Bible Commentaries

Genesis 24:10-14 — and thirsty, borders on the heroic. THE WATER TEST FOR THE BRIDE OF CHRIST However people may resent it, there is surely also a water test for the Bride of Christ: "Except a man be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:15). As Christ himself stated it, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Also, four of the seven great signs of the Gospel of John followed the water motif: (1)    water was changed to wine; (2)    the

1 Kings 15:1-6 — Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life." Abijam's three years on the throne of Judah made no difference at all. The war between Israel and Judah was not settled, and Abijam walked in the sinful excesses of his father Rehoboam. In 1 Kings 15:3, David is referred to as his father, but there it means grandfather. "For David's sake" God had promised David a continuing dynasty, and that meant that God would necessarily accommodate himself to the extreme wickedness of some of the members of that

2 Kings 1:1-2 — From inscriptions upon the Moabite Stone, we learn that Moab rebelled upon the occasion of the division of Solomon's empire and regained their independence for a time, but that they again lost it to Israel during the reign of Omri. Later in 2 Kings 3:4-27 there is a fuller report of this rebellion of Moab, but apparently this brief mention of it occurs here as a preliminary to the explanation of why Ahaziah was unable to suppress the rebellion due to his injury. The event that precipitated Moab's

Ezra 2 overview — to link the present company of returnees with the glorious names of their previous history, with the implied teaching that they were still the Chosen People and that God would continue to bless them. "This same list of names appears in Nehemiah 7:6-73 and in Ezra 5:4-17. It is not easy to account for the discrepancies."The New Bible Commentary, Revised, p. 399. In fact, we have never seen any attempt by any scholar to harmonize the lists. They satisfied the people who returned from Babylon; and that

Psalms 146 overview — PRAISE THE LORD FOR WHAT HE DOES We have already reviewed Psalms 113-118, which are called a "Hallel" in the Jewish tradition; and that collection also includes the last five psalms in the Psalter.H. C. Leupold, p. 982. Each of these last five psalms begins and ends with the words, "Praise ye the Lord" (KJV), "Praise

Zechariah 12:10 — first-born." Three tremendously important things are foretold here: (1) a spirit of grace and supplication (repentance) shall be poured out upon the "inhabitants of Jerusalem," (2) they shall look unto "me," that is, Jehovah, whom they have pierced, and (3) they shall mourn for "him," as one mourneth his only son. Pentecost marked the amazing fulfillment of (1). On that occasion, a vast company of people in Jerusalem repented, were baptized into Christ, and received the blessed Holy Spirit, "the spirit

John 3:31 — throughout the Gospel, and the school of Baur finds in the entire representation simply an artistic endeavor on the part of a second century falsarius to show that John's disciples were absorbed into the catholic church.H. R. Reynolds, op. cit., p, 132. Therefore, we shall note the glaring weakness of the reasoning of such scholars, whose allegation of a change of style turns out to be nothing but a change of tense! And, as Westcott said: "The use of the present tense in John 3:32 is not inconsistent

Acts 4:27 — Daniel … Jesus clearly saw his Messianic ministry from Jordan to Golgotha, as a fulfilling of the prophecies of the Servant of the Lord. Archibald M. Hunter, Introducing New Testament Theology (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1957), p. 23. Thus, it is no surprise that in the very beginning of the gospel proclamation by the apostles strong emphasis upon the role of Jesus' sufferings should appear. We find Peter four times in the early chapters of Acts (Acts 3:13; Acts 3:26; Acts 4:27;

Romans 16:19 — come abroad unto all men. I rejoice therefore over you: but I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple to that which is evil. The threat of evil teachers and their seductive operations was pointed out by Christ himself (Matthew 7:15-23), and the Saviour's description of such persons is still the fountain source of the true knowledge concerning them. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, being recognizable principally by their fruits. The minister, or other teacher, who scatters the

1 Corinthians 10 overview — In this chapter, and through verse 1 of the next, Paul completed his answer to the triple question regarding the permissibility of Christians: (1) sitting down at idol feasts, (2) purchasing meat in the common markets, and (3) being guests where facts about the origin of the meat were unknown. The very first word in this chapter demands that a close connection with the previous two chapters must be recognized; and it is deplorable that the RSV omitted that word, ignoring

Ephesians 2:1 — and sins. "To be dead in trespasses and sins does not mean unconsciousness or non-existence." John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 476. (1 Timothy 5:6; Revelation 3:1). In the Scriptural view, sin equals death; and there is no light or casual view of either in the Bible. You did he make alive … Beare pointed out that the various pronouns "you" (Ephesians 2:1-2), "we all" (Ephesians 2:3),

1 Thessalonians 4:15 — who survive to that day." Ibid., p. 87. Nothing could be more flimsy than the postulations of scholars built upon Paul's famous "we." It was his constant habit to identify himself with the readers, even those involved in sin (Hebrews 2:3; Hebrews 6:3). Here Paul identified himself with those who would survive to the Second Advent, but on other occasions he identified himself with those who would rise from the dead (1 Corinthians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 4:14). Deductions based on Paul's

Hebrews 7:19 — 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 from a tennis match to

James 1:25 — gospel as a law is characteristic of James"; E. C. S. Gibson, op. cit., p. 5. but that conception was also that of the apostle Paul who wrote, "Do we then make law of none effect through faith? God forbid: nay, we establish law" (Romans 3:31), also, "And so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). The perfect law … It is impossible, logically, to refer this to the Law of Moses; because the writer of Hebrews declared that "If the first covenant had been faultless,

James 2:15-16 — confessing Christ, and being baptized? Did not the Christ himself deny salvation to those who would not confess him, even though they "believed on" him? (John 12:42). Did he not also teach that those who will not repent cannot be saved? (Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5). Did he not also declare that unless one is baptized (born of the water and of the spirit) he cannot enter the kingdom of God? (John 3:5). But it is replied that "saving faith" always does these things anyway. This will be more

1 John 2:28 — light" and another who was abiding "in the word of God," or "in God," or "in Christ," or "in the Holy Spirit?" Conversely, could there be any distinction between persons "walking in the truth" (as in 3 John 1:3) and those in whom the "word of God abideth"? Again, reference is made to a more lengthy study of this phenomenon in my Commentary on Galatians, pp. 97-99. In full consonance with the unity of thought in all such passages is the over-all

1 John 5:19 — know … This is the second of three great certainties stressed by the apostle in 1 John 5:18-20: (1) We know that we are guarded from the evil one by Jesus Christ our Lord. (2) We know that we belong to God in a hostile, Satan dominated world. (3) We know the great basic of divine revelation, especially the Incarnation of God in Christ. That we are of God … To what other source, indeed, could the joyful life in Jesus Christ be attributed? Those who have tasted the good word of God and

Revelation 13:8 — name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the 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

Revelation 2:11 — 22:2; Revelation 22:14 The new name —- Revelation 2:17; Revelation 14:1. Authority over the nations —- Revelation 2:26; Revelation 20:4 f. The morning star —- Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16. The white garments —- Revelation 3:5; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 7:14. Sitting on Christ's throne —- Revelation 3:21; Revelation 20:4. Second death —- Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:14. Christ did not mention here "the first death"; but it is the death of the body

2 Samuel 16:5-8 — See, your ruin is upon you; for you are a man of blood." "When King David came to Bahurim" "This tiny highway village some distance east of Mount Olivet is the place where Phalti turned back from following Michal as she was returned to David (2 Samuel 3:15-16), where Shimei's cursing of David occurred, and where the sons of the priests (Jonathan and Ahimaaz) were hidden in a well (2 Samuel 17:18) during their mission of carrying information to David."Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 194. "There