Bible Commentaries

Psalms 44:17-22 — captivity accomplished what a thousand years of priests, prophets and Levites could not do, that is, wean Israel from their beloved pagan gods. After the Babylonian captivity, Israel totally rejected idolatry; and it was never again practiced by them. (5)    The sufferings of Israel under the Greek period did not begin until after the times of Alexander of Macedon; but it recurred more bitterly than ever under some of Alexander the Great's successors, notably, Antiochus Epiphanes.

Numbers 2:1-34 — in clockwise rotation East - South - West - North. EAST: The host of JUDAH, Issachar, and Zebulun numbering 186,400. Commanders: Nahshon, Nathanel, and Eliab. Place in line of march… FIRST. SOUTH: The host of REUBEN, Simeon and Gad numbering 151,450. Commanders: Elizur, Shelumiel, and Eliasaph. Place in line of march… SECOND. WEST: The host of EPHRAIM, Manasseh, and Benjamin numbering 108,100. Commanders: Elishama, Gamaliel, and Abidan. Place in line of march… THIRD. NORTH: The

Micah 5:2 — that Micah was here prophesying the birth of Israel's king David who succeeded Saul centuries earlier! "It refers to the time when David was being called to the kingship."Rolland E. Wolfe, The Interpreter's Bible, Vol VI (New York: Abingdon Press, 1957), p. 931. It would be difficult indeed to cite a clearer example of the stubborn and determined blindness of men determined not to believe in any prophecy. They make no appeal here to what they suppose Micah "thought," for it is a foregone certainty

Luke 15:8-10 — likeness of God who created him (Genesis 1:27). The image of God in every man distinguishes him from the lower creations, and proves that he is not a mere brother to a beast. II.    The lost coin is very like a sinner, or backslider. (5)    Both were lost through no fault of their own. The woman lost the coin; and all men are in a condition of loss and death through the sin of Adam (Romans 5:14-15). Death reigns over all men, even over those who have not sinned

Luke 16:31 — (2) the selfish use of wealth will bring torment beyond the grave; (3) memory will not be obliterated by death; (4) to prevent a great gulf from separating us from Lazarus in the hereafter, we should take care to see that the gulf is not there now; (5) if the ordinary means of grace cannot reach us, we need not expect the extraordinary; (6) he who is lost in death is lost eternally; (7) God's word is sufficient to save men.Frank L. Cox, op. cit., p. 51. ANALOGIES IN THE PARABLE Going back to Augustine

Luke 16:5 — the large amounts owed. The measures used here for oil and wheat were "the bath, which was about 9 gallons, and the cor, which was about 11 bushels."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 759. Thus, the transactions mentioned involved some 900 gallons of olive oil and about 1,100 bushels of wheat. Summers is doubtless correct in the view that "This was a business venture in which the steward helped several retailers cheat a wholesaler

John 17:3 — said." B. F. Westcott, op. cit., p. 240. Saunders thought this prayer includes "Both the direct words of the Saviour … (and) the writer's own reflections." Ernest W. Saunders, John Celebrates the Gospel (New York: Abingdon, 1965), p. 136. We feel, however, that all such interpretations should be rejected, not merely because of the good sense in receiving them as Jesus' actual words, but also because many great scholars regard the grounds for taking them thus as totally adequate.

Acts 24:27 — important in determining New Testament chronology; and the following quotations are offered as shedding some light on it: The procuratorship of Festus (60-62), as valuable as the specific date would be, is a debated question with opinions varying from A.D. 55-60. Jack P. Lewis, op. cit., p. 152. William M. Ramsay, in PAULINE STUDIES, p. 348, has shown that Eusebius' evidence, when rightly understood, points to the year A.D. 59 for the arrival of Festus in Palestine; and some support for this date may be

Acts 28:29-30 — sacred history. "The narrative ends as it does, because it has caught up with history, and at the moment there was nothing more to report." Everett F. Harrison, op. cit., p. 490. Like all conservative scholars, we think that "From 62 to 65 A.D., Paul was a free man, visiting Crete and points around the Aegean Sea (Titus 1:5; 2 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:20), possibly even fulfilling his desire to go to Spain." Ibid. During the two full years mentioned here, Paul wrote "the epistle

Romans 14:4 — patience and forbearance, their undesirable conduct might, in time, become relaxed and changed, due to growth and development. Thus, all judging is premature, as indicated by Paul's command, "Judge nothing before the time" (1 Corinthians 4:5). In the warmth and fellowship of Christian service, many Christians find the grace to grow and develop strength; and it should be remembered that every Christian begins as a babe in Christ. The admonition against judging is not unconditional, the exception

Romans 4:3 — For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. This is a quotation from Genesis 15:6, introduced to show that Abraham could not possibly have been justified by the law, because in that reference, such a long while before the law, and even before the covenant of circumcision, Abraham appears in scriptures as already a believer in God,

1 Corinthians 5:7 — and unlikeness. I.    Points of likeness: a.    In both the Jewish passover and the passover of Christians (who is Christ), there is the death of a sinless, blameless victim (John 14:30; John 8:46; Hebrews 4:15). b.    In both, there is the design of deliverance from the wrath of God; in the Jewish Passover, it was from the destruction of the death angel, and for Christians it is from God's eternal wrath (Romans 1:18). c.    In

1 Corinthians 6:2 — importance attaches to the words "know ye not," which occur ten times in the letters of Paul to the Corinthians, and only twice in all the rest. F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19, p. 192. Farrar says that "(these words) are a fitting rebuke for those who took for knowledge their obvious ignorance." Ibid. Furthermore, this expression occurs six times in this chapter in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3; 1 Corinthians 6:9;

Philippians 1:3-5 — Philippians; and Barclay has given a beautiful outline of the joy Paul communicated in this loving letter: CHRISTIAN JOY INCLUDES The joy of prayer (Philippians 1:4) The joy that Jesus Christ is preached (Philippians 1:18). The joy of faith (Philippians 1:25). The joy of seeing Christians in fellowship together (Philippians 2:2). The joy of suffering for Christ (Philippians 2:17). The joy of news of a loved one (Philippians 2:28). The joy of Christian hospitality (Philippians 2:29). The joy of the man who

Colossians 1:3-4 — one who is "in Christ." "Faith in Christ," properly understood, usually means the Christian's fidelity to God as he continues to walk "in Christ." Paul's strong word for this was "obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26). DID PAUL CONVERT THE COLOSSIANS? Although disputed by some, this question was answered affirmatively by Macknight. Here is a summary of his argument: James Macknight, op. cit., p. 480-482. Colossians 1:4 does not mean that Paul did not

Hebrews 11:39-40 — beautiful. He said, It is the final and supreme fulfillment, the consummation at the last day, the ultimate of all we are hoping for, of all that is not seen (Hebrews 11:1). It is the final approving testimony of Christ before the whole universe (Matthew 25:34-40), when Christ shall confess us, who have confessed him before men, before his Father (Matthew 10:32) and before the angels (Revelation 3:5). It includes the resurrection and glorification of our bodies ("a better resurrection," Hebrews

Hebrews 7:27 — human form once for all (Hebrews 9:26). (2) He suffered for man's sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, once for all (1 Peter 3:18). (3) Christ died once for all (Hebrews 9:28). (4) The faith was once for all delivered to the saints (Judges 1:3). (5) Christ offered his blood in heaven once for all (Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:26). (6) It is appointed unto man to die once for all (Hebrews 9:27). (7) Once for all God will shake the earth and the heavens, that is, remove them (Hebrews 12:27). In the verse

1 Peter 2:9 — here Peter trumpeted the bestowal of all those titles upon the new Israel, now no longer restricted to those of Abrahamic descent, but available to Jew and Gentile alike "in Christ Jesus." Peter had already cautioned his readers (1 Peter 2:5) to be what they were supposed to be, and to show the kind of life and character that would be pleasing to God, thus warning them to avoid the mistake of the old Israel who had failed so spectacularly in that very duty. An elect race … Just as

1 John 2:16 — lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. For all that is in the world … is not of the Father … This has the effect of explaining what John meant by his use of "world" in 1 John 2:15. It is that aspect of it which is "not in the Father." It is therefore incorrect to accept "world" in these verses as meaning God's glorious natural creation, described by the Father himself as "good" (Genesis 1:10; Genesis

1 John 3:9 — new man is not connected in any manner with the old man! ("My old nature did it; I didn't.") (4)    John is here only holding up the ideal, or goal of the Christian life, not really meaning that the Christian cannot sin. (5)    It means that Christians cannot "consent to sin," that is, deliberately and purposefully walk in forbidden paths. (6)    It means that Christians cannot continue in a life of sin. Illustrations: