusses the evidence of saving faith: "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (James 2:17). We aren't saved by works, but faith is revealed by works.
• The responsibility of spiritual teachers, the power of words, and the source of wisdom are the main subjects of chapter three. James warns that those "who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1), describes the tongue as "a fire" that can cause destruction (James 3:5-12), and contrasts earthly wisdom with "wisdom from above" (James 3:17).
• James 4 contrasts worldliness with godliness and tells believers to "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). The chapter also reminds believers that our plans are always subject to God's will for our lives (James 4:13-17).
• The final chapter of James warns about putting our hope in wealth (James 5:1-6), encourages believers to be patient through suffering (James 5:7-11), and reminds us of the power of prayer (James 5:13-18).

implications for today

"Just do it"—if James lived today, maybe he would have gotten credit for that before Nike did. That was the key message in his letter: Be doers, not just hearers of the word. Another way of saying it is that Christians should have evidence in line with that name.

What do you do when another believer is experiencing financial hardship or has lost a loved one or has just been laid off? Do you say, "I'll pray for you" and move on? James exhorts believers to pray and speaks of the power in prayer (James 5:13-18). But we shouldn't stop there. We can pray with that person on the spot. We can invite him or her over for dinner. We can help the recently laid-off person spruce up his resume. We can ask God for wisdom on how to help that person (James 1:5).

Ask yourself today, "How can I be a doer of the word and not just a hearer?"