Bible Commentaries

Genesis 19:23-25 — sure and certain of fulfillment. There are visible a number of purposes behind God's judgmental action against those wicked cities: (1)    It was a great strengthening of Abraham's faith. (2)    It warned Lot. (3)    "It gave moral and religious instruction for all to come."J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 28.

Psalms 7 overview — hands, and begs him to summon all nations to the great assize (The Final Judgment), that they may attest the Divine Sentence that declares Israel innocent."W. E. Addis, Peake's Commentary on the Bible (Edinburgh: T. C. and E. C. Jack, Ltd., 1924), p. 374. The first of these is one of eight passages traditionally associated with David's flight from the wrath of King Saul. "The other seven are: Psalms 34; Psalms 52; Psalms 54; Psalms 56; Psalms 57; Psalms 59; and Psalms 142."George DeHoff, DeHoff Commentary,

Isaiah 19 overview — (a) strophe 1 (Isaiah 19:1-4) prophesies the overthrow of Egypt through civil strife and their suffering under a cruel ruler; (b) strophe 2 (Isaiah 19:5-10) prophesies the drying up of the Nile and the total collapse of Egypt's economy; (c) strophe 3 (Isaiah 19:11-15) foretells the incompetence of Egypt's vaunted wise men. The total picture that emerges in these fifteen verses is that of the total ruin of Egypt. "We may see in this section of the oracle Isaiah's determination to persuade the court

Isaiah 48 overview — the promises."T. K. Cheyne's Commentary, Vol. II, p. 1. The chapter falls into three divisions: "Each commencing with a call on Israel to pay attention: (1) `Hear ye this…' (Isaiah 48:1-11); (2) `Hearken unto me…' (Isaiah 48:12-15), and (3) `Come ye near unto me, hear ye this…' (Isaiah 48:16-22)."Pulpit Commentary, Vol. II, p. 214. The chapter is definitely addressed to two classes of people, namely the true believers, referred to here as "Israel," and the wicked and rebellious

1 Corinthians 4:1 — Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. This refers to both Paul and Apollos, and the word "minister" here is not the same as in 1 Corinthians 3:5. "It is [@huperetes], and originally meant an under-rower in a trireme." Paul W. Marsh, A New Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 382. This is very similar to a word Luke used of ministers. "The word Luke

Galatians 2:14 — by Calvin, taking upon them to imitate Paul's action here, are presuming far too much. Besides, it is not certainly known that Paul had not already, in this case, taken the steps of the first and second admonitions, as he had instructed Titus to do (3:10); but no matter what Paul did, it is the instruction to Titus that more correctly fits the analogy with church leaders today. See much more on this in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 18:15.

Galatians 6:6 — in another very important relationship. Paul here was enumerating a number of things included in the Law of Christ, not a total summary, of course, but a list of particulars in which he felt the Galatians might need special exhortation. This is No. 3 of a group of things Paul stressed. It means financially support your teachers. Conybeare made the meaning clearer by capitalizing Word, Conybeare and Howson, The Life and Epistles of St Paul (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,

Ephesians 5:20-21 — had learned to do this, even in the most unpropitious circumstances." Ibid., p. 112. Subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ … "Paul ceaselessly preached `submission,' or `subjection,' to Roman authority (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Corinthians 14:32-34; 1 Corinthians 16:16; Titus 3:1). J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 964. This clause is the topical heading for the next three paragraphs of the epistle, as pointed out in the chapter introduction. The first of the three reciprocal

Colossians 3:11 — "At the foot of the cross, the ground is level … not a uniformity of status in the present world order, but a change in attitude by which the stigma of being different is loved away." E. Earle Ellis, op. cit., p. 797. See Galatians 3:28 for another exhortation similar to this one, the principal difference here being the inclusion of "Scythian," which inclusion, according to Barry, was "clearly intended to rebuke that pride of intellect, contemptuous of the unlearned,

2 Thessalonians 2:2 — Second Advent was soon to arrive have mistakenly read the New Testament, and it is their fault, not the fault of the New Testament. In fact, Satan may have had a strong hand in fostering the misunderstanding. Hendriksen said: In view of 2 Thessalonians 3:17, the idea that someone had even sent a forged letter (a letter purporting to be from Paul) — though open to certain objections — cannot be lightly dismissed. William Hendriksen, A New Testament Commentary, Epistles to the Thessalonians

1 Timothy 1 overview — White considered this chapter, aside from the salutation (1 Timothy 1:1-2), as regarding a crisis in the Christian faith (1 Timothy 1:3-20). Newport J. D. White, Expositor's Greek Testament, Vol. IV (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 83. Historically, Paul was writing at some time subsequent to his release from the imprisonment of Acts 28, following

Hebrews 10:13 — wait until the rebellious and sinful course of people has spent itself like a burnt-out rocket. And when God's patience has ended, and the last precious fruit of earth shall have been gathered, Christ will loose Satan for a little season (Revelation 20:3 ff); and that disaster shall give the human race experimental knowledge of just what the service of Satan actually means. The consummation of all things shall speedily follow.

Hebrews 11:16 — (although, judged in regard to some of their sinful actions, God might well have had ample reason to be ashamed of some of them), even consenting to be known historically as "the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). For he hath prepared for them a city is in the prophetic tense; that is, a future thing that God will do is spoken of as already done. Another example is "I loved him and called my son out of Egypt" (Hosea 11:1). Speaking of the same city

Hebrews 5:3 — special occasion as the day of atonement, but was all-pervasive. The high priest was required to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. This he did not only on special occasions and for special offenses (Leviticus 4:3-12), but also in all the regular daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly sacrifices that were offered for the sins of the nation; in all these there was an acknowledgment of his own guilt, as well as the guilt of the brethren. R. Milligan, New Testament

Hebrews 9:9-10 — described above. Until a time of reformation designates the times of the Messiah and the new covenant. Christ referred to those times as "the times of regeneration" (Matthew 19:28), and Peter called them "times of refreshing" (Acts 3:19).

James 4:2 — not, because ye ask not. James' reference, "ye kill," is not to be taken as an indictment of the Christian communities addressed by him as murderers. "The word kill is to be taken in the sense of hatred proceeding from envy, as in 1 John 3:15: whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.'" John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 575. Of course, all of the New Testament writers were aware of the Master's teaching

1 Peter 1:17 — each man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear: And if ye call on him as Father … This does not imply any doubt of their calling upon the Father, being like Jesus' words, "If I go and prepare a place for you, etc." (John 14:3). Peter's familiarity with Jesus' instructions with reference to God as Father is reflected in this; but his admonition seems to be that, "Although you familiarly address God as Father, do not overlook the fact that he is also the Judge of every

1 Peter 2:21 — an example, that ye should follow his steps: This and the following four verses are some of the noblest Scripture in all the Bible. In these five verses, there are no less than six references to Christ as the Suffering Servant, as depicted in Isaiah 53. It is just what should have been expected from the apostle who so boldly identified Jesus as "God's Servant Jesus" (Acts 3:13). Hereunto were ye called … Christ suffered vicariously for all people; and it is incumbent upon his followers

1 John 2:10 — love will not only walk in the light himself, but his actions will not be the cause of stumbling or failure in others. As Westcott said, "Want of love is the most prolific source of offenses."Brooke Foss Westcott, The Epistles of St. John , 3 rd edition (London: Macmillan and Company, 1893), p. 56.

1 John 4:5 — no longer lived. Other tests already stressed in this first paragraph of the chapter were: (1) the test of confessing that Jesus was the Christ who came in the flesh; (2) the test of whether or not they were indwelt by the Father (1 John 4:4); and (3) the test of their life-style. The false teachers were worldly, concerned chiefly with material and temporal things, living in pride and ostentation, being "of the world." These tests are still valid. And the world heareth them … This