INTRODUCTION,
1. Address and Salutation.
1.ENCOURAGEMENTS IN PRESENT AFFLICTION,
1. 1-8. Patience and Prayer.
2. EXHORTATION IN VIEW OF LIFE‘S TRANSIENCE,
1. 9-11.
Comparison – Life as the Grass. Poverty and Wealth.
3.ENTICEMENTBYFLESHLYLUSTS,1.12-16.
Concerning Temptations.
4. EXCELLENCE OF DIVINE GIFTS, 1. 17. ‘From above'
- Perfect.
5.EFFECTS OF GOD‘S WORD, 1. 18-27. Control of the
Tongue.
6. ETHICS OF TRUEFAITH,
2. 1-26. Central Section. i. Its Equity, 2. 1-13. Shown by Impartiality. Harmony with
Divine Law. (The Royal Law – Love, 8. The Mosaic Law -Liability, 9-11. The Perfect Law – Liberty, 12-13; cf. 1. 25).
ii. Its Vitality, 2. 14-26. Shown by Activity (Works). Harmony with Human Profession.
7.EFFECTS OF MAN‘S WORDS, 3. 1-12. Control of the
Tongue.
8.EXCELLENCEOFDIVINEWISDOM,3.13-18.
‘From above’ – Pure.
9. ERUPTION OF FLESHLY LUSTS, 4. 1-5. Concerning
Contentions.
10. EXHORTATIONSIN VIEW OF LIFE‘S TRANSIENCE,
4. 6 to 5. 6.
Comparison – Life as a Vapour. Pride and Humility.
11. ENCOURAGEMENTSINPRESENTAFFLICTION,
5. 7-20. Patience and Prayer.
Attention is called to the structure of this Epistle. It is a good example of inversion, an arrangement frequently found in the Scriptures, particularly in the Psalms. Paragraphs 1 to 5 are matched by para-graphs 7 to 11, but in reverse order. The central section 6 thus stands out with a kind of emphasis.
