Bible Commentaries

Amos 4:10 — I slain with the sword, and have carried away your horses; and I have made the stench of your camp to come up even into your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith Jehovah." Two more disasters are recounted here, (1) pestilence, and (2) military disaster. The New English Bible renders "plagues of Egypt" instead of "pestilence after the manner of Egypt"; but despite this there remains some doubt of what, exactly, is meant. All of the disasters mentioned in these verses were known

Micah 3:1 — composed of three brief sections exposing the sins of the rulers of the people, the princes and judges (Micah 3:1-4), the sins of the false prophets (Micah 3:5-8), and the sins of the establishment, actually including those already mentioned (Micah 3:9-12). The highlight of the chapter is Micah 3:12 in which the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and the Temple mountain itself are specifically predicted, events that occurred some 125 years, at least, after the times of Micah, being fulfilled in the

Habakkuk 1:17 — states raised up against them) would continue to devastate the earth as long as God's mercy for all men (in the purpose of redeeming some of them) would prevail. The answer to this question by the prophet, "He himself gave by inspiration in Habakkuk 2."[32] That answer lay in the prophecy of the doom of Babylon, "The remnant of the peoples shall plunder thee"; but such an answer did not promise any alleviation of the distress of humanity derived from rampant unrighteousness that without intermission

Zephaniah 1:10 — Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are undone; all they that are laden 'with silver are cut off." "The fish gate ..." This was one of the north entrances to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 3:1-6). The second quarter was where Huldah the prophetess lived (2 Kings 22:14). Maktesh is not elsewhere mentioned in the Bible. Perhaps all of these places were in the north sector of the city, indicating that the invasion would come from the north. "The hills ..." probably refers to the terrain upon which

Zechariah 1:10 — identifying clause "stood among the myrtle trees" here and in Zechariah 1:11. Keil has stated the reasons for the two identities thus: "The `angel that talked with me' appears in company with other angels and receives instructions from them (Zechariah 2:5-8). His whole activity is restricted to the duty of conveying higher instructions to the prophet, and giving him an insight into the higher meaning of the visions; whereas the angel of Jehovah stands on an equality with God, being sometimes identified

Zechariah 1:14 — remained, and the word of the Lord would yet "go forth from Jerusalem" on the Day of Pentecost when the Gospel Age began. Zion ..." The use of this term appears to be significant. This was the ancient name (pre-Israelite) of the hill captured by David (2 Samuel 5:7); and, as Baldwin said, "It sometimes stands for the people of Jerusalem in their religious privilege and responsibility."[29] We believe that to be the reason why the term is used here. The true covenant with God on Israel's part

Philippians 1:10 — may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and void of offense unto the day of Christ. Approve the things which are excellent … This is very similar to "distinguish things that differ" as Paul wrote in Romans 2:18; and both here and there, "It is impossible to decide exactly what Paul means.<footnote> John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1968), p. 82.</footnote> One thing is evident,

Colossians 2 overview — Paul’s refutation of false doctrine, in which the emphasis by the apostle lies squarely upon the eternal power and Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ. Morgan said, "The central declaration of the epistle is found in this chapter (Colossians 2:9-10)."<footnote> G. Campbell Morgan, An Exposition of the Holy Bible (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1959), p. 497.</footnote> This chapter also exposes to some degree the nature of the false teachings Paul was

Colossians 2:6-7 — cit., p. 106.</footnote> Guthrie’s significant analysis of these two verses is: To receive Christ is but the beginning. The following is to live in him, which is described as involving four aspects, the first three very similar: (1) rooted, (2) built up, and (3) established … from a building metaphor … The fourth aspect is abounding in thanksgiving, which echoes the apostle’s own enthusiasm to give thanks.<footnote> Donald Guthrie, op. cit., p. 1146.</footnote> Abounding

1 Thessalonians 2:2 — proclamation of the gospel and denotes freedom from stress."<footnote> Peter A. Cousins, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 493.</footnote> Other passages in which it occurs are Acts 9:27 and Ephesians 6:20. In our God … This expression also appears in 1 Thessalonians 3:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:11,12, and 1 Corinthians 6:11. In the greater sense, all things are in God, for as Paul said, "In him we live and move and have our

1 Timothy 2 overview — congregations. As David Lipscomb stated it, "He laid down rules for the men in the public worship, and then gave rules for the women."<footnote> David Lipscomb, Commentary on First Timothy (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1942), p. 142.</footnote> Wallis referred the chapter to "the public worship";<footnote> Wilbur B. Wallis, Wycliffe Bible Commentary, New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 847.</footnote> Nute said it stressed "the

2 Timothy 3:3 — glue which holds the social order together. As Lipscomb said, "The affection here is common to every class of brutes; consequently, men and women without it are worse than brutes."<footnote> David Lipscomb, New Testament Commentaries, 2 Timothy (Nashville: The Gospel Advocate Company, 1976), p. 228.</footnote> Implacable … is the attitude of a person unwilling to make a truce or to agree to peace under any circumstance, a vicious fighter who fights for the sheer enjoyment

Titus 1:14 — of the very words of Christ who said to the Pharisees, "In vain do ye worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). See fuller comment on this under that verse in my Commentary on Matthew. See also in Colossians 2:21,22. For all who would worship God correctly, there must be a sharp distinction between what God has commanded and authorized in the sacred scriptures, and the ceremonies, innovations and traditions that are purely human in their origin. The population

Titus 2:11 — to say that salvation had indeed been brought to all men. As Simeon said: Now lettest thou thy servant depart, Lord, According to thy word, in peace; For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples (Luke 2:29,30). When Simeon said this, all men had not been saved; and at the time of Paul’s writing here, nor at any time ever, was it ever true that all men are saved. Yet God has established the charter of human redemption in dimensions large enough

Hebrews 2:2 — reward. The mediation of angels in the giving of the Law of Moses was not stated at that time, the nearest thing to it being found thus: "He came with ten thousands of saints; from his right hand went a fiery law before them" (Deuteronomy 33:2). Paul stated it clearly, saying that the Law "was ordained through angels in the hands of a mediator" (Galatians 3:19); and Stephen also made reference to it, speaking of them "who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept

Hebrews 6:10 — For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and the love which ye showed toward his name, in that ye minister unto the saints, and still do minister. Things done to the Lord’s servants are done to the Lord (Matthew 25:40); and by distinguishing themselves in ministering to the needs of the saints, which they had done and were continuing to do, they were showing their love for God’s name. From the things said here, it is plain, as Milligan pointed out, that

James 3:9 — Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: Bless we … curse we … Note the use of "we" as in James 3:2; here again the use of it does not indicate any guilt on the part of James in this particular. As Ward said, "The we of pastoral tact shows how far James could go in his desire to win rather than repel."<footnote> Ronald A. Ward, op.

2 Peter 1:10 — stumble)."<footnote> David F. Payne, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 600.</footnote> "All Christians have been called, but they must work out their salvation" (Philippians 2:12).<footnote> James William Russell, op. cit., p. 590.</footnote> We are amazed at the comment of Wheaton, who said, "Peter even hints at the possibility that one can fall from grace!"<footnote> David H. Wheaton, op. cit.,

2 Peter 1:15 — preaching."<footnote> David F. Payne, op. cit., p. 601.</footnote> However, the view here is that Peter meant the entire corpus of Christian doctrine which the church at the date of this letter already possessed, and which was acknowledged by Peter in 2 Peter 1:12. See more on this in the introduction. It is strange that the commentators are unanimously silent with reference to one of the biggest things in the verse, namely, that Peter entertained no idea whatever relative to any successor of his,

Jude 1:21 — keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Keep yourselves in the love of God … Again the human response factor is stressed, the meaning here being exactly what it was in Jude 1:20, "keeping oneself in the love of God" being one and the same thing with obeying God’s commandments, as extensively taught in the Johannine literature, above. Summarizing the admonitions of these verses, what Jude commanded, or rather