Bible Commentaries

Zechariah 12:4 — in focus as the Messianic era. "Smite every horse… and his rider" These expressions are metaphorical descriptions of the military power and other devices used by the enemies of God's people. No device shall ever be successful in destroying the faith in Jesus Christ. "I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah" "The house of Judah" will be blessed by the protective oversight of the Lord; and this identifies the expression as a name for the Church, which has as her head, "The Lion of the Tribe

Matthew 25:1-13 — Matthew 24. ANALOGIES IN THE PARABLE The kingdom of heaven = the church The bridegroom = Christ The midnight arrival = the second advent The virgins = church members The wise virgins = the prepared The foolish virgins = the unprepared The lamps = (a) faith or (b) works The oil = (a) works or (b) the Spirit The sleep of the virgins = the sleep of death Tarrying of the bridegroom = delay of the second coming The midnight cry = the call to judgment Refusal to give oil = merit not transferrable Exclusion

Mark 12:9 — clear prophecy that God would destroy Israel and extend salvation to the Gentiles, a prophecy fulfilled by the fact of God's sending the message of redemption to all the world (also including Israel), and by the further fact that the mainstream of true faith in God would, for nearly two millenniums, take on a Gentile identification.

Luke 16:27 — concerned with nobody except his own kin. Furthermore, there was an implied argument in this request, which was a way of asserting that he would never have come to such a place of torment, provided only that God had made proper provision to establish his faith, such as sending someone back from the dead! Are not the Pharisees continually in view here? Were they not the ones always clamoring for a sign? This rich man was one of their very own.

Luke 3:8 — that day should repent was to the effect that they did not need to repent, since they were sons of Abraham. The fact that all the promises were not to Abraham's fleshly descendants, but to his spiritual seed (the people who were of the character and faith of Abraham), was unknown to the Israel of that generation. Paul spelled it out in Romans; but here, the nigh impossible task of enlightenment fell on John the Baptist. He succeeded in such instances as John the apostle, and others who became followers

John 17:20 — me through their word. Here the prayer reached out toward the saved of all generations. Significantly, all who would believe on Jesus would do so "through their word," that is, through the word of the apostles, there being no other way that faith can be produced. Such being the case for conversion, why should it be thought strange that the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of believers, after they are converted, should follow exactly the same pattern? Through their word … is not

John 19:38 — leave. He came therefore and took away his body. For discussion of Joseph of Arimathea, see my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 27:57. John seems to have introduced Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, a moment later, to demonstrate that weak and timid faith on their part had come dramatically out into the open on this occasion. Also, there may have been a special reason for mentioning Joseph. Alan Richardson said, "The apostolic church saw in the action of Joseph the fulfillment of an Old Testament

John 6:71 — introduction of this shocking revelation was to prepare the other apostles for the impact of so dastardly a deed as the betrayal; and there could have been no better time for such a warning than the very moment when Peter was affirming so strongly their faith and knowledge of the Son of God. This is another example of the sense of movement throughout this Gospel, a characteristic which some, incredibly, have failed to see. The placement of this warning concerning Judas at this particular place in the

Acts 16:34 — of such a figure to stand for the various things he had already done is exactly the same as the use of it earlier for the various things he was required to do. Thus, here is a perfect example of how Paul and the other New Testament writers used "faith" or "believe" as a short form for a number of related actions. Rejoiced greatly … The rejoicing followed his baptism, as so frequently in the New Testament; and as DeWelt was quoted earlier, "The conversions in the New

Acts 2:18 — not fully appreciated in these times, because men simply do not know how amazingly the apostles of Christ foretold future events. Barclay relates how the ancient writer Tatian was led to accept the Scriptures, quoting him as follows: I was led to put faith in these by the unpretending cast of their language, the inartificial character of the writers, the foreknowledge displayed of future events, the excellent quality of the precepts, and the declaration of the government of the universe in one Being.

Acts 3:7 — him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength. The beggar did not respond by trying to rise up; but the apostle took him by the hand and raised him up, whereupon the strength came. Clearly, the faith of the apostles did the healing in this case, the beggar being absolutely passive in it until the strength came; and, at this point, the miracle had already been accomplished. Such a comment as this, that "He sprang up and found his feet for

Romans 1:6 — Christ's. A glimpse of what seems to have been in Paul's mind when he wrote that line may be seen in Sanday's paraphrase, as follows: Among these Gentile churches to which I am especially commissioned, you Romans too are called to the same obedience of faith, and therefore I have the more right to address you. W. Sanday, in Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), vol. vii, p. 203. The "called" are not merely those who hear the gracious

1 Corinthians 11:19 — mind is in this. Christians who become upset and discouraged because of schisms, factions and other disorders in the church make a tragic mistake. As God used Satan in the Paradise of Eden to test the progenitors of the human race, he still tests the faith of all Christians. Church difficulties provide an opportunity for Christians to demonstrate that they are genuine followers of the Lord. God never intended that any man should move through life in a constant environment of encouragement and spiritual

Galatians 2 overview — Two major divisions of this chapter are: (1) Paul's appeal to the fact that fourteen years after his conversion (long after he had been successfully preaching the gospel), the leading apostles in Jerusalem fully endorsed his preaching and extended to

Galatians 2:17 — sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a minister of sin? God forbid. This is somewhat parenthetical to clear up any possible misunderstanding. Paul had just laid down the gospel that we are justified by the faith of Christ; and, in order to prevent any man from thinking that his own fidelity and compliance with Christ's teaching were not needed, Paul effectively denied such a thought with this verse. Christians are not saved in their sins but from their

Galatians 5:1 — meaning of "freedom from law" as taught in the previous chapters. That it never had any reference to Christian obligations, whether in the realm of obedience to the primary ordinances of God, or adherence to the ethical commandments of our holy faith, is absolutely certain. Stand … therefore … Paul, by this admonished the Galatians to hold their ground, resist the Judaizers and reject the persuasions of those who would entangle them in such things as sabbath days, feast days, circumcision

Ephesians 4:29 — Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, that it may give grace to them that hear. The Christian is an ambassador at all times of the faith which he has professed. All conversation provides an opportunity of imparting grace to people who might stand desperately in need of it; and for the child of God to waste the vast majority of all such occasions through idle, frivolous, empty, meaningless

Philippians 4:19 — this: This does not mean that the Philippians would now be justified in becoming lazy. "God's word does not advocate fanaticism, nor does it say that one should throw his pocketbook into the nearest river and then announce that he is going to live by faith" (Tenney). To be sure, God was taking care of Paul, but one of the ways in which he was doing so was exemplified by the gift from Philippi. Ibid.

1 Peter 1:15 — living." The writer of Hebrews likewise admonished to "Follow … holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14 KJV). The theologians may speak as long and as lustily as they like about being saved "through faith alone," but this and a thousand other New Testament passages teach otherwise. Nor is this to allege that man has the ability to achieve this apart from being "in Christ."

2 John 1:13 — personal greetings. No big point may be made out of this, either way; the big thing in the letter is the instruction regarding "abiding in the doctrine of Christ," not "going onward," and the proper response to known enemies of the faith.