Bible Commentaries

Ezra 2 overview — fact, we have never seen any attempt by any scholar to harmonize the lists. They satisfied the people who returned from Babylon; and that is really all that matters. "Seven distinct groups of people are mentioned."Ibid. These are: (1) the leaders; (2) the men of Israel; (3) the priests; (4) the Levites; (5) the temple servants; (6) the sons of Solomon's servants; and (7) those of uncertain genealogy. The return from exile was not an "all at once" experience. It went on somewhat gradually over a

Psalms 15 overview — rather fanciful notions on the part of commentators regarding the possible use of it in the temple ceremonies. Kidner believed that it might have been, "Modeled on what took place in certain sanctuaries of the ancient world."Derek Kidner, Psalms 1--72 (London: InterVarsity Press, 1973), p. 80. When a group of worshippers approached the temple, the worshippers raised the question of who should be admitted, and the priest responded with a list of requirements. There was a variation of this ancient

Psalms 31 overview — SURRENDERS TO THE LORD As Barnes declared, "There can be no doubt that the inscription that ascribes this Psalm to David is correct."Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), Vol. 1, p. 259. We are surprised that Dummelow and others have suggested that Jeremiah might have been the author of this psalm, on the basis of some verses in Jeremiah which are very much like some of the passages in this chapter; but Jonah and Jeremiah were quoting

Deuteronomy 28 overview — it still remained a hope in the heart of the Great Type of Jesus that Israel would avoid such curses by faithful adherence to the Word of God. But "in the seventh century B.C.,"David F. Payne, Deuteronomy (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1985), p. 2. This author declared that, "Most scholars are of the opinion that Deuteronomy was written some centuries after Moses." some seven hundred years later, when Israel had already been rejected and disinherited as the Chosen People, could any Jew have brought

2 Corinthians 5:1 — understood as the distinctive hope of Christians. We know … "This accent of certainty is found only in the Christian writers." F. W. Farrar, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), Vol. 19, 2 Cor., p. 119. Such confidence did not derive from any human conclusions; but, as Hillyer said, "This was not by human reasoning, but by divine revelation." Norman Hillyer, The New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans

2 Corinthians 8:9 — men, nor did he have anything at his death to bequeath, except his peace! The question of the riches of Christ, on the Socinian scheme, can never be satisfactorily answered. Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Carlton and Porter, 1829), Vol. VI, p. 349. The riches of Christ are those riches which pertained to his status with God and equality to God before the world was (John 17:5), the riches of His eternal power and Godhead, the riches of His everlasting divinity and glory. Only

Galatians 4:6-7 — 450. showing that the time of receiving the gift-ordinary of the Holy Spirit is subsequent to achieving the status of sonship and a consequence of it. This is without doubt the true meaning, for it coincides with the promise of the apostle Peter (Acts 2:38) that the reception of the Holy Spirit is to be expected after faith, repentance and baptism into the name of Christ, and as a promise to be fulfilled subsequently to such faith and obedience. That is why Paul also referred to the same gift as "the

Philippians 2:25 — the five titles given to him. I counted it necessary to send … This is what the scholars call an epistolary aorist and refers to something Paul was in the process of doing, not to something already done. Another instance of it is in Philippians 2:28. In all likelihood, Epaphroditus was the one who bore this letter to the Philippian church; but since, at the time of the Philippians' reading it, the sending of Epaphroditus would indeed (at that time) be spoken of in the past tense. Epaphroditus

1 Thessalonians 4:11 — of the kirk; The gospel of God and salvation Is surely the gospel of work! As Ward expressed it, "This is the charter of dignity for manual labor … work is not beneath the dignity of a free man." Ronald A. Ward, Commentary on 1 and 2 Thessalonians (Waco, Texas: Word Books, Publisher, 1973), p. 101. Among the Greeks, work was despised as the employment of slaves; and it will be remembered that the false teachers of Corinth belittled Paul's teaching because he labored with his hands.

2 Thessalonians 3:8 — true motives in the preaching of the gospel. Furthermore, it was his way of emphasizing that all men should work to support themselves. CONCERNING WORK Man's great happiness is served by work; even Eden was not a place of idleness, but of work (Genesis 2:15). All Scriptural glimpses of the invisible creations above invariably reveal them in a positive attitude of performance and creative activity. Even the angels on Jacob's ladder (Genesis 28:12) were not posed in attitudes of fixed and static devotion,

Hebrews 2:15 — prophesied of old: "And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces" (Isaiah 25:7-8). This victory over death prophesied by Isaiah pinpoints some significant facts with reference to it. Where shall such a victory be achieved? "In this mountain," meaning on Mount Zion, Jerusalem, one of the mountains of Moriah, where

Hebrews 7:19 — "ritual and priesthood"; but the moral code was just as helpless as the ritual to bring people near to God. Again reference is made to those magnificent portions of the Sermon on the Mount in which the Saviour dealt with this very thing (Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 5:33). DRAWING NEAR TO GOD Not only is it a fact that people may draw near to God, they are commanded to do so (James 4:8). (1) The initiative for such action rests with people; and the importance of this is seen in almost anything

James 2:15-16 — say unto them, Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; and yet ye give them not the things needful to the body; what doth it profit? If a brother or sister … one of you … These words tied in with "my beloved brethren" in James 2:14, make it impossible to suppose that James was addressing some external theory. No, the problem addressed was exactly the one that exists today, namely, Christians supposing that "faith only" saves them and that there is no need for works.

1 John 2:5 — but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: Whoso keepeth his word … This is identical in meaning with "if we keep his commandments" (1 John 2:3). The love of God has been perfected … Here is another glimpse of that absolute perfection which is the goal of all Christian living, mentioned by Jesus in Matthew 5:48, and referred to by all the New Testament writers. Although unattainable

1 John 5:20 — eternity). The dispute among scholars as to whether the last sentence of this verse is an affirmation of Christ's deity or not may be resolved quite easily: (1) Grammatically, there can hardly be any doubt the "true God" is a reference to Christ. (2) Theologically, it is absolutely in keeping with all that John wrote, both here and in the Gospel, to read it as a reference to Christ; and that is exactly the meaning this writer has always understood as being in the verse. Due to the extensive New

Revelation 13:8 — book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Whose name hath not been written … in the book of life … New Testament references to the book of life are: Philippians 4:3, and Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 20:12; Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:27. An Old Testament reference is Deuteronomy 32:32-33. Here the book of life is said to be "of the Lamb that hath been slain," indicating Christ as the owner of the book. The reason this is said is that,

Revelation 14:1 — comment on this interpretation under those verses, above. Some are able to find only "the martyrs" here, "but it is unlikely to stand for a spiritual elite of any sort, such as the martyrs." Leon Morris, Tyndale Commentaries, Vol. 20, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1969), p. 175. "The whole church is in view." G. R. Beasley-Murray, The Book of Revelation (Greenwood, South Carolina: The Attic Press, 1974), p. 223.

Revelation 2:29 — He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. Again, reference is made to Revelation 2:7 where this is commented upon. Lenski pointed out that here and in the following three letters this admonition is placed at the end instead of at the beginning, thus dividing the seven into two groups of three and four; but, "We are unable to

Revelation 8:3 — upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Revelation 8:3-6 seems to connect the prayers of the saints with the trumpet judgments; and, in a sense, "it is these prayers that set the judgments in motion." Leon Morris, op. cit., p. 120. Over the altar … All speculations about where, exactly, this altar is located, and whether or not it is the same as the one mentioned in Revelation 6:9, "are uncalled for." R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation

1 Samuel 14 overview — complete and which led to a perpetual war with the Philistines all of Saul's life, ending finally in his death on Mount Gilboa. Philbeck enumerates Saul's sins as: "(1) Entering the battle of Michmash without awaiting divine counsel (1 Samuel 14:19); (2) invoking an egotistical and pagan curse which deprived his army of the necessary food to support their victorious pursuit of the Philistines; (3) causing his army, through fatigue and hunger, to eat meat improperly bled (a violation of God's law);