Bible Commentaries

Acts 23:6 — Syriac, all the Arabic, and AEthiopic. St. Paul had preached the resurrection of the dead, on the foundation and evidence of the resurrection of Christ. For this, he and the apostles were, some time before, imprisoned by the high priest and elders, Acts 4:1-3; Acts 5:17, because they preached, THROUGH JESUS, the resurrection of the dead. This they could not bear; for, if Jesus Christ rose from the dead, their malice and wickedness, in putting him to death, were incontrovertibly established.

Acts 25:4 — Verse Acts 25:4. Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea — It is truly astonishing that Festus should refuse this favour to the heads of the Jewish nation, which, to those who were not in the secret, must appear so very reasonable; and especially

Romans 4:12 — Verse Romans 4:12. And the father of circumcision — He is also the head and representative of all the circumcision of all the JEWS who walk in the steps of that faith; who seek for justification by faith only, and not by the works of the law; for this was the

1 Corinthians 10:9 — Verse 1 Corinthians 10:9. Neither let us tempt Christ — I have already supposed, in Clarke's note on "1 Corinthians 10:4", that Christ is intended by the spiritual rock that followed them: and that it was he, not the rock, that did follow or accompany the Israelites in the wilderness. This was the angel of God's presence who was with the Church in the wilderness, to whom

1 Corinthians 11:4 — Verse 1 Corinthians 11:4. Praying, or prophesying — Any person who engages in public acts in the worship of God, whether prayer, singing, or exhortation: for we learn, from the apostle himself, that προφητευειν, to prophesy, signifies to speak unto men to edification,

1 Corinthians 16:19 — the assemblies of Christians were necessarily held in private houses. It appears that Aquila and Priscilla devoted their house to this purpose. The house of Philemon was of the same kind; Philemon 1:2. So was likewise the house of Nymphas, Colossians 4:15. Romans 16:5; Romans 16:5.

1 Corinthians 4:10 — Verse 1 Corinthians 4:10. We are fools for Christ's sake — Here he still carries on the allusion to the public spectacles among the Romans, where they were accustomed to hiss, hoot, mock, and variously insult the poor victims. To this Philo alludes, in his embassy

1 Corinthians 9:9 — Verse 1 Corinthians 9:9. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox — See this largely explained in Clarke's note on "Deuteronomy 25:4".Doth God take care for oxen? — This question is to be understood thus: Is it likely that God should be solicitous for the comfort of oxen, and be regardless of the welfare of man? In this Divine precept the kindness and providential care of God

2 Corinthians 1:6 — Verse 2 Corinthians 1:6. And whether we be afflicted — See note on 2 Corinthians 1:4.Which is effectual — There is a strange and unusual variation in the MSS. and versions in this passage. Perhaps the whole should be read thus: For if we be afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; and if we be comforted, it is also

2 Corinthians 7:4 — Verse 2 Corinthians 7:4. Great is my boldness of speech — He seems to refer to the manner in which he spoke of them to others.Great is my glorying of you — They had probably been very loving and affectionate previously to the time in which they were perverted by

Galatians 3:19 — reasoning.It was added because of transgressions — It was given that we might know our sinfulness, and the need we stood in of the mercy of God. The law is the right line, the straight edge, that determines the obliquity of our conduct. Romans 4:15; and especially Romans 5:20, where this subject is largely discussed, and the figure explained.Till the seed should come — The law was to be in force till the advent of the Messiah. After that it was to cease.It was ordained by angels —

Colossians 1:7 — think that he is the same with Epaphroditus, Epaphras being a contraction of that name, as Demas is of Demetrius; and it is remarkable that one of the Slavonic versions has Epaphroditus in this place. That he was a Colossian is evident from Colossians 4:12: Epaphras, who is one of you, οεξυμων. some think that he was the first who preached the Gospel among this people, and hence called an apostle. He was raised up among themselves to be their minister in the absence of the apostle, and he showed himself

1 Thessalonians 3:1 — CHAPTER III. St Paul informs them how, being hindered himself from visiting them, he had sent Timothy to comfort them, of whom he gives a high character, 1, 2. Shows that trials and difficulties are unavoidable in the present state, 3, 4. Mentions the joy he had on hearing by Timothy of their steadiness in the faith, for which he returns thanks to God; and prays earnestly for their increase, 5-10. Prays also that God may afford him an opportunity of seeing them, 11. And that they may

2 Thessalonians 2:4 — Verse 4. Who opposeth and exalteth — He stands against and exalts himself above all Divine authority, and above every object of adoration, and every institution relative to Divine worship, σεβασμα, himself being the source, whence must originate all the

2 Thessalonians 3:6 — who will not submit to proper discipline; who do not keep their place; ατακτως, such as are out of their rank, and act according to their own wills and caprices; and particularly such as are idle and busybodies. These he had ordered, 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, that they should study to be quiet, mind their own business, and work with their hands; but it appears that they had paid no attention to this order, and now he desires the Church to exclude such from their communion.And not after the tradition

1 Timothy 2:4 — Verse 1 Timothy 2:4. Who will have all men to be saved — Because he wills the salvation of all men; therefore, he wills that all men should be prayed for. In the face of such a declaration, how can any Christian soul suppose that God ever unconditionally and eternally

1 Timothy 4:6 — Verse 1 Timothy 4:6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things — Show the Church that, even now, there is danger of this apostasy; put them on their guard against it; for the forewarned are half armed. Schoettgen supposes from this verse that what

Titus 3:4 — Verse 4. But after that the kindness and love of God — By χρηστοτης we may understand the essential goodness of the Divine nature; that which is the spring whence all kindness, mercy, and beneficence proceed.Love toward man - φιλανθρωπια. Philanthropy.

James 1:5 — of knowledge." In knowledge we may distinguish these four things: - 1. INTELLIGENCE, the object of which is intuitive truths. 2. WISDOM, which is employed in finding out the best end. 3. PRUDENCE, which regulates the whole conduct through life. 4. ART, which provides infallible rules to reason by.

2 Peter 3:4 — Verse 4. Where is the promise of his coming? — Perhaps the false teachers here referred to were such as believed in the eternity of the world: the prophets and the apostles had foretold its destruction, and they took it for granted, if this were true,