Bible Commentaries

Acts 3:16 — And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. In this verse appears the only mention of faith in this whole narrative;

Romans 1:5 — Through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake. The use of "we" may be viewed either as the editorial plural applied to Paul, or as an inclusion with himself of all the other apostles, all of them having been shareholders in the apostolic

Romans 2:6 — Who will render to every man according to his works. Those who fancy that Paul's special brand of salvation was by faith without any works at all find here an insurmountable denial that he taught any such thing. On the other hand, it is plainly stated in this passage of holy writ that one of the great principles of eternal judgment is, I.    God

Romans 3:27 — Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith. The glorying that Paul spoke of in this verse is the type of boasting that a man might indulge in if he had always lived an absolutely perfect life, never having committed any sin whatever, and never having violated in the slightest instance any

Romans 4:18 — Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken. Paul in these words was showing the quality of Abraham's faith, which consisted in this, that he truly believed God, even though God's words were contrary to all natural and human expectations. Abraham was old, and Sarah's womb was dead, but he believed God, believing that, indeed, he would become the father

Romans 4:23-25 — be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification. Who believe on him that raised Jesus … These words focus upon a point of similarity in the faith of Abraham, and that of Christians. One great mark of identity between his faith and ours is in the fact that only an obedient faith avails, or availed, either for Abraham or Christians; but, in these verses, attention centers upon what he believed,

Romans 4:5 — But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Worketh not … is a reference to one who rests from any thought that he could merit salvation by keeping the law of Moses. It is not a reference to one who will not obey the gospel of Christ. Believeth on him

Romans 6:1 — What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? The objection Paul was about to answer here was founded upon allegations based upon a perverted understanding of justification by faith. See introduction to this chapter, above. Some of Paul's hearers and readers had concluded that as long as a Christian had faith it made no difference at all what kind of life he lived, such a position arising from a misunderstanding of justification

1 Corinthians 13:13 — But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love. But now … This means "in this present state." "If we give it any other sense, as though Paul said, 'now to sum all things up,' then we have him saying that faith,

2 Corinthians 13:5 — Try your own selves, whether ye are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know ye not as to your own selves, that Christ is in you? unless indeed ye be reprobate. Someone at Corinth had suggested that Paul "prove" himself by exercising the authority he claimed, perhaps suggesting that

Galatians 3:14 — That upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. In Christ Jesus … This is the cornerstone and foundation of the gospel Paul (and all the apostles) preached. The Gentiles will be blessed, along with Abraham, "in Christ," thus becoming technically part of Christ's spiritual body,

Galatians 3:7 — Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. The grand argument is that Abraham was justified upon the exhibition of an obedient faith; and persons today who manifest an obedient faith through their acceptance of the gospel message and obedience to it are true children of Abraham "in Christ." See under Galatians 3:16; Galatians 3:27.

1 Thessalonians 3:7 — for this cause, brethren, we were comforted over you in all our distress and affliction through your faith: For this cause … The cause was the state of the Thessalonians in the three particulars just cited in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. Through your faith … This is likewise objective, meaning faith as demonstrated and proved by their actions, in another word, "fidelity."

1 Timothy 4:6 — If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now: This is one of the passages which the source critics have bitterly complained about, Faith in the Pauline epistles is a subjective experience, but in the Pastorals it is more objective

2 Timothy 4:7 — I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: It is wrong to see any touch of egotism in this. In the Greek, "I" does not begin each clause. Hendriksen rendered it: "The grand fight have I fought, the race I have finished, the faith I have kept." William Hendriksen, op.

Titus 2:2 — that aged men be temperate, grave, sober-minded, sound in faith, in love, in patience: The aged men… "This is not the elders in an official sense, but simply the old men." J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 1008. Temperate … means

Hebrews 10:38-39 — But my righteous one shall live by faith: And if he shrink back, my soul hath no pleasure in him, But we are not of them that shrink back into perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul. Here is the answer to all problems, the solution of all difficulties, and the

Hebrews 4:2 — For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they; but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. This does not mean that the Jews had the same gospel preached unto them that Christians have received, but that JUST AS they received a good word about the promised rest, so have Christians. There is also here a plain indication

James 2:15-16 — words tied in with "my beloved brethren" in James 2:14, make it impossible to suppose that James was addressing some external theory. No, the problem addressed was exactly the one that exists today, namely, Christians supposing that "faith only" saves them and that there is no need for works. "One cannot save himself, anyway; saving faith is all that matters, etc." So men say; but James shows how worthless faith is without works. This is so plainly the teaching of this

1 Peter 1:21 — who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God. Who through him are believers in God … This tells to whom Christ has been manifested, i.e., those who believe in him and his resurrection and in the glory that God gave him. "Not that any secrecy was kept from