i. 17 belongs to the preceding, possibly (see IV. ὃ 1), and i. 18 seems to be a comment on the “΄ Rather oflights’’. i. 195-20 forms an isolated saying. A self-contained section on the subject of practical religion follows in i. 21-25, to which vv. 26, 27 form an addition. ii. 1-13 has already been referred to; it is followed by a section (ii. 14-26) of deep interest on the subject of faith and works, to which iii. 13-18 belong, according to the subject-matter. iii, 1-12 is a self-contained passage dealing with the subject of self-control as regards the tongue. If these first three chapters show a want of homogeneity, the last two do so in an even more pronounced way; the various sections are clearly divided off, showing no connection with each other, the whole forming a collection of extracts, apparently ; thus, iv. 1-10 contains warnings and exhortations concerning the practical religious life ; iv. 11, 12 is a short section on the need of observing the second great commandment of the Law; iv. 13-17 lays stress on the uncertainty and fleeting character of earthly life; v. 1-11 is an eschatological section, and extremely practical ; v.12, which prohibits swearing, is almost a quotation from the Sermon on the Mount; v. 13-18 gives directions concerning the visitation of the sick; and the abrupt ending v. 19, 20 speaks of the reward of those who convert sinners from their evil ways.
It will thus be seen that the Epistle is for the most part a collec- tion of independent sections ; some of these were evidently originally intended to be comments on the Apostle’s words, possibly added by one or more of the elders of the churches addressed for the benefit of the members; others seem to be wholly independent, and not to have had anything to do with the Epistle in the first instance. The various elements of which the Epistle is now composed have to a large extent become so intermingled that the attempt to differentiate between them seems hopeless. But, generally speaking, we should look for the simplest, most direct and straightforward parts as being those which would be the most likely words of the Apostle ; so that such parts as 1. 13-16 and ii. 14-26 can hardly be regarded as from the same hand as, e.g., ii. 1-13 (in the main).
IV. Some Jewish Docrrines ConsiperRED.—As is often men- tioned in the notes, there are some points of Jewish theology which figure rather prominently in this Epistle ; there are above all two subjects, specifically Jewish, which play an important part, and there- fore a brief consideration of these will not be out of place here :—
(1) The Fewish doctrine of the Yetser hara‘.—Speculations as to the origin of sin were rife among Jewish thinkers at all times; the perplexity which is so plainly apparent in the words of St. Paul