Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 2 overview — narratives are "pure imagination,"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 5b, p. 18. but such views are merely the opinions of servants of Satan who are actually unable to find anything supernatural in the entire Bible, not even the creation itself. The Christian faith is anchored in the supernatural; and apart from the supernatural aspect of it, it is totally worthless.

2 Kings 4:38-41 — "Death in the Pot." It is God's Word, as revealed in the Bible, that yields all of the rich benefits desired for the children of Adam, and not the unbelieving speculative denials and theories of evil men who strive continually to discredit and destroy faith in the Bible! These wonderful miracles were given for the purpose of certifying Elisha as a true prophet of God, an urgent need sorely felt in Israel at that time.

Psalms 105:11-15 — mighty nations in Canaan. That God actually made this promise is proved by the fact of the Patriarchs' believing it and purchasing the Cave of Machpelah in Canaan as the family burial place (Genesis 23). For long generations, this promise was a matter of faith. The patriarchs were landless; they were but a handful of people; they wandered about from nation to nation; "But God was at work protecting and blessing his people, looking to the ultimate fulfilment of the promise."The New Layman's Bible Commentary,

Psalms 73:15-18 — of God. "Until I went into the sanctuary of God" It is important to note the place where enlightenment came to the tempted heart of the Psalmist; it came in the house of worship; and the same thing still happens. If men would be strengthened in their faith and delivered from the manifold temptations which the Evil One continually hurls against the sons of God, let him attend the worship services. There is no substitute whatever for this. In the last analysis, salvation and damnation turn finally upon

Psalms 77:4-9 — Bible, Vol. II, p. 223. "I call to remembrance my song in the night" "Many have been the songs that he either composed or sang; and he had once derived much spiritual comfort from them; but they gave him no help now, and aroused no feelings of confident faith."H. C. Leupold, p. 556. The six plaintive questions of Psalms 77:7-9 are eloquent expressions indeed of the doubts and fears of the psalmist. He strongly desired to find negative answers to all these questions, but the harsh conditions confronting

Isaiah 62:10-12 — upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:11-13). But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is NO DISTINCTION; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:21-23). The Apostle Peter declared that: "Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you

Jeremiah 18:5-10 — whether of punishment and destruction, or of blessing and honor are absolutely and eternally conditional. We consider this little paragraph to be one of the most important in the entire Bible. All such erroneous theological nostrums as beings "saved by faith only," or "once saved, always saved," "the irrevocable promises of God." or "Palestine belongs to racial Jews forever" are eternally refuted and cancelled by what is declared in this little paragraph. The great New Testament commentator on the parables,

Hosea 12:3 — it is clear that, "The prophet urged the people to return to God as Jacob did after his spree of deception and guile."Jacob M. Myers, op. cit., p. 60. "Both nations of the covenant people may have God's mercy, if they would exercise the same zealous faith to obtain it that their progenitor, Jacob, exercised in obtaining the birthright."Paul T. Butler, op. cit., p. 559.

Amos 3:2 — matter what we do. Amos gave them the true version of it: Now that we are God's, he will surely punish us for all of our iniquities. It is amazing how this ancient delusion of Israel persists even today in millions of people who think they are "saved by faith alone." God's election, God's grace, God's covenant with his people has from the beginning, continually, and always rested upon the contingency that the recipients of his mercy would continue to love God, and to the best of their ability, obey him. Christians

Amos 5:14 — II."Erling Hammershaimb, op. cit., p. 85. It is also a fact that the whole nation had blindly trusted in their boasted fleshly descent from the patriarch Abraham, claiming to be "the seed of Abraham," despite their spiritual rejection of the obedient faith which marked the life of Abraham.

Malachi 2:9 — be followed by a blessed impossibility of sinning any more, is conditional, in the very nature of things so conditional, that the condition in every case must be assumed, whether stated or no; that condition being that the forgiven man continues in faith and obedience."Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Parables (Old Tappan New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1953), p. 164. Jamieson's paraphrase of the meaning is, "Because ye do not keep the condition of the covenant, I will not fulfil the promise."Robert

Mark 16:8 — the fact that women played such a large part in the drama unfolded that day, a fact so utterly out of harmony with anything in Judaism, or the whole ancient world, that it stands as independent and conclusive proof of the new dimensions in which the faith of Jesus Christ came to mankind, being a thing, as Cranfield noted, "which the early church would not be likely to invent."C. E. B. Cranfield, op. cit., p. 463. And they said nothing to any one … This fearful reticence was a testimony

Luke 22:31-34 — Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, until thou shalt thrice

Luke 24:38 — fish. And he took it and ate before them. This was the overwhelming, absolutely convincing, undeniable, objective proof that Jesus rose from the dead. No wonder they believed it. Christ here established the fact of his resurrection in the intelligent faith of his apostles, the same being the foundation which no man could lay, "which is Christ the Lord" (1 Corinthians 3:11). See my hands and my feet … This is as near as the New Testament comes to saying that the feet of Jesus were

John 13:34 — Philosophical Library, 1945), p. 453. In the earliest ages of the church, there seems to have been far more success on the part of Christians in obeying this commandment than in present times. The lack of love among Christians is a glaring weakness of faith today. Again from Reynolds: So long as this great power prevailed, the church made astonishing progress; when the so-called disciples of Christ began to hate and kill one another the progress was arrested. But thank God, "the new commandment"

Romans 10:12-13 — distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him: for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Here is another synecdoche. Can it be believed that calling upon the Lord without faith, repentance, confession and baptism would avail anything? Oh, but one says this implies faith. Of course it does, and all of the other things required in becoming a Christian are also implied. But error dies hard; and the allegation immediately

Romans 10:14-15 — one race lost in sin was offensive and repugnant to Jews, causing a deep resentment against Paul. Paul vindicated his own conduct in these two verses. Hodge has the following clear word on the construction of Paul's defense here: As invocation implies faith, as faith implies knowledge, knowledge instruction, and instruction an instructor, so it is plain that if God would have all men to call upon him, he designed preachers to be sent to all, whose proclamation of mercy being heard, might be believed,

1 Corinthians 15 overview — this chapter with everlasting significance, which has been neither dimmed nor eroded by the passing of nineteen centuries. Even the mysteries of it, which people may not fully understand, have power to quicken the human spirit and rekindle the fires of faith. The dimensions of this heavenly message are so vast that finite man may neither completely comprehend nor intelligently deny it; thus leaving every man the moral option of trusting the Father's promise or turning to the blackness of total despair.

2 John 1:10 — 145. It seems very sad that a Christian should take such an attitude toward a fellow human being; but it should be remembered that these people were denying the Lord Jesus Christ. There are false teachers now whose denials are just as destructive of faith and virtue. Give him no greeting … "This signifies church approval, or commendation."R. W. Orr, op. cit., p. 624. For a congregation of the Lord's people to extend to false teachers housing, approval and recommendation would be

Revelation 1:16 — which a sword might appear; the symbolism, therefore, includes the meaning that the gospel which came from the mouth of Jesus is the two-edged sword. And why two-edged? As Bruce expressed it: "It proclaims grace to those who repent and put their faith in God, with the corollary of judgment upon the impenitent and disobedient." F. F. Bruce, op. cit., p. 636. Seven stars … For comment on this, see under Revelation 1:20 where the key to understanding them is revealed.