Bible Commentaries

Ephesians 4:14-15 — many persons who are captivated by novelty, easily misled, swayed by popular fashion, etc. As Barclay said of such people, "They are always under the influence of the last person with whom they talked." William Barclay, op. cit., p. 178. (2) Then there are the deceivers themselves, ruthless, cunning, unprincipled sons of the devil who, while often appearing in sheep's clothing, are nevertheless "ravening wolves." The language Paul used here makes any apology for the deceivers

Ephesians 4:20-24 — obedience of his teachings." W. G. Blaikie, op. cit., p. 151. If so be that ye heard him … This is not a conditional but an idiomatic saying with the impact of "As surely as you have heard him." William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 212. The old man to be put off … This was the old man that lived like the Gentiles, as Paul had just described. The new man to be put on … Note that the "new man" is not man's doing at all, but God's. "That after God hath

Ephesians 5:1-2 — is to be like a Person, to reflect his image." John Mackay, God's Order (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1953), p. 170. Christians should strive to be like God in forbearance, goodness and love. The reference to Jewish sacrifices in Ephesians 5:2 has puzzled commentators who have variously understood the nature of Christ's sacrifice (as mentioned here) to be "a sacrifice of consecration (Exodus 29), a peace-offering (Leviticus 3) or a sin-offering (Leviticus 4)." John William Russell,

Philippians 2:10 — universally offered in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Barclay has a precious passage on the term "Lord," thus: This great title by which Jesus came to be known in the early church was [@kurios]: (1) It began by meaning master or owner. (2) It became the official title of the Roman emperors; (3) it became the title of the heathen gods; and (4) it was the title used to translate the sacred four-letter unpronounceable name of God in the Old Testament. So then when Jesus was called [@Kurios]

1 Thessalonians 2:11 — Lipscomb noted, "This shows that converts were not made in masses, but that the slow, toilsome application of the gospel to individuals, one by one," David Lipscomb, Commentary on 1 Thessalonians (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1976), p. 29. did the work. Three verbs here outline the function of the type of father to which Paul compared himself in this, another strikingly beautiful metaphor. These are exhorted, comforted and testified. "Testified" would be more accurately rendered

1 Thessalonians 5:3 — … A very apt simile is this; for, as Ward noted, "The sudden pain of labor, even when it is expected (and a woman expects labor just as a Christian expects the [@parousia]), it is sudden when it comes." Ronald A. Ward, Commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1973), p. 110.

2 Thessalonians 1:9 — text, but the faithful Christian accepts as fact that which he finds no logical way of rejecting. There are two facts, universally accepted even in philosophy, to the effect that: (1) there is some kind of existence after death for every soul, and (2) that God will never finally accommodate to evil, that some judgment of it is certain; and these two propositions point logically to a place of overthrow and eternal suppression of evil. Christ and the apostles spoke dogmatically of hell, and the believer

1 Timothy 2:5 — American Standard Version translation of this verse, affirming the meaning actually to be: One (is) God, not two or more. One also (is) Mediator for God and men, not several. Nor should these two facts be separated, for they have been joined in 1 Timothy 2:3 where "our Saviour God" joins them; and they are again joined here. This Mediator is Mediator "for this one," namely, for God and men. R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 546. One mediator … There are exactly as many mediators

2 Timothy 3:8 — has not supplied us with a touchstone that may be applied to men's hearts; but he has supplied us with his word, thereby to test all that men offer as "the faith" or doctrine. R. C. H. Lenski, Interpretations of St. Paul's Epistles … 2 Timothy (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 1964), p. 828.

2 Timothy 4:14-15 — he greatly withstood our words. Lockyer lists five characters bearing this name in the New Testament. Herbert Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 43. They are (1) the one here mentioned, (2) a prominent member of the high priestly family in Jerusalem (Acts 4:6), (3) the son of Simon who bore the cross of Jesus (Mark 15:21), (4) the man identified with the tumult at Ephesus (Acts 19:35), (5) a Christian who became an apostate (1 Timothy

Titus 1:5 — people. It was not an enviable assignment which Titus here received from the apostle. Still, there were many congregations of believers there, some, perhaps, dating from those citizens of Crete who on Pentecost had heard the good news in Jerusalem (Acts 2:11). Elders in every city … This actually means a plurality of elders in every church in each city of Crete, indicating the extensive spread of the gospel there at the time of Paul's letter. It is a misunderstanding of this injunction to make

Hebrews 4:8 — witness the following: (1) Joshua in the conquest of Canaan benefited himself and his posterity (Josh. 18:49,50): Christ's ministry benefited not himself but his followers only. The rest that Jesus made available to his disciples was already his own. (2) Joshua did not ALONE conquer Canaan but was aided extensively by all the Israelites; Christ trod the winepress alone (Isaiah 63:3). (3) The conquest of Canaan did not cost Joshua either wounds or death; but Jesus won the eternal land of promise at

Hebrews 5:2 — singled out by Bruce, who said of him, "No man in Israel was less disposed to `bear gently with the ignorant and erring' — or anyone else." He further said that from the "fall of the house of Zadok to the destruction of the temple 240 years later, there were very few high priests in Israel who manifested the personal qualities so indispensable to their sacred office." F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967),

2 Peter 1:21 — to be more dependable than a voice from heaven heard with the natural ear. Stephen W. Paine, op. cit., p. 994. Moved by the Holy Spirit … "This is the only reference to the Holy Spirit in this epistle." R. H. Strachan, op. cit., p. 132. However, as Peter credited the Holy Spirit as being the "mover" of all Scripture, no neglect of the blessed Spirit could be inferred. It is a mistake to suppose that Peter by his reference to scripture intended to restrict his meaning to

1 John 2:20 — And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things. As Morris said, "This is just another way of saying that all of them had received the gift of the Holy Spirit."Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 1264. that is, the earnest of the Holy Spirit, which is given to all believers in Christ following their repentance and baptism into Christ (Acts 2:38 f). And ye know all things … The marginal reading here, "you all know," is a better

1 John 4:16 — that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him. Know and have believed the love which God hath in us … As Morris declared, "Believing and knowing the love is certainly a very unusual expression."Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 1268. It is perhaps John's way of referring to one's knowing and believing the whole thesis and system of Christianity, which might be summed up, really, as "knowing and believing the love of God." What a beautiful way to express it! Abideth

1 John 5:1 — from on High, God incarnate in human flesh, the promised Messiah of the Hebrews, the "seed of the woman" (Genesis 3:15) who would crush the head of the serpent, whose "goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). That incarnate deity identified in the New Testament as "Jesus Christ" is man's unique Saviour, and only those who manifest an obedient faith in him can receive the inestimable privilege of the new birth. Is begotten of God … has

1 John 5:14 — And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; And this is the boldness … This is the fourth mention of boldness in this epistle: as pertaining to the judgment in 1 John 2:28; 1 John 4:17, and as pertaining to prayer, here, and in 1 John 3:21-22. In a large degree, the Christian is himself responsible for maintaining a confident and winning attitude, an attitude to which he is fully entitled by the glorious endowments

3 John 1:14 — The friends salute thee. Salute the friends by name. On the tenderness of the greetings here, see under 3 John 1:13, above. I hope shortly to see thee … It is usually supposed that the contemplated visit here is the same as that mentioned in 2 John. Peace be unto thee … This was the best wish which the apostle could form: it was our Lord's resurrection greeting, the internal peace of a good conscience, the external peace of universal fellowship, the heavenly peace of future glory,

Revelation 1:3 — imminent, the great persecution about to break forth against the Christians was most certainly one of the things in view. "There is general agreement that John expected persecution of the church by the Roman Empire."G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 12. Frank L. Cox noted that, "This is the first of seven beatitudes in the book, the other six being found in Revelation 14:13; Revelation 16:15; Revelation 19:9; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 22:7, and Revelation 22:14."Frank L. Cox, Revelation