Bible Commentaries

Nehemiah 5 overview — SEVERE SOCIAL CRISIS There are conflicting views of reputable scholars regarding the nature of this chapter. Whitcomb labeled it "parenthetical";Arthur S. Peake's Commentary, p. 332. but Williamson divided the chapter into two sections, making Nehemiah 5:1-13 a description of a crisis that came during the building of the wall, but admitting the rest of the chapter as a later parenthetical addition. Of the first section he wrote that, "The wives… were more conscious of the approaching calamity,

Deuteronomy 18 overview — permitted animals to be killed at places other than the central sanctuary, which, of course, resulted in a decrease of the revenue of the Levites and priests, Moses here specified some additional contributions that were to be given to them (Deuteronomy 18:1-5). Next, there is a short paragraph concerning Levites that might wish to sell their patrimony and move to the area of the central sanctuary, in which case thy should receive contributions just the same as the Levites and priests already there (Deuteronomy

Acts 11:16 — baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The fact that this remark about baptism was also made by John the Baptist (Mark 1:8 and parallels) is no reason at all for denying that Jesus also made it as proved by this verse and Acts 1:5. Both John the Baptist who baptized in water and the Lord Jesus who baptized in the Holy Spirit found occasion to mention the contrast; and MacGregor's denial of this in his unsupported assertion that "The words are put on Jesus' lips" G.

Acts 12:8 — "Well, Angel, I won't promise you anything. You know how it is. I'd like to get out of here all right; but you know we might wake somebody up, and that would be bad. The jailer would not like that!" Are not the excuses which men make ridiculous? (5) The fifth thing that entered into Peter's deliverance was the falling off of his chains. They fell off when he rose to obey the word of the angel. The application is in this, that men's chains of sin will fall off when they arise and are baptized into

Acts 5:15 — healed in this way. Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1937), Vol. V, p. 717. Likewise, Lange refused the premise that people were healed by Peter's shadow, saying: Luke testified, particularly at the close of Acts 5:16, that Peter performed many miracles of healing, but he does not describe the mode … It is, however, also possible that in some instances, sick persons, whose faith had prepared them to receive the gift of health, were restored without their

Acts 9:4 — Christ. Neglect of the church is the neglect of Christ. Refusal to belong to the church is a refusal to belong to Christ. Regarding the futility and ineffectiveness of persecution as an instrument of opposing the truth, see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 5:10-12.

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 — obey the law of Moses." Ibid. Circumcision is nothing … Three times Paul made this statement, each time concluding with a powerful statement of that which is everything; here it is "keeping the commandments of God." In Galatians 5:6, it is "faith working through love"; and in Galatians 6:15, it is "a new creation." Any reconciliation of these epic pronouncements with the Protestant heresy of salvation "by faith alone" is impossible. As the apostle

1 Corinthians 8:12 — its application as the world itself. Despite such an apostolic order, however, Paul diligently strove to evoke a feeling of tenderness in the conceited boasters of their "knowledge." The two words repeatedly stressed in the passage are weak (5 times) and BROTHER (4 times). "These should have evoked tenderness and love, but received only the callous disregard of a misguided knowledge." Paul W. Marsh, A New Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969). p.

2 Corinthians 10:5 — it is in the realm of ideas and imaginations against the truth. People have always had trouble with their imagination, the deluge itself having been the God-imposed penalty for man's imagination, which was "only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5).

2 Corinthians 2:12-13 — written; and the news was so encouraging that he burst into an extended expression of praise and thanksgiving to God, forming a rather lengthy parenthesis between this mention of Titus and the resumption of his line of thought again in 2 Corinthians 7:5.

Ephesians 3:19 — God." No wonder this has been called the boldest prayer ever prayed. Dummelow was doubtless correct in interpreting this to mean: "That ye may be filled up to all the fullness of God, i.e., to the perfection of the divine attributes (Matthew 5:48). J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 963. See discussion of "Perfection of Christians" under Ephesians 1:4.

Colossians 1:20 — may be said to be out of harmony with God are "Satan's angels"; and yet they have already been cast down and reserved in chains of darkness. Any further speculation on this would appear to be futile. Heavens … See under Colossians 1:5 for the use of the plural "heavens."

Colossians 3:18 — Wives be in subjection to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. This begins Paul's instructions on certain reciprocal relationships, that of wives and husbands being treated first. See extensive teaching on this in Ephesians 5:22-33, where Paul elaborated it. The glorious difference between the Christian conception of duty and that prevalent in the world of Paul's day lies in the fact that obligations, even the sacred obligations in marriage, are "reciprocal" obligations.

2 Timothy 1:13 — 33. The great disaster which has befallen modern Christianity is precisely that of departing from the pattern, despite the frequent warnings in the New Testament against it, some even going so far as to affirm that there is no pattern given. Hebrews 8:5 and Acts 7:43 should be studied in connection with the admonition here.

Hebrews 5:12 — is even a more advanced classification to be discerned in the words of Paul who said, "For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10). The metaphor of milk and solid food will be noted under Hebrews 5:13-14. It should be noted specifically that there are certain elementary, basic, and foundational truths in the Christian system that should be known and received by all. These things are called here "rudiments" and "first principles";

James 1:21 — Wherefore putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. Putting away … Paul also used this word in such passages as "putting away lying" (Ephesians 4:25), "when I became a man, I put away childish things" (1 Corinthians 13:11), etc. Overflowing of wickedness … "This is not to be understood as `more than is necessary'; because wickedness in the smallest measure is already excess."

James 4:14 — is. Poets of all ages have marveled at the brevity and uncertainty of it. Shakespeare said: Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more. William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act V, Scene 5, Line 11. Despite the propensity of men to discourse on this subject, however, nothing ever written surpasses in beauty or power the noble words of the New Testament in this passage.

1 Peter 2:17 — Commentary on Philippians. Every man is entitled to honor because of one trait or another. Love the brotherhood … Paul also commanded the same thing (Galatians 6:10). The Greek term for "brotherhood" which Peter used here and in 1 Peter 5:9 occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. C. J. Polkinghorne, op. cit., p. 591. Fear God … The beginning of all spiritual wisdom is in this (Proverbs 6:7); and the commandment is actually a short form of the entire duty of man (Ecclesiastes

2 Peter 2:6 — own generation that the very type of sins prevalent in those two cities has become accepted in some circles today. Such a thing is a commentary upon the depravity of our own era. What were those sins? The sin of Sodom was unnatural lusts (Genesis 19:5), and pride with fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, especially among the women, and hard-heartedness towards the poor (Ezekiel 16:46, and Judges 1:7). James Macknight, op. cit., p. 546. It is quite significant that the two destructions in

1 John 3:3 — so perfectly exemplified in him. There is another glimpse in this of the "perfection" that God requires of his children. Being as pure as Christ is pure is the same as being "perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), or being "holy, for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15-16). This idea, or goal, of absolute perfection is unattainable in human strength; but it is achieved for Christians and ascribed to them by reason of their having denied themselves, being