Bible Commentaries

Hosea 6:11 — sins which so resembled those here charged to Israel."W. R. Harper, International Critical Commentary (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905), p. 291. "A Judean editor applies the prophecy to his own time and situation."Jacob M. Myers, op. cit, p. 36. "This is the contribution of a Judean editor who glosses the text."James Luther Mays, op. cit., p. 102. Etc. etc. etc... In such a cacophony of scholarly prejudice against this verse, it is refreshing to find McKeating injecting a mild note of caution:

Zechariah 12:11-14 — whom they pierced. Thus, "they" who did the piercing are not merely those who ordered, desired, and participated in the actual "piercing." They include all of every time and place who "crucify the Lord again, and put him to an open shame" (Hebrews 5:6). Included also are those who disbelieve and reject the salvation which Jesus brought to man. One other thing should be noted in these final four verses, and that is the reference to Hadad-Rimmon. That was supposed to have been the place where the good

Malachi 3:1 — (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1972), p. 418. "I send my messenger" This messenger was none other than John the Baptist, a fact attested by the testimony of Jesus Christ himself and the holy apostles. (See more on this under Malachi 4:5-6, below.) It is a measure of critical arrogance that any man should deny this. "No sure identification of `my messenger' is possible… Malachi 4:5-6 is a later addition, and consequently is not a reliable index to the thought of our prophet."J.

Matthew 25:41 — hell which God has prepared, or may be in the process of preparing, for the evil one? (At the projected time of the scene presented in this chapter, hell will have been prepared; but, since Christ is now preparing the place for the righteous (John 14:1-6), it does not appear illogical to suppose that the place of containment for the host of Satan is likewise currently in a state of preparation also). What would YOU do, if you were God? Would you permit Satan to continue unabated for all eternity with

Luke 15:3-7 — oneself. (2)    The shepherd went himself; he did not merely send another. Men are wrong who suppose that they may merely send their minister or elder to seek out the lost. God has commanded: "Ye that are spiritual restore such a one" (Galatians 6:1). (3)    The shepherd stayed with the search until it was successfully concluded. Here is the divine pattern for perseverance in well-doing. The search can have only one desire, that of finding and recovering the lost; not till

Luke 17:5-6 — suppose that these terms were retrospectively incorporated in Luke's Gospel at a time long after the events, and at a time when the early church had "developed" these words are wrong. Jesus himself named the Twelve "apostles" (Luke 6:13); and they referred to Jesus as "Lord," using the word as a reference to the Godhead. Drowning Peter cried out, saying, "Lord, save me," and this student of the word of God will never consent to view these words as the equivalent

John 3:7-8 — took place. But this knowledge is distinctly negatived by Christ who herein declares the moment of the spiritual birth to be lost or hidden to God.H. R. Reynolds, The Pulpit Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1962), Vol. 17, p. 118. This interpretation (!) is typical of the gimmickry employed in vain efforts to talk the rite of baptism out of this passage and out of the whole New Testament. Note the play upon the words "whence" and "when,"

Acts 11:25-26 — fully both the name "disciples" and the name "Christian," which replaced it. CONCERNING DISCIPLES "Disciples" occurs 72 times in Matthew, 44 times in Mark, 38 times in Luke, 77 times in John, and 30 times in Acts — 261 times in the first five books of the New Testament; but it is not used even once in the last 22 books of the New Testament. The significance of this is further emphasized by the fact that the apostle John, after using it 77 times in the gospel, never

Acts 14:5-7 — commanded, and fled to Lycaonia. Luke's geographical note here to the effect that Lystra and Derbe were in Lycaonia implies that Iconium was NOT in Lycaonia. Bruce noted that: Sir William Ramsay has recorded how it was this geographical note in Acts 14:6 that led to his first "change of judgment" with regard to the historical value of Acts convincing him that the statement was entirely correct. F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, Publishers, 1954), p. 288. No

Acts 17:1 — Wesley said, "Luke seems to have been left at Philippi." John Wesley, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House), in loco. Apparently Luke continued there, preaching throughout that area until Paul returned (Acts 20:5-6), upon which occasion Luke again referred to himself as in Paul's company, continuing to do so until the end of Acts. It was also concluded by McGarvey that due to the grammatical antecedent of "they" being "Paul and Silas," "it

Acts 17:7 — except in situations like those prevailing in Thessalonica and other Gentile cities with Jewish elements. For example, he wrote Timothy, "He shall show who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). We are gratified that Harrison also perceived the above truth, and gave us this comment: This incident illustrates why the epistles of Paul as well as Acts have relatively little to say about the kingdom of God … It was because these ideas

Acts 22:16 — they sins, calling on his name. Efforts of men to spoil this text with the insinuation that it means, "Be baptized in token of the washing away of thy sins," Everett F. Harrison, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 467. are frustrated by the clear and certain meaning of it. The incomparable Hackett said: This clause states the results of baptism in language derived from the nature of the ordinance and has the meaning of "Submit to the rite in order to be forgiven."

Acts 4:5-6 — Court, composed of the presiding officer, who was the high priest, and seventy others. It was the same body which had demanded and received the crucifixion of Jesus. It was the historical successor to the board of judges appointed by Moses (Numbers 11:16-25). In Jerusalem … The council chamber in which they met was traditionally in the temple; but about A.D. 30, they changed their meeting place "to a court on the east side of the temple mount … the meeting at the palace of the high

Acts 6:12-14 — the circumstances that made it so were: (1) the Pharisees, by far more popular than the Sadducees, were the leaders, their engagement in the opposition deriving, in all probability, from the inroads the new faith had made upon their own party (Acts 6:7); (2) they directed their murderous purpose, not against the Twelve, but against a prominent new personality but recently elevated to popular esteem; (3) it was directed against a single individual, not against a group; (4) they stoned him on the

Acts 9:3 — any of the roads that might have been taken to Damascus, the distance was "between 130 and 150 miles, a journey of something like six days." E. M. Blaiklock, Cities of the Old Testament (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1965), p. 13. The time of this approach to Damascus was about noon (Acts 22:6); and from this it seems that Saul was pressing man and beast to the limit of endurance in his haste to execute his fury against the Christians. Wesley thought it probable that

Romans 5:14 — evidenced by the blood and water that came forth from the thrust of the Roman soldier's spear. As the Scriptures say: This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood (1 John 5:6). Satan seduced and deceived the bride of Adam; and in the long, wretched story of the historical church, it is evident that Paul's fear of the same fate for the bride of Christ was more than justified (2 Corinthians 11:3). It is clear, therefore, that

1 Corinthians 10:1 — Russell said, "The Old Testament was used in the Christian church, and even Gentile converts were expected to be familiar with it." John William Russell, Compact Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 419. See Romans 9:6; Galatians 3:27-29, etc. All under the cloud … all passed through the sea … The word "all," repeated five times in these first four verses, emphasizes the fact that the entire Jewish people enjoyed the

Ephesians 2:1 — when ye were dead through your trespasses 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

1 Thessalonians 1:5 — others (1 Thessalonians 2:3). That he was seeking to please people, not God (1 Thessalonians 2:4). That he was preaching for what he could get out of it (1 Thessalonians 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:9). That he sought personal prestige (1 Thessalonians 2:6). He was something of a dictator (1 Thessalonians 2:7). William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), p. 188. A careful reading of the epistle fails to support the theoretical

Hebrews 10:3-4 — same doctrine and even insinuated to them that the heathens, being sensible of the impossibility of making atonement for sins by shedding the blood of beasts, had recourse to human sacrifices, in the imagination that they were more meritorious (Micah 6:7). James Macknight, Apostolic Epistles (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1960), p. 554. Not the least of the reasons why animal sacrifices could be of no avail lies in the fact that animals never belonged to man in the first place. "For every