Bible Commentaries

John 12:34 — Verse 34. We have heard out of the law — That is, out of the sacred writings. The words here are quoted from Psalms 110:4; but the Jews called every part of the sacred writings by the name, The Law, in opposition to the words or sayings of the scribes.

John 15:6 — indifferent, cold, and dead to every holy and spiritual word and work.3. He is gathered - becomes (through the judgment of God) again united with backsliders like himself and other workers of iniquity; and, being abandoned to his own heart and Satan, he is,4. Cast into the fire - separated from God's people, from God himself, and from the glory of his power. And,5. He is burned - is eternally tormented with the devil and his angels, and with all those who have lived and died in their iniquity. Reader! pray

Acts 2:17 — especially in the days of the patriarchs, of which we find many instances in the book of Genesis.By dreams he discovered his will in numerous instances: see the remarkable case of Joseph, Genesis 37:5, Genesis 37:9; of Jacob, Genesis 28:1, c. Genesis 46:2, c. of Pharaoh, Genesis 41:1-7; of Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel 4:10-17. For the different ways in which God communicated the knowledge of his will to mankind, see the note on Genesis 15:1.

Acts 2:42 — Verse 42. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine — They received it, retained it, and acted on its principles.And fellowship — κοινωνια, community; meaning association for religious and spiritual purposes, The community of goods cannot

Acts 20:1 — CHAPTER XX. Paul retires to Macedonia, 1. He goes into Greece, where he tarries three months and, purposing to sail to Syria, he returns through Macedonia, 2, 3. Several persons accompany him into Asia, and then go before and tarry for him at Troas, 4, 5. Paul and Luke sail from Philippi, and in five days reach Troas, where they meet their brethren from Asia, and abide there seven days, 6. On the first day of the week, the disciples coming together to break bread, Paul preaching to them, and continuing

Acts 26:1 — CHAPTER XXVI. Paul answers for himself before Agrippa, to whom he pays a true compliment, in order to secure a favourable hearing, 1-3; gives an account of his education from his youth up, 4, 5; shows that the Jews persecuted him for his maintaining the hope of the resurrection, 6-8; states his persecution of the Christians, 9-11; gives an account of his miraculous conversion, 12-16; and of his call to the ministry, 16-18. His obedience

Acts 27:1 — It being determined that Paul should be sent to Rome, he is delivered to Julius, a centurion, 1. They embark in a ship of Adramyttium, and come the next day to Sidon, 2, 3. They sail thence, and pass Cyprus, Cilicia, and Pamphylia, and come to Myra, 4, 5. They are transferred there to a ship of Alexandria going to Italy; sail past Cnidus, Crete, Salmone, and come to the Fair Havens, 6-8. Paul predicts a disastrous voyage, 9-11. They sail from the Fair Havens, in order to reach Crete, and winter there;

Acts 8:5 — church of that sect, it is more likely that it should be intended than any other. See Lightfoot. As the Samaritans received the same law with the Jews, as they also expected the Messiah, as Christ had preached to and converted many of that people, John 4:39-42, it was very reasonable that the earliest offers of salvation should be made to them, before any attempt was made to evangelize the Gentiles. The Samaritans, indeed, formed the connecting link between the Jews and the Gentiles; for they were a

Acts 9:27 — little commerce.3. Though Herod had married the daughter of Aretas, yet, as he had put her away, there were great animosities between the two courts, which at last broke out into an open war; this must have prevented all social and commercial intercourse.4. The Christians were at that time greatly persecuted by the Jews, and therefore the few that dwelt at Damascus could have little connection, if any, with their brethren at Jerusalem.5. It might be the interest of the Jews at Jerusalem, supposing they

1 Corinthians 15:8 — Verse 1 Corinthians 15:8. And last of all - of me also — It seems that it was essential to the character of a primitive apostle that he had seen and conversed with Christ; and it is evident, from the history of Saul's conversion, Acts 9:4-7, where see the notes, that Jesus Christ did appear to him; and he pleaded this ever after as a proof of his call to the apostleship. And it does not appear that, after this time, Jesus ever did make any personal discovery of himself to any one.As

1 Corinthians 4:9 — Verse 1 Corinthians 4:9. God hath set forth us the apostles last — This whole passage is well explained by Dr. Whitby. "Here the apostle seems to allude to the Roman spectacles, της των θηριομαχων, και μονομαχιας ανδροφονου, that of the Bestiarii and the gladiators,

2 Corinthians 1:23 — of Corinth, 1 Corinthians 15:12. His apostleship questioned, 1 Corinthians 9:1-2, and 2 Corinthians 12:13.2. Himself despised, and treated as a person who, because of the consciousness he had of his own worthlessness, dared not to come, 1 Corinthians 4:18. His letters, say they, are weighty and powerful-full of boastings of what he can and what he will do; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible, 2 Corinthians 10:10.3. This being the state in which his reputation was then at Corinth,

2 Corinthians 11:1 — should have been drawn aside from the simplicity of the Gospel, 1-3; From this he takes occasion to extol his own ministry, which had been without charge to them, having been supported by the Churches of Macedonia while he preached the Gospel at Corinth, 4-11. Gives the character of the false apostles, 12-16. Shows what reasons he has to boast of secular advantages of birth, education, Divine call to the ministry, labours in that ministry, grievous persecutions, great sufferings, and extraordinary hazards,

2 Corinthians 11:23 — not appear that there is any one instance of a false apostle having been imprisoned for the testimony of Christ; this was a badge of the true apostles.In deaths oft. — That is, in the most imminent dangers. See 1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians 4:11. And see the apostle's history in the Acts.

2 Corinthians 11:32 — on "Acts 9:2". And for the transaction to which the apostle refers see Acts 9:23. As to King Aretas, there were three of this name. The first is mentioned 2 Maccab. v. 8. The second by Josephus, Antiq. l. xiii. c. 15, sec. 2; and l. xvi. c. 1, sec. 4. The third, who is the person supposed to be referred to here, was the father-in-law of Herod Antipas, of whom see the notes, "Acts 9:23", c.But it is a question of some importance, How could Damascus, a city of Syria, be under the government of an

2 Corinthians 4:6 — Verse 2 Corinthians 4:6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness — The apostle refers here to Genesis 1:3. For when God created the heavens and the earth DARKNESS was on the face of the deep; and God said, Let THERE BE LIGHT; and there was light.

Ephesians 1:4 — Verse Ephesians 1:4. According as he hath chosen us in him — As he has decreed from the beginning of the world, and has kept in view from the commencement of the religious system of the Jews, (which the phrase sometimes means,) to bring us Gentiles to the knowledge

Ephesians 2:1 — CHAPTER II. The character of the Ephesians previously to their conversion to Christianity, 1-3. By what virtue they were changed, and for what purpose, 4-7. They were saved by faith, 8, 9. And created unto good works, 10. The apostle enters into the particulars of their former miserable state, 11, 12. And those of their present happy state, 13. Christ has broken down the middle wall of partition between

Ephesians 4:18 — thing spiritual and pure, for this is the import of the word απηλλοτριωμενοι (which we translate alienated) in some of the best Greek writers. They abhorred every thing that had a tendency to lay any restraint on their vicious passions and inclinations.4. Blindness of their heart — δια την πωρωσιν. Because of the callousness of their hearts. Callous signifies a thickening of the outward skin of any particular part, especially on the hands and feet, by repeated exercise or use, through which such

Philippians 3:15 — who discern God calling them from above by Christ Jesus; be thus minded; be intensely in earnest for eternal life, nor ever halt till the race is finished.The word τελειοι, perfect, is taken here in the same sense in which it is taken 1 Corinthians 14:20:- Be not CHILDREN in understanding-but in understanding be ye MEN, τελειοι γινεσθε, be ye perfect-thoroughly instructed, deeply experienced. 1 Corinthians 2:6:- We speak wisdom among the perfect, εν τοις τελειοις, among those who are fully instructed,