Bible Commentaries

Genesis 4:10 — The blood of Abel says that the righteous are hated without cause (1 John 3:11-13). III.    The blood of Abel says that it DOES make a difference how men worship Almighty God. IV.    The blood of Abel says that faith is the only key to winning approval of God (Hebrews 11:6). V.    The blood of Abel says that the only righteousness is in obeying the Word of the Lord (Romans 1:16-17).

Exodus 5:8-9 — our word "tally".) The counter of votes in the English Parliament is still called The Teller! "And let them not regard lying words" By this order, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron "liars," not only disbelieving them, but attempting also to destroy any faith that the Hebrews had in their words. Robert Gordon, and others, have supposed that, "Pharaoh outmaneuvered Moses and Aaron at this first meeting,"Robert P. Gordon, The New Layman's Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979),

Isaiah 28:14-15 — "Wherefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scoffers, that rule this people that is in Jerusalem: Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with Sheol are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not

Matthew 19:13 — and the disciples rebuked them. We agree with J. W. McGarvey that "The fortuitous coincidence of these two conversations is a happy one." As he said, The little children, the offspring of happy wedlock, and a source of constant happiness to faithful husbands and wives, were brought into notice at the close of a conversation about divorce and about the supposed inconvenience of an indissoluble marriage bond. The pleasant incident served as a comment on the discussion, and left a better impression

Matthew 8:7-8 — into his heart."Sermons by Augustine, lxii, 1. The terminology of the King James Version still remains desirable in the case of "the word only," rather than "only say the word." It must be allowed that here indeed was great faith. Even today, there are those who suppose that Christ could do more on earth if he were personally present as in some millennial reign; but the centurion properly understood that the physical presence of the Lord was not necessary for the accomplishments

Mark 5:30 — said, Who touched my garments? Who touched …? Evidently, from the ensuing remark of the apostles, many had jostled him; but someone had touched in a far more meaningful manner. Of course, Jesus knew already who had touched, had already judged her faith, and had by his own volition healed her. We should not fall into her superstition by supposing the tassel did it! Nor should we fall into the guilty error of ascribing ignorance to Jesus as the reason for his asking the question. Was God asking

Mark 9:22 — themselves, who under every circumstance of whatever extremity must first do everything possible to alleviate their own affliction, that being the basic and invariable precondition to any effective help from without. Here, the thing required of the father was faith in the Lord. Have compassion on us, and help us … The use of possessive pronouns here is very poignant and touching and shows that the whole family of the unfortunate lad had identified themselves with the afflicted and considered his distress

Luke 17:30 — Harrison, Wycliffe Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 249. Paul indicated that the same will be the case with Christians when the final Disaster falls (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Other analogies which we are perhaps justified in drawing are: (1) faith will virtually have ceased on earth; (2) men will be busy in the same old ways, pursuing their same old interests; (3) materialism will have won the minds of men; (4) the utmost security shall be felt by men; (5) all appeals regarding the worship

Luke 23:34 — It may not be supposed that Jesus' prayer for the forgiveness of the soldiers who crucified him implied their immediate forgiveness in heaven. Jesus, AS A MAN, forgave them; but the matter of their eternal forgiveness was still contingent upon their faith and acceptance of the terms of the Christian gospel. See full discussion of this under "The Seven Words from the Cross," in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 27:66. And parting his garments among them, they cast lots … As Barclay

John 11:49-50 — conflict with the Romans, but upon the exact opposite of that, namely, because they knew that he would do no such thing. Apologists for the attitude of the Jewish priests who attempt to justify their murder of the Lord on the basis that they acted in good faith out of fear for their nation have simply failed to read the facts.

John 14:27 — "neither let it be terrified," suggesting that Jesus saw in the disciples some rising symptoms of that carnal weakness which would prostrate them all before the night was over. Fear not … is one of the central admonitions of Christian faith. Angels bore the same admonition to Joseph (Matthew 1:20), to Zacharias (Luke 1:13), to Mary (Luke 1:30), and to the shepherds (Luke 2:10).

John 8:14 — witness of himself; but, finally, light cannot do otherwise than bear its own witness. How fortunate are we that Christ did bear witness of himself in the most dogmatic and convincing manner. If he had not done so, it would have cast a cloud over the faith in Christ. Whence I came … whither I go … None except Christ could bear witness to such things as these. He came from God to walk among the shameful dwellings of men; and he would go, when his mission was ended, back to the right hand

Acts 16:40 — the brethren, they comforted them and departed. Perhaps it was already time for Paul to leave. The hatred incurred by the healing of the demoniac, the unwillingness of the magistrates for them to remain there, and the fact that staunch converts to the faith had already been won; and, over and beyond all this, the call of many cities and villages where the gospel had never been heard — all these things would have inclined Paul to honor the request of the magistrates and depart. He did not leave,

Romans 14:2 — One man hath faith to eat all things: but he that is weak eateth herbs. Thus, it is plainly a vegetarian scruple that Paul was dealing with; and there is no evidence, as some fancy, that they had become so merely by the efforts to avoid eating meat sacrificed to idols;

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 — certain that a hundred times this very week these words have echoed in the chapels and cemeteries where people gather to bury the dead; and so it is all over the world when Christ is known. Victory in the presence of death! If people wonder why the holy faith in Jesus Christ continues from age to age, let them find at least a part of the answer in these immortal words before us.

Galatians 5:12 — (Galatians 5:10), indicating the ever-present consciousness on his part of the dominating concept which pervades all of his writings, i.e., that salvation is always a matter of one's being "in Christ," who alone is righteous, and whose perfect faith and perfect obedience are the only true ground of redemption for any man. When one is "baptized into Christ" be becomes Christ, in the sense of being part of his spiritual body, being saved, not in his own identity, but "as Christ."

Hebrews 6:10 — benevolence." R. Milligan, New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Company, 1962), Vol. IX, p. 181. The warning from this is pointed indeed. Wonderful as works of benevolence assuredly are, pure benevolence, however lavish, is no substitute for faithful adherence to the word and doctrine of Christ. In the present society, wherein social and charitable programs of every conceivable description are held to be the first priority of Christian faith, it is sobering to observe that the true priority

1 John 2:25 — code of ethics, nothing whatever, throughout the long course of human history has ever promised eternal life; but this eternal life "in Christ" is the promise of our holy religion. It is not one of the side-effects or fringe benefits of the faith, but the essential heart of it. It cannot be required by people, nor earned; but it is given to all who are "in God and in Christ," and are "found in him" (Philippians 3:9) when the probation of life is over. John himself spelled

1 John 3:11 — apostles busied themselves with the production of "new ideas" regarding man's redemption. The great basics of Christianity are unchanging, fixed and permanent. "When false teachers brought forth new and esoteric (secret) doctrines about faith and morals, their very newness refuted them."J. W. Roberts, op. cit., p. 88. That we should love one another … The mutuality of the love mentioned here is a denial that John is speaking of the Christians unilaterally loving all people.

3 John 1:3 — "Witnessing" of this kind was done by the apostles themselves when they reported to "sponsoring" congregations that sent them out. That thou walkest in truth … Truth in the apostolic age was almost a technical term meaning "the faith," "the doctrine of Christ," or "the true religion." The modern conception of "all of us disciples are merely trying to find out what truth is" was never heard of by the primitive church. They knew the truth; they