Bible Commentaries

Romans 12:17 — proceeds immediately after these admonitions to deal with the prerogatives and functions of the magistrate and therefore with the civil, judicial, and penal institution. To the magistrate is given the power of the sword to avenge the evil-doer (Romans 13:4). If he avenges wrongdoing he inflicts the evil of penalty. John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), Vol. II, p. 137. Take thought for things honorable in the sight of all men …

Romans 12:6-8 — the meaning of the word here has a wider application. Exodus 4:16; Exodus 7:1, shows that Aaron was Moses' prophet, or spokesman; and, in that view, every preacher and teacher of God's word is a prophet. This view is consistent with 1 Corinthians 14:3: He that prophesieth speaking unto men unto edification, and exhortation, and consolation. Just what shade of meaning Paul had in mind, however, is not the important consideration, because the admonition attached is applicable to every kind of prophesying,

Romans 9:4 — God's will on earth. Israelites … is an extension of the word "Israel," which means "prince of God," or "one who contends with God," the same being the name given to Jacob by an angel of heaven at Peniel (Genesis 32:28-30). This God-given name implied more than membership in the covenant race, imputing to them status as God's children (Exodus 4:22; Deuteronomy 14:1; Jeremiah 31:9); but the sonship of Israel was of an inferior kind, compared to that of Christians,

1 Corinthians 3:12 — constitute the reality indicated here. If these words had been directed primarily to Christian teachers, it seems inconceivable that Paul would have used the words "each man" and "any man" no less than six times in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. Ministers as a class of persons different from the rank and file of Christians were not a feature of the churches of that era, every Christian being a builder in God's temple; and such is indicated by these words. Regarding the view that the

1 Corinthians 7:39-40 — said: Whoever would conclude from this that Paul was not certain he had the Holy Spirit neither understands the true import of the words, nor considers how expressly he lays claim to the Spirit, both in this epistle (1 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 14:37) and the other (2 Corinthians 13:3). John Wesley, op. cit., in loco. Wesley also thought that the words "I think," as used by Paul here and elsewhere, "ALWAYS imply the fullest and strongest assurance." Ibid. Leon Morris, one of

2 Corinthians 1:23-24 — call this an oath; but others deny it. Even God himself, for a righteous purpose, "interposed with an oath" (Hebrews 6:17); and Paul's appeal to God as witness in this passage would seem to indicate that the prohibition of Christ in Matthew 5:34 ff should not be applied to the kind of oath (if it is an oath) in evidence here. Certainly, it would appear that courts of justice should be allowed to administer oaths, even to Christians. See more on this in my Commentary on Matthew, p. 67. To spare

2 Corinthians 5:12 — Corinthians 10. There is a hint of what is to come here; but for the moment Paul was establishing a few facts with reference to himself, these being: (1) his integrity (2 Corinthians 5:11); (2) the acute need to commend himself (2 Corinthians 5:12); (3) his motivation of doing it all for the sake of the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 5:13); (4) that the love of Christ compelled such action on his part (2 Corinthians 5:14); and (5) that as an ambassador of Christ commissioned to deliver the word of reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:19 — righteousness, and thus wholly justified, not in their original personal identity, but "in Christ and as Christ." Extensive studies of the whole problem of justification are given in the Commentary on Romans. See my Commentary on Romans, chapter 3, etc. Unto us the word of reconciliation … This is parallel to the last clause of the preceding verse; and this double reference led quite naturally to Paul's exposition of his status as God's ambassador, in the next verse.

Galatians 1:7 — warning that wrong living excluded men from God's kingdom should leave no doubt as to his attitude… The new faith provided the only adequate means for ethical conduct, rather than absolving men from that responsibility. R. E. Howard, op. cit., p. 23. Any person familiar with the meaning of ordinary words must know that salvation "by faith alone" means salvation without obeying the Christian ordinances, without holiness, without moral conduct, without respect for any Christian duty, without

Ephesians 6:11 — disgust at a remark like this: "Neither of these nouns is used by Paul; each occurs twice in this epistle (Ephesians 4:14; Ephesians 4:27). In place of `the devil' Paul always used the personal name `Satan'." Francis W. Beare, op. cit., p. 737. The incredible thesis that lies behind a comment like that is that Paul could not have written Ephesians, because there are two nouns in it that he did not use in his other writings! It is assumed by such theorizers that although Paul knew the devil's

1 Thessalonians 5:19 — for "quench" was used of putting out a fire, and the thought is that the child of God should not put out the sacred fire within. This verse is parallel with the following: Many are weak and sickly among you, and some sleep (1 Corinthians 11:30). The last state is become worse than the first (2 Peter 2:20-21). There is a sin unto death (1 John 5:16). It is impossible to renew them (Hebrews 6:4-6). She that giveth herself to pleasure is dead while she lives (1 Timothy 5:6). Whosoever shall

1 Timothy 1:8 — "the law is good," indicating that there is a legitimate use of it. What are the legitimate uses, for Christians, of the law of Moses? THE VALUE OF MOSES' LAW 1.    Its great prophecies point to the coming of Christ, some 333 of these being the most convincing evidence on earth to the effect that Jesus our Lord is indeed the divine Messiah "whose goings forth are known from of old, even from everlasting" (Micah 5:2). 2.    The old Israel is

1 Timothy 5:9-10 — voluntary basis, which was quite natural in view of their being supported by the church. This was a far different thing from the exploitation of young women in monasticism. Having been the wife of one man … This is the same word used in 1 Timothy 3:2, that the husband of one wife could be an elder; and the meaning would appear to be the same. The past perfect is used here because the husband (by the definition of widow) would already have been dead. The similarity of the qualification, however

Hebrews 1:4 — appealing rather to the Old Testament scriptures which the addressees received and conceded to be Messianic. If Paul was the author, and in view of the procedure here, this method of appeal would explain why he chose to identify with them (as in Hebrews 2:3-4), and to omit all reference to himself as an apostle, or even any personal reference at all. The appeal which the author made to the Jewish scriptures, recognized by that generation as Messianic prophecies, takes all the weight out of the arguments

Hebrews 11:24 — astounding refusal. ROYAL REFUSALS There are four royal persons in the Bible each of whom made a notable refusal, these being Moses, David, Daniel, and Jesus. Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; David refused Saul's armor (1 Samuel 17:39); Daniel refused the king's meat (Daniel 1:8) and Jesus refused the popular efforts to make him an earthly king (John 6:15). Are these the four great refusals in history? Due to the conditions surrounding each of these great crisis decisions, and to

Hebrews 11:3 — Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), Vol. 21, Hebrews, p. 298. To be sure, "Aristotle held to the eternity of matter; and said that it was the common opinion of naturalists that `Nothing can be made out of nothing'" R. Milligan, op. cit., p. 302. Also, Greek speculation about the formation of the ordered world out of formless matter, according to Bruce, had influenced Jewish thinkers like Philo and the author of the Book of Wisdom; (but) the writer of Hebrews is more Biblical in his reasoning

Hebrews 8:10-13 — I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing away. Here is given the balance of Jeremiah's prophecy of the new covenant, recorded in Jeremiah 31:31-34. Although said to be made "with the house of Israel," this new covenant has a much wider application than the old, the new Israel being in no way limited to the physical descendants of Abraham (Galatians 3:29, etc.); and yet, significantly,

1 John 4:1 — Christians to listen to anyone claiming inspiration. Blaney was correct in identifying the false prophets of this verse with the antichrists of 1 John 2:18.Harvey J. S. Blaney, Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1967), p. 387. The problem of such men among God's people was nothing new; false prophets had often troubled the Israel of the Old Testament, and Christ himself warned of the "false prophets … in sheep's clothing … but who are ravening wolves,

Revelation 1:4 — book is addressed to a limited circle of Asian churches, the author's purpose was to reach beyond these to all the churches throughout the world." Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1919), p. 423. The evidence of this universal destination of the book is found in the repeated injunction, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches." Of Asia … In the New Testament, Asia always means the Roman province

Revelation 9:5 — for five months … There is a limitation here; but the more it is studied, the less comforting it is. What happens after the "five months"? Instead of disappearing, the hurt enters Phase II in the sixth trumpet (See under Revelation 9:13). The repetition of this "five months" in Revelation 9:10 "makes it doubly significant." R. C. H. Lenski. op. cit., p. 291. "The very fact that these monsters are not to kill indicates that this torment is only half of what