Bible Commentaries

1 Corinthians 10:11 — limitation, that all of its forms and ceremonies and TYPES have been replaced by the great realities of the new covenant. Upon whom the ends of the ages are come … This is similar in thought to "this is the … last days" (Acts 2:16-17) mentioned by Peter on Pentecost, and a number of other similar references in the New Testament; and the usual interpretation is to refer these to the final dispensation of God's grace, the Christian age, which at that time was only beginning.

1 Corinthians 11:21 — "one bread" with their brethren, thus having no fellowship with them and totally circumventing the purpose of the Lord's Supper. An analysis of such disorders shows that: 1.    The various groups did not eat at the same time. 2.    Each group ate its own provisions, instead of sharing in the "one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:17). 3.    Some ate too plentifully; some ate nothing at all, for there was nothing left. 4.    Some

1 Corinthians 11:7-9 — view is the eternal propriety of woman's submission to her husband, a subject already in Paul's mind, from the reference to "man as the head of woman" (1 Corinthians 11:3). The facts of creation reveal that: (1) woman was taken out of man, (2) she was given to man, (3) she was created for man, and (4) she was intended to be the glory of man. The scandalous behavior of the Corinthian women had contravened God's purpose in all of these things, hence the mention of them here. Charles Hodge

1 Corinthians 14:18 — Furthermore, Paul's speaking in tongues "more than ye all" is tremendously significant. His speaking in tongues was genuine, a true gift, to edify himself; the "gifts" he was correcting were (1) either the misused genuine gifts, or (2) the affectations of the tongue counterfeiters; well, actually both of these were condemned. What then was the apostle's purpose in bringing up the fact that he himself spoke in tongues? Bruce gave the probable explanation thus: His speaking with tongues

1 Corinthians 15:4 — that: It is a complete summary. It includes material which is not in the Gospels. It appeals to ancient prophecies. It shows the force of the evidence which convinced the apostles. It appeals to many eyewitnesses still living. It was written within 25 years of the events themselves. F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19, p. 484. And that he was buried … This is one of three New Testament references to the burial of

1 Corinthians 9:22 — may save some … As Johnson said, "This does not remove salvation from the hands of God"; S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., op. cit., p. 616. and, when it is declared in the word of the Lord that people should "save themselves" (Acts 2:40), it is likewise true that their doing so cannot remove salvation from God's hands. When a man is baptized unto the remission of his sins, it does not make him his own saviour; because, when one obeys the gospel, he saves himself in the sense that

2 Corinthians 1:4 — precision of special words, and an inadequate conception of the duties of faithful translation, which requires that we should as exactly as possible reflect the peculiarities of the original, and not attempt to improve upon them. F. W. Farrar, op. cit., p. 2. It is precisely in this conceit of "improving" the word of God that many of the "modern" translations are unqualified failures. The instance cited by Farrar from the KJV is fortunately rare in that version; but many of the current

Ephesians 2:6 — makes the penitent believer to be "in Christ." How astounding are the comments which would make "raised up with" Christ in this place to mean: "the resurrection of believers at the last day," James MacKnight, op. cit., p. 282. "a spiritual transformation," Francis W. Beare, op. cit., p. 643. "believers are viewed (here) as already seated there (in heaven) with Christ," F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 50. "in spirit already, and ere long our bodies too

Philippians 2:13 — one must (in addition to believing in Christ) be baptized in order to be saved, that, in the view of some, would make man his own Savior; but such a view is not justified. For example, when the man born blind washed in the pool of Siloam (John 9:1-12), that did not make him his own healer; although none can deny that he could not have been healed without doing what Christ commanded. The same principle applies to the Scripture: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).

Philippians 2:9 — contrasted not with the pre-existent eternal Godhead of Christ, but with the humiliation of his incarnation, the one new element in it being in this, that "He is exalted in the very nature in which he died." James Macknight, op. cit., p. 427. Thus human nature has been elevated and made to sit on the right hand of God in the person of Christ. The name which is above every name … Dummelow said, "This name is the completed title, The Lord Jesus Christ. J. R. Dummelow, Commentary

Colossians 2:2-3 — the full assurance of under standing that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden. An unusually incisive and penetrating analysis of the whole paragraph which began at Colossians 1:24 and ends with these verses was written by Morgan thus: We find reference to a threefold mystery: (1) the church which is the body of Christ; (2) the secret of life in the individual believer, "Christ in you, the hope of glory"; and (3) the

Colossians 3:22 — apostles were not revolutionaries in the modern sense of that word. See article, "Christ and the State" in my Commentary on Romans. There were practical reasons for Paul's words here, as noted by McGarvey (see my Commentary on 1 Corinthians 7:20-21); but over and beyond the practical need of refraining from an assault upon society, it was inherently unchristian to do so. It is as leaven and not as dynamite that the religion of Christ works. See more on this in my Commentary on 1 Corinthians. (2)    Ancient

Colossians 3:6 — New Testament is full of teaching to the effect that God has a score to settle with evil and that one day he will settle it. Upon the sons of disobedience … Special attention should be focused upon the object of God's wrath. Both here and in 2 Thessalonians 1:8, it is the "disobedient" who shall bear the full weight of the wrath of God. Theologies which seek to eliminate "obedience" as being in any way connected with salvation should be rejected. Regardless of how vigorously

Colossians 4:7-8 — Colossae. Tychicus … The high praise for this companion of Paul justifies a little further attention to this beloved New Testament character, thus: TYCHICUS Tychicus was an Asian, perhaps an Ephesian, who went with Paul to Jerusalem with the collection (Acts 22:4 ff; 1 Corinthians 16:14), and was possibly one of those appointed by the various churches to convey the money to the Christians in Jerusalem. He carried the epistle to the Colossians and that of the Ephesians to their destinations, and if, as is

1 Thessalonians 2:13 — passage from Acts: Now these (of Berea) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the scriptures daily, whether these things were so (Acts 17:11). Paul's testimony in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 shows that Luke's account in Acts was focused upon the unbelievers in Thessalonica, whereas Paul here tells the way it was with the believers. Which also worketh in you that believe … We are indebted to David Lipscomb for this tabulation of

2 Thessalonians 3:2 — were not the only ones who needed encouragement and the prayers of fellow-Christians. The characters from whom Paul sought deliverance were doubtless those violent and fanatical opponents whom Gallio drove from his judgment seat in Corinth (Acts 18:12-17). Their unreasonableness was apparent in the fact of their beating the ruler of the synagogue, it not being clear whether or not he was a member of their own party! For all have not faith … Adam Clarke told it like it is with this word ([Greek:

2 Timothy 2:19 — inspired Scripture, and not as partial or garbled quotations from the Old Testament. After all, as Spence said, "Both these quotations go much farther and far deeper than the places cited in the Old Testament." H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 230. For example, there are strong connections in the first of these with John 14:27-29. Again the Pauline theology of righteous living appears in the second of these. In the last analysis, every man shall be judged on the basis of his deeds, whether

Titus 2:14 — unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. Who gave himself for us … As Zerr said, "This clearly shows that Christ is the particular one of the godhead meant in the preceding verse." E. M. Zerr, op. cit., p. 204. Here the great ransom for many is in view (Mark 10:45). We do not inquire concerning the one to whom the ransom was paid, nor as to why it was necessary, nor if it could have been done in some other way. All such questions lie beyond our ability

Hebrews 10:36 — chapter conclude the fourth great exhortation of Hebrews. The exhortation is based on a number of considerations, among which are these: (1) We have a great high priest who has opened up the new and living way through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. (2) Willful sin shall certainly result in eternal destruction. (3) The Christians who received this epistle had already endured great hardship and suffering and should not throw all that away by becoming indifferent. (4) Patience should be exercised in

Hebrews 3:3 — than the Christian, was divine in its origin; and many New Testament passages emphasize the connection of Old Testament references with that new Israel which supplanted the old (1 Corinthians 10:6; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Romans 15:4; John 5:39; Acts 17:2-3). It was in view of this unity that Jesus said, And ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves cast forth without. And they shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south,