Bible Commentaries

John 1:29 — spoken Isaiah 53:7. Jesus was the true Lamb or Sacrifice required and appointed by God, of which those offered daily in the tabernacle and temple, Exodus 29:38-39, and especially the paschal lamb, were only the types and representatives. See Exodus 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7. The continual morning and evening sacrifice of a lamb, under the Jewish law, was intended to point out the continual efficacy of the blood of atonement: for even at the throne of God, Jesus Christ is ever represented as a lamb

John 12:1 — CHAPTER XII. Jesus sups at the house of Lazarus, and Mary anoints his feet, 1-3. Judas Iscariot finds fault, and reproves her, 4-6. Jesus vindicates Mary and reproves Judas, 7, 8. The chief priests consult to put Lazarus to death, because that through him many believed on Jesus, 9-11. He enters Jerusalem in triumph; the people meet him, and the Pharisees are troubled, 12-19.

John 4:10 — Verse John 4:10. If thou knewest the gift of God — δωρεαν signifies a free gift. A gift is any thing that is given, for which no equivalent has been or is to be returned: a free gift is that which has been given without asking or entreaty. Such a gift of kindness

Acts 12:1 — CHAPTER XII. Herod persecutes the Christians, 1. Kills James, 2. And casts Peter into prison, 3, 4. The Church makes incessant prayer for his deliverance, 5. An angel of God opens the prison doors and leads him out, 6-10. Peter rejoices, and comes to the house of Mary, where many were praying, and declares how he was delivered, 11-17. The soldiers

Acts 19:33 — any just ground from the text to suppose that this Alexander was a Christian; or that he was about to make an apology for the Christians: it is generally believed that he is the same with Alexander the coppersmith, of whom St. Paul speaks, 2 Timothy 4:14, and whom, with Philetus, he was obliged to excommunicate, 1 Timothy 1:20. By the Jews putting him forward, we are to understand their earnestness to get him to undertake their defence, and criminate, as much as possible, St. Paul and his companions,

Acts 20:32 — which was formerly the habitation of God, is now in a state of ruin.2. The ruins of this soul must be repaired, that it may again become a habitation of God through the Spirit.3. Jesus Christ is the only foundation on which this house can be rebuilded.4. The doctrine of God's grace is the model, or plan, according to which the building can be raised.5. When re-edified, each is to be a lively temple of the Lord, made inwardly pure and outwardly righteous, and thus prepared for a state of bliss.6. Being

Acts 21:4 — Verse Acts 21:4. Who said to Paul through the Spirit — We cannot understand this as a command from the Holy Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem, else Paul must have been highly criminal to have disobeyed it. Through the Spirit, must either refer to their own great

Acts 4:13 — Verse Acts 4:13. The boldness of Peter and John — την παρρησιαν, The freedom and fluency with which they spoke; for they spoke now from the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost, and their word was with power.That they were unlearned and ignorant men —

Romans 15:1 — CHAPTER XV. The strong should bear the infirmities of the weak, and each strive to please, not himself, but his neighbour, after the example of Christ, 1-3. Whatsoever was written in old times was written for our learning, 4. We should be of one mind, that we might with one mouth glorify God, 5, 6. We should accept each other as Christ has accepted us, 7. Scriptural proofs that Jesus Christ was not only the minister of the circumcision, but came also for the salvation of

Romans 15:25 — his journey to Jerusalem was, to carry a contribution made among the Gentile Christians of Macedonia and Achaia for the relief of the poor Jewish Christians at Jerusalem. About this affair he had taken great pains, as appears from 1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8:0, and 2 Corinthians 9:1-15. His design in this affair is very evident from 2 Corinthians 9:12-13, where he says: The administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings

Romans 5:10 — our nature, and our being restored to the image of God, so, σωθησομεθα εν τη ζωναυτου, may be rendered: we shall be saved IN his life; for, I suppose, it is pretty generally agreed, that the life of God in the soul of man is essential to its salvation.4. The example also of the life of Christ is a means of salvation. He hath left us an example that we should follow his steps: and he that followeth him, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of LIFE, John 8:12.

1 Corinthians 4:3 — Verse 1 Corinthians 4:3. It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you — Those who preferred Apollos or Kephas before St. Paul, would of course give their reasons for this preference; and these might, in many instances, be very unfavourable to his character

Galatians 1:6 — called them into the grace of Christ; and they not only abandoned that grace, but their hearts became greatly estranged from him; so that, though at first they would have plucked out their eyes for him, they at last counted him their enemy, Galatians 4:14-16.Another gospel — It is certain that in the very earliest ages of the Christian Church there were several spurious gospels in circulation, and it was the multitude of these false or inaccurate relations that induced St. Luke to write his

Philippians 4:3 — Verse Philippians 4:3. Help those women which laboured with me — Both in the Grecian and Asiatic countries women were kept much secluded, and is was not likely that even the apostles had much opportunity of conversing with them; it was therefore necessary that they

Colossians 3:12 — the slightest touch of another's misery; and, as their clothes are put over their body, so their tenderest feeling should be always within the reach of the miserable. Let your feelings be at hand, and feel and commiserate as soon as touched. Ephesians 4:2. Instead of οικτιρμον mercies, in the plural, almost every MS. of importance, with many of the fathers, read οικτιρμου, bowels of mercy, in the singular. This various reading makes scarcely any alteration in the sense.

1 Thessalonians 2:15 — the seed of the serpent did not hate and oppose spiritual things, they slew even their own prophets who declared to them the will of God.3. They persecuted the apostles showing the same spirit of enmity to the Gospel which they had shown to the law.4. They did not please God, nor seek to please him; though they pretended that their opposition to the Gospel was through their zeal for God's glory, they were hypocrites of the worst kind.5. They were contrary to all men; they hated the whole human race,

2 Thessalonians 2:3 — or, as some excellent MSS. and versions, with several of the fathers, read, ανθρωπος της ανομιας, the lawless man, see 2 Thessalonians 2:8, must mean the same person or thing. It is also remarkable that the wicked Jews are styled by Isaiah, Isaiah 1:4, benim mashchithim, "children of perdition;" persons who destroy themselves and destroy others.

Titus 3:9 — many thousands of others, of equal use to religion and common sense, may be found in their writings. See the Summa of Thomas Aquinas, passim. Might not the Spirit have these religious triflers in view, rather than the less ridiculous Jews? 1 Timothy 1:4; "2 Timothy 2:23".Contentions, and strivings about the law — Of legal contentions, and different and conflicting decisions about the meaning of particular rites and ceremonies, the Talmud is full.

Hebrews 10:22 — love of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us.Our bodies washed with pure water. — The high priest, before he entered into the inner tabernacle, or put on his holy garments, was to wash his flesh in water, Leviticus 16:4, and the Levites were to be cleansed the same way, Numbers 8:7. The apostle probably alludes to this in what he says here, though it appears that he refers principally to baptisms, the washing by which was an emblem of the purification of the soul by

Hebrews 3:12 — shows here five degrees of apostasy:1. Consenting to sin, being deceived by its solicitations. 2. Hardness of heart, through giving way to sin. 3. Unbelief in consequence of this hardness which leads them to call even the truth of the Gospel in question.4. This unbelief causing them to speak evil of the Gospel, and the provision God has made for the salvation of their souls. 5. Apostasy itself, or falling off from the living God; and thus extinguishing all the light that was in them, and finally grieving