Bible Commentaries

Genesis 9 overview — blessing, extended and elaborated, is conveyed to Noah, thus investing him with the status of a second father of all mankind, and also a barrier against the gross violence of the antediluvians is established in the law of capital punishment (Genesis 9:1-7). The rainbow covenant appears in Genesis 9:8-17, and the sin and dishonoring of Noah, along with the prophetic blessing (and curse) upon the major segments of humanity making up his posterity are found in Genesis 9:18-29.

Psalms 87 overview — the Lord shall go forth from Jerusalem," and that souls of every nation under heaven will be born into the New Jerusalem of God's Church. Born in Jerusalem? Indeed yes, by means of the New Birth. There are only two divisions in the psalm: (1) Psalms 87:1-3, and (2) Psalms 87:4-6, with a final exclamation in Psalms 87:7. The occasion for this psalm is unknown, but some have suggested that it might have been following the destruction of the Assyrian Army in the days of Hezekiah, following which, all

Jeremiah 14 overview — chronological references it is difficult to date passages like this; even references to invasions and exile are not conclusive, because there were three invasions of Judah and as many deportations."Charles Lee Feinberg in Ezekiel (Chicago: Moody Press), p. 467. A great drought is featured in this chapter; but there were many droughts in that part of the world; and there is nothing here that distinguishes this particular drought from others. Some have even tried to break up the chapter into various units,

Jeremiah 41 overview — GEDALIAH All of the events of this chapter revolve around the shameful and treacherous murder of the new governor Gedaliah by Ishmael. The chapter divisions are: (1) the murder of the governor (Jeremiah 41:1-3); (2) the murder of the pilgrims (Jeremiah 41:4-7); (3) captives at Mizpah taken (Jeremiah 41:8-10); (4) Ishmael defeated, escapes to Ammon (Jeremiah 41:11-15); and (5) the people gathered by Johanan to go to Egypt (Jeremiah 41:16-18). The length of Gedaliah's tenure as governor is disputed. In an

Joel 1 overview — that came upon Israel, particularly Judah, a disaster so overwhelming that no escape was possible. The fact of it is dramatically stated (Joel 1:1-4); the prophet's admonition to the people is given in three terse commandments: (1) "Awake" (Joel 1:5-7), (2) "Lament" (Joel 1:8-12), and (3) "Gird yourselves with sackcloth" (Joel 1:13-14). Despite the fact of these appeals being directed to three different classes, namely, the drunkards, the agricultural community, and the priests, they should be understood

Mark 3:5 — impressive account of Jesus' anger than Mark's casual reference to it here. Furthermore, Jesus was quoted by Matthew as saying, "The King was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city!" (Matthew 22:7), the king, of course, standing for God himself, making it impossible for Matthew to have considered Mark's attribution of anger to Jesus as anything inappropriate. Therefore, the conceit that Matthew corrected Mark in this particular is rejected. And

Acts 28:14 — Christians in Puteoli for Paul to remain with them over a Sunday in order to observe the Lord's supper with them. "Thus Paul and his party would be with the Christians at the Lord's table on the Lord's Day, as they had been at Troas (Acts 20:6-7) and at Tyre (Acts 21:4)." Orrin Root, Acts (Cincinnati, Ohio: Standard Publishing Company, 1966), p. 202. There can hardly be any doubt that all three instances of these seven-day periods of waiting were caused by the apostle Paul's arrival on

Acts 3:17-18 — and the rightful claimant of the throne of David — all this they most certainly knew; because, as Jesus said of them that they said among themselves, "This is the heir; come let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours" (Mark 12:7). The exact point of their ignorance regarded the fact of Jesus' being God come in the flesh, the very person who would judge them in the last day; THAT they did not know. The infinite patience and forbearance of God appear in Peter's making every possible

1 Corinthians 15:3 — received … Wesley was no doubt correct in the conviction that this meant "I received from Christ himself; it was not a fiction of my own." John Wesley, One Volume New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1972), in loco. To be sure, Paul had contact with other apostles whose testimony corroborated his own; but there can be no meaning here to the effect that Paul was merely repeating what he had heard from others. Christ died for our sins … Volumes

1 Corinthians 15:7-8 — Jesus risen from the dead, and that Jesus, appearing to him, said, "My brother, eat thy bread, for the Son of man is risen from the dead." Jerome as quoted by Farrar, op. cit., p. 484. Jesus' brothers did not, at first, believe in him (John 7:3). Last of all … does not mean that Jesus appeared to no other afterward, because he also appeared to John at a much later time (Revelation 1:16 ff). It has the meaning of "last in this list which I am giving." Untimely born …

1 Corinthians 2:8 — declared that "The giving Christ this august title, peculiar to the great Jehovah, plainly shows him to be the supreme God." John Wesley, op. cit., in loco. Thus "the Lord of glory," "the Father of glory" (Ephesians 1:17), and "the Spirit of glory" (1 Peter 4:14), indicate that the three members of the Godhead alike receive this title. Psalms 29:3 and Acts 7:2 mention "the God of glory." Crucified the Lord of glory … "These words brought

2 Corinthians 8:18 — Luke's introduction (2 Corinthians 1:1-5). Through all the churches … The brother mentioned was known "through all" the churches. It is amazing that the same scholars who pin so much faith in the absolute superlatives of 2 Corinthians 7:13-15 are here very quick to affirm that "Here, ALL may refer only to the churches sharing in the collection"! Floyd V. Filson, op. cit., p. 372. This, however, is arbitrary. Certainly, some "gospel" was read by every church on earth

Colossians 1:27 — the New Testament, all eight of which refer to a single state, namely, the saved state; and these are: (1) Christ is in you; (2) you are in Christ; (3) God is in you; (4) you are in God; (5) the Holy Spirit is in you; (6) you are in the Holy Spirit; (7) the mind of Christ is in you; (8) the word of Christ is in you. For Scriptural references and discussion of all these see Galatians 5:23, this volume. It is mandatory, of course, to see all of these various designations as reference to one condition

2 Timothy 3:8 — history. That these names have appeared in later Jewish writings in slightly different form is not a reflection against Paul, but against those writings. Though their names are not in the Old Testament, the works of these impostors are recorded in Exodus 7:11; Exodus 9:11. They could indeed counterfeit some of the miracles of Moses; but in others their weak pretensions were exposed, and their folly became evident to all. For example, when Moses cast down his rod and it became a serpent, the magicians

Hebrews 4:12 — his commandments; and, although the passage suggests John 1:1, it would not appear that any such personalization of the word is intended here. That the word of God is "living" is corroborated by other New Testament writers such as Luke (Acts 7:38), Peter (1 Peter 1:23), and others. The word "active" shows that the word does not lie inert and dead but at all times carries within itself the mighty power of its divine author. Rather than trying to find subtle differences in the meaning

Hebrews 7:15 — 205. Surely, where there are so many learned opinions, one may not be afraid to risk his own judgment. The big thought under consideration here is the abrogation of the entire Hebrew system of religion, which has already been observed under Hebrews 7:11-12 (which see); and the argument, to paraphrase it, is this: (1) it is evident that with the rising of a new and greater priest, not out of Levi but out of Judah, the law was abrogated; (2) but it is "far more evident" that the law was

Hebrews 9:25-26 — blood not his own; else must he have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once at the end of the ages hath he been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. For the significance of [@hapax] as used here, see under Hebrews 7:27. Its meaning is "once for all." The glory of Christ's sacrifice as set forth here consists of the complete, final, and irrevocable nature of the offering. It was not a repeated thing as were the offerings and sacrifices under Judaism but

1 John 5:14 — 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 and promises of

Revelation 17:6 — symbolized pagan Rome. Prophetic descriptions from the Old Testament were plentiful and well known to John which portrayed ancient Babylon, a pagan city, in exactly this same graphic terminology, even complete with the "golden cup" (Jeremiah 51:7). This verse therefore proves that literal Babylon, or literal Rome, cannot be meant. John could never have "wondered" at a description already thoroughly familiar to him. No! The wonder here is in the application of this description to this

Revelation 22:1 — crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, River … water of life … This metaphor was used by Jesus himself in his conversation with the woman of Samaria (John 4:10), and in his reference to "living water" (John 7:37-38). This is in no sense a literal river. Ponce de Leon's search for "the fountain of youth" was a wild goose chase; he did not find it, nor will it be in heaven, literally. However, the reality symbolized by it will be there. Therefore,