Bible Commentaries

Exodus 20:12 — keepers of the temple had concocted a device for enabling wealthy Hebrews to avoid giving the care and support to their parents which the Law of God commanded. This was called Corban, and this is explained and condemned by Jesus himself in Matthew 15:3-6. Our own generation is no exception. A governor of the state of Colorado said during the summer of 1984 that "the principle duty of old people is to die and get out of the way of the younger generation." This was widely publicized, nor did the governor

Exodus 28:40-43 — him." This is a very brief mention of the holy garments that distinguished the lesser priests, leaving other details to be added later. The purpose of the breeches was to "prevent the exposure of their private parts,"Ronald E. Clements, op. cit., p. 185. which, to us, might seem an unnecessary precaution; "But ritual nakedness, especially for priests, was a feature of some ancient pagan religions; it was to be quite otherwise in Israel."Robert P. Gordon, The New Layman's Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids:

Exodus 4:21 — exactly the manner of its occurrence. "Ten times it is stated of Pharaoh, in a great variety of forms of expression that he hardened his own heart."Wilhelm Moller, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. II (Chicago: The Howard-Severance Co., 1915), p. 1058. "The hardening of Pharaoh's heart was due to his own obstinancy in refusing to yield to the warnings he received … The Easterner means the same thing when he says that God hardened his heart."J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 53. Nevertheless,

Job 21:7-16 — all the facts."The Bible Speaks Today (Downer's Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1976), p. 97. "Zophar said the wicked die prematurely (Job 20:11), Eliphaz and Bildad said the prosperity of the wicked was a fleeting thing that did not last (Job 15:20; Job 18:5; Job 20:5); but the truth was contrary to all that."New Century Bible Commentary, p. 147. "Bildad asserted that the wicked die childless (as he felt certain Job would do); but here Job pointed out the happy, prosperous, singing, and dancing

Psalms 88:1-9 — up, and I cannot come forth. Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction." We have never read a passage describing the approach of death any more impressive than this one. "Sheol" (Psalms 88:3); "the pit" (Psalms 88:4); "among the dead" (Psalms 88:5); "the grave" (Psalms 88:5); "the lowest pit" (Psalms 88:6); "dark places" (Psalms 88:7); and "the deeps" (Psalms 88:7) are seven synonyms for the realm of the dead, or Hades; and the mind of the psalmist seems utterly overcome with the gloom of approaching

Isaiah 24:17-20 — earth is shaken violently. The earth shall stagger like a drunken man, and shall sway to and fro like a hammock, and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again." The first three verses here remind one of Amos 5:19: "Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness

Isaiah 24:23 — hundred and sixty days" (Revelation 12:6); (3) Satan is "wroth" against God's people, because "he knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Revelation 12:12); (4) God's church will be nourished "for a time, and times, and half a time" (Revelation 12:14); (5) The beast had authority to oppose the church for "forty and two months" (Rev, 13:5). (6) It is obvious that 42 months, 1,260 days, and time and times and half a time are all exactly the same amount of time, i.e., three and one-half years. (7) It is

Isaiah 56 overview — principle of Biblical interpretation led even great scholars like Albert Barnes to make this chapter a prophecy that the Sabbath Day would be incorporated as a binding obligation in the Church of Jesus Christ.Albert Barnes' Commentary, Vol. II, p. 305. The only trouble with such an interpretation is that it forces Isaiah to prophecy a lie. In all the New Testament, or the whole Bible for that matter, there is never an instance in which the sabbath day was ever made a requirement for anyone except

Luke 6:5 — their hair-splitting interpretations! (2)    He showed that "on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless," and that "one greater than the temple" was among them (Matthew 12:5-6). Jesus, the true and greater temple, of which the old temple was merely a type, was being served by his disciples; and, even if their actions were illegal (although they were not) they would have been sanctified by the holy purpose of serving the

John 1:7-8 — the light. To bear witness to the light was to bear witness to Jesus Christ. It is true, of course, that Jesus himself said of John, "He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light" (John 5:35); but the apostle John here made a distinction between the light of John the Baptist, which was a dim and borrowed light, and that true light which lighteth every man coming into the world. In no sense could John the Baptist be that light. As the

John 5:25 — come to him: "Very well, my voice calling men to spiritual resurrection you will not hear; but I shall speak again on another occasion (that of the final judgment), and then you will hear!" In fact, such is the thought expressed later (John 5:28).

John 5:43 — Messianic dignity.Alvah Hovey, op. cit., p. 143. Also, it should be noted that Jesus' prophecy of false Messiahs was literally fulfilled. This prophecy was fulfilled over and over again. One false Messiah was Theudas; another was Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:36-37). Then came Barkochba (132-135 A.D.) …. There have been several score of others since their day …. All of these presented themselves without proper credentials; they came "in their own name"William Hendriksen, op. cit.,

Acts 10:36 — underscores the error of Dibelius, who said that "in the conversion of a centurion, such a comparatively long speech can have no place. (It) is a literary composition of the author Luke." Martin Dibelius, Die Bekehrung des Cornelius (Gottingen, 1951), p. 97. There can be no way of viewing this as "such a long speech"; such a criticism exposing the bias and unreliability of the criticism. The same author declared that, "Except for Acts 10:34-35, there is nothing in the present speech

Acts 20:4 — difficult to find a more convincing answer than that suggested by Ramsay, namely, that Titus was Luke's brother. Sir William M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller, pp. xxxviii, 390. It may be that when the "we" narrative is resumed in Acts 20:5, Titus as well as Luke himself is tacitly included. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1954), p. 406.

Romans 2:9-10 — every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. "To him that worketh not," which Paul was to write in Romans 4:5, must be understood in conjunction with these verses where "worketh evil" and "worketh good" dogmatically are affirmed to be the basis of being saved or being lost. They cover exactly the same ground, but in the reverse order. In

Hebrews 6:1-2 — contrasted with the mere acquaintance with the basic fundamentals. The goal of all Christian endeavor is absolute perfection, even as God is perfect, for Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Unattainable in the ultimate sense, perfection is nevertheless the goal of Christians. All should strive toward it. THE SIX FUNDAMENTALS Ironically, ours is an age that has indeed "gone on" to a very fanciful and indefinite kind of perfection

Revelation 15 overview — SECTION IV (Revelation 15—16) This, the shortest chapter in Revelation, together with Revelation 16, for which it is merely the introduction, again takes us through the whole cycle of time to the eternal judgment (Revelation 16:17-21). Several times already the final judgment

Revelation 20:5 — … Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in their tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment (John 5:25-29). An analogy of the above passage inevitably leads to the conclusion that the conversion of sinners by the gospel is the first resurrection. Significantly, this was recorded by John; and it is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to believe

Revelation 22:13 — and the end. I am the Alpha and the Omega … These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet used idiomatically to express comprehensive completeness. In this prophecy it is found in Revelation 1:8; Revelation 1:10-11; Revelation 21:5-6; Revelation 22:13. We agree with Barclay that, "There is more than one idea here. There is the idea of completeness, of eternity and of authority. William Barclay, op. cit., p. 225. Actually, all three statements in this verse are parallel aspects

Revelation 5:1 — deduced, but what is it? Many different answers are given: "It contained the whole of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." A. Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 22, Revelation (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 162. "It is God's redemptive plan for the denouement of human history, the overthrow of evil, and the gathering of a redeemed people." George Eldon Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans