Bible Commentaries

Genesis 19 overview — be in the day that the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and let him that is in the field likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:28-32) The apostle Peter shed further light on this chapter by pointing out that just as God delivered righteous Lot, so the righteous would be delivered out of temptation. God does not destroy the righteous with the wicked. Also, there is evident the

Job 37 overview — addressed to Job, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge"? (Job 38:2). Such an evaluation as that cannot be applied to Job's words, because God Himself said that, "My servant Job has spoken of me the thing that is right" (Job 42:7-8). Moreover, God specifically stated that the three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar had spoken "folly" (Job 42:8); and Elihu's words, in almost every particular, are the same as those of the three, only more vituperative and derogatory toward Job.

Psalms 50 overview — A PROPHETIC GLIMPSE OF THE ETERNAL JUDGMENT The superscription entitles this psalm as "A Psalm of Asaph." This is the very first of the twelve Asaph Psalms, the other eleven being Psalms 72-82 at the beginning of Book Three of the Psalter. "In 1 Chronicles 16:5, Asaph is described as the chief of sacred music, in the tent where the Ark was placed, who played the cymbals. He is often mentioned along with Heman and Ethan, but never first.

Psalms 90 overview — IV There are seventeen psalms in this book, classified by Dummelow as: Penitential Psalms: Psalms 90; Psalms 91; Psalms 94; and Psalms 101. Psalms of Thanksgiving: Psalms 92; Psalms 93; Psalms 95-100; and Psalms 103-106, National Psalms: Psalms 94; Psalms 97; Psalms 99; Psalms 102; Psalms 105; and Psalms 106. Historical Psalms: Psalms 105 and Psalms 106. A Gnomic Psalm: Psalms 101.J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 365. Dummelow's last classification, Gnomic, means, "expressing maxims, or universal truths."

Proverbs 8:22-31 — heresy, was simply that, a mistranslation. "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way" This is the line which the Septuagint (LXX) translated, "The Lord made me the beginning of his ways."This quotation is from the Zondervan Edition of the LXX. 1970. The Arians, of course, read this, "The Lord created me, etc." The current tragedy is that the RSV has erroneously translated this verse as, "The Lord created me at the beginning of his work." It is absolutely impossible that the RSV is correct in

Jeremiah 23:5-8 — only a few examples of what well-known writers have said and are still saying about this passage. The announcement concerns the ideal king Messiah.J. A. Thompson, The Bible and Archeology (Grand Rapid, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1972) p. 489. Messiah is here called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, because he is Jehovah; and he is our righteousness because he justifies us by his merits.Barnes' Notes (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House), p. 206. As a title, BRANCH traces the human and divine

Luke 21:20 — schools, but it is unfounded in any evidence whatever, and must be written off as totally unacceptable. Note this: There is nothing in this passage that is not also in Matthew, who mentioned the "armies" that would burn the city (Matthew 22:7), and the "desolation" that would follow (Matthew 24:15); and it is certain that Matthew thus quoted Jesus' words which were spoken forty years prior to their fulfillment. The only word in this verse that is not in Matthew is "encompassed,"

John 20:19 — emphatic. Chief among the days of the week is Sunday, not Saturday; and this profound change began the day our Lord rose from the dead and met with his disciples. Such New Testament passages at Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; Luke 24:26; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2; and Revelation 1:10 are the Scriptural basis for observing Sunday, the first day of the week, as the correct day for Christian assemblies, contributions, communion, and all other acts of corporate Christian worship. When therefore

John 3:14-15 — these cite the necessity for his Passion, i.e., his being lifted up on the cross, and through that, lifted up on High. Moses lifted up the serpent … refers to the last of Moses' miracles, which took place on the borders of Canaan (Numbers 21:7 ff). Fiery serpents had been sent among the people producing suffering and death; Moses fashioned a serpent of brass and lifted it up on a pole in the center of the camp, and all who looked upon it were healed. Those who would make that brass snake

John 6:14 — difficulties. Send it away! Thus America solved the Indian problem, the slave problem, and the Mormon problem; and now the Mormons are sending missionaries to us! C. The next approach was to count the pennies and declare the project impossible (John 6:7). Where is the money coming from? was a cry that rang harshly enough on the ears of five thousand hungry men on the slopes of Butaiha, and time has not mellowed the cry. As Spurgeon said: Some men are always ready at counting the pennies they do not

Acts 2:32 — with an unmistakably divine event which yet occurred in this world of ours, on an April day in A.D. 30 while Pontius Pilate was Roman governor of Judea. Archibald M. Hunter, Introducing New Testament Theology (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1957), p. 57. We are all witnesses … Peter could not have meant "all" of the one hundred and twenty disciples, but all of the Twelve apostles. The blessed Mary herself, who was one of the one hundred and twenty, was not a witness of the

Romans 4:4 — shall note each of these. That salvation does not depend upon any human effort. If this were true, all people would be saved; and, if human effort as a precondition of salvation is not involved, why did Jesus teach that many people will be lost (Matthew 7:13-14)? It is a fact that no amount of human effort can earn salvation; but no person with even a casual knowledge of the Bible could possibly have the impression that salvation is unconditionally bestowed upon the entire human race. If so bestowed,

Colossians 3:16 — in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. Let the word of Christ dwell in you … The significance of this has already been noted under Colossians 1:27, above and under Galatians 5:23. Briefly, the word of Christ dwelling in a person is equivalent in every way to the Spirit of God dwelling in him. If it be objected that the Spirit is a living Person, then let it be remembered also that the word of

Hebrews 12:3 — service of Christ not only suffers disastrous consequences to himself, but becomes a tax and burden upon others also. What are the causes of fainting? (1) The arrogance of wicked men was a hindrance that brought the Psalmist near to fainting (Psalms 73:1-3). (2) Hunger and thirst, physically, can cause fainting; and the same is true spiritually (Psalms 107:5). People long separated from Bible study, prayer, and preaching tend to faint. (3) Adversity can cause one to faint (Proverbs 24:10). (4) Sin

1 Peter 2:25 — 531 Peter 2:21, Christ suffered for us.Isaiah 53:4, He bears our sins.1 Peter 2:22, He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.Isaiah 53:9, He did no sin, nor was guile in his mouth.1 Peter 2:23, When reviled, he reviled not again.Isaiah 53:7, He opened not his mouth.1 Peter 2:24 a, Who his own self bare our sins, etc.Isaiah 53:12, He bare the sins of many.1 Peter 2:24 b, By whose stripes we are healed.Isaiah 53:5, By his stripes were we healed.1 Peter 2:25, For ye were as sheep going astray.Isaiah

1 Peter 2:4 — presentation of Christ the Stone, living, elect, foundation, precious, rejected, the chief corner, and the stone of stumbling, in one of the most beautiful metaphors of the word of God. For a full discussion of this, see in my Commentary on Romans, pp. 352-357. It must surely be true, as Barclay said, that Peter could hardly have spoken of Jesus in this manner without thinking of Jesus' words to himself," William Barclay, op. cit., p. 195. "On this rock I will build my church, etc." (Matthew

2 Peter 1:5-7 — things." Alfred Plummer, op. cit., p. 445. Self-control … This comes from [@engkrateia], "meaning the ability to take a grip of one's self." William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1976), p. 302. This is one of the great Christian virtues which might be called perfect temperance. Patience … In the New Testament, this word carries the thought of endurance and stedfast continuity in faithful service. Jesus said, "In your

Revelation 20:15 — eternally, except in the case of his apostasy, in which event it will be "blotted out" (Revelation 3:5). "This verse is a solemn reiteration of what has been asserted twice before in Revelation 20:12-13." A. Plummer, op. cit., p. 475. John, having carried his readers through seven successive periods, each culminating in the final judgment, his purpose must have been clear to all. He was giving in each vision a view of the church's life between the two Advents, each scene being

Revelation 4:4 — of the heavenly scene." J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 54. The views of Lenski are of particular interest. He objected to our interpretation on the grounds that "elders are not representative of the church." R. C. H. Lenski, op. cit., p. 178. He referred them to "the ministry of the Word," which he believed to be the reality symbolized by the twenty-four elders. It appears to us, however, that this is a distinction without a difference. Since the church is entrusted with the

2 Samuel 21:1-6 — matter through Moses; and, in this case, David, like any other Oriental despot, was himself making the decision on what to do. "The Gibeonites were not… of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites" These people were actually Hivites (Joshua 9:7); but their being called Amorites here is no problem, because, "That is a common O.T. name for (any or) all of the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan (as in Genesis 15:16; Deuteronomy 1:37; Joshua 5:1; Joshua 24:15 and 1 Samuel 7:14)."John T. Willis,