Bible Commentaries

Habakkuk 2:4 — "Behold his soul is puffed up, it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by his faith." Designated by many commentators as, "one of the profoundest utterance of the O.T.,"J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1937), p. 589. this passage is quite generally grossly misunderstood. There is no

Luke 5:20 — And seeing their faith, he said, Man, your sins are forgiven thee. Not the faith of the sufferer, but the faith of those who bore him, is in focus here. Christ never followed any stereotyped pattern in the discharge of his glorious mission. It is a safe conjecture, of

Romans 1:17 — For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith to faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall five by faith. First, the expression "a righteousness of God" should be read "the righteousness of God," as in KJV and RSV. One may only conjecture as to why the English Revised

Romans 4:12 — And the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision. Who also walk after the steps of that faith of our father Abraham … These words mean "who have an obedient faith like Abraham." Abrahamic faith was not any such thing as faith

Romans 4:16 — For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all. For four definitions of "seed,"

Romans 8:25 — because, without hope, there could not be the patience which is required to prevent the child of God from falling into discouragement. The Christian's salvation lies altogether within an area of what the world speaks of as "intangibles." It is a faithful trusting in "things not seen as yet" (see my Commentary on Hebrews, p. 250). Hope is far more than a mere wish that something might exist or be possessed; it is a valid claim, supported by faith, and grounded in confidence that the

Galatians 3:2 — This only would I learn from you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith? It will be noted that "Law" has been capitalized throughout this chapter to indicate the one and only law Paul referred to throughout, meaning the Law of Moses. The commentators are less than candid when they use terminology that confuses

Galatians 3:24 — So the Law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. This verse should be read with careful attention to Galatians 3:23, where Paul mentioned "the faith that should afterward be revealed." As Howard said, "The coming of faith (Galatians 3:23) here relates to the objective and historical

Galatians 5:5 — For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. Through the Spirit … The Holy Spirit is conferred upon all baptized believers, according to the promise of Acts 2:38, thus identifying those who "by faith" were waiting for the hope of righteousness. By

Ephesians 2:8-9 — For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works that no man should glory. The jubilation with which some hail this text would be much more restrained by a little careful study of it. There is no release in this text from obligations

Ephesians 3:12 — In whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him. This verse mistranslates the last phrase which should follow the English Revised Version (1885) margin and read "through the faith of him," that is, through the faith of Christ, meaning the faith Christ himself possessed and demonstrated.

Philippians 1:25 — And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide, yea, and abide with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith. And abide with you all … seems to be a poetic way of saying he would remain alive; because, as Macknight said, "He did not mean to tell the Philippians that he would leave off traveling among the churches he had planted and make his

Philippians 1:27 — Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ: that, whether I come and see you or be absent, I may hear of your state, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith in the gospel. Manner of life … worthy of the gospel … One thing is supremely important. "No matter what happens, either to Paul or the Philippians, they must live worthily of their faith and profession." William Barclay,

2 Thessalonians 1:11 — To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire of goodness and every work of faith, with power; Every work of faith … See under 2 Thessalonians 1:3, above, for discussion of "the work of faith"; the new thought here is that even when Christians do the works required by faith it is actually God who supplies the spiritual energy for them to do it, thus referring all the glory unto God.

1 Timothy 1:14 — and the grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Which is in Christ Jesus … indicates the theater where the grace, love and faith (all three) are available for sinners. Paul did not receive grace outside of Christ, but inside; and the faith that saves

Titus 3:15 — All that are with me salute thee. Salute them that love us in faith. Grace be with you all. All that are with me… It is impossible to know who any of these might have been. That love us in faith… Here the preference of the ASV translators for "subjective trust/faith" wherever they could stick

Hebrews 11:27 — By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Here is another instance of the recurring theme of this chapter, "the invisible." Even the creation was made of things "invisible"

James 1:6 — But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. Again, James gives the teaching of Christ, who said, "Whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them"

James 2:19 — Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well: the demons also believe and shudder. An examination of the demonic faith to which James referred here reveals it is nothing different in any particular whatever from the faith of all Christians, except in that one fatal flaw of being "faith only." The allegation commonly made upon the basis of what is written

1 Peter 5:9 — whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. Whom withstand … Satan is not to be yielded to; whatever he may do to the bodies of Christians, there is really nothing that he is able to do to them. Stedfast