Bible Commentaries

Genesis 16 overview — heel by which Satan pierced the unity and destroyed the harmony of Abram's home. Moreover, there also came into being a race of people who would spend their entire history (even down to the present time) hating and killing the posterity of Abram! The faith of both Abram and Sarai was seriously defective, as revealed in the events recorded here. God does not need human help to fulfill His promises. What is required of men is that they trust God no matter how impossible the fulfillment of His Word may

Genesis 43:3-5 — absolutely demands, Judah took charge. The Biblical account does not explain fully why Jacob consented to what Judah said, but Josephus tells us that Judah pointed out to him that Benjamin also could die without food, and appealed to Jacob on the basis of faith in God, saying, "Nothing can be done to thy son, but by the appointment of God."Flavius Josephus, Life and Works of, translated by William Whiston (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.), p. 68. Genesis 43:14, below, supports this. "The man" is

Exodus 2:1-2 — Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing House), p. 427. This could have been the special factor that sent Amram and Jochebed to their knees in prayer to God, which prayer God no doubt answered. The very fact that their defiance of Pharaoh's order was an act of faith (Hebrews 11:23) has the meaning that their actions were based upon God's commandments.

Exodus 3:9-11 — the charge to Moses. Haley has this: "Moses' failure to persuade Pharaoh to a dismissing of the Israelites, as well as the sudden revulsion of their part, from buoyant hope to unseemly dejection, rendered it absolutely necessary that Moses' wavering faith should be strengthened by a solemn renewal of his commission."John W. Haley, Discrepancies of the Bible (Nashville: B. C. Goodpasture, 1951), p. 377 "Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh …?" This is the first of a series of excuses offered

Job 13:20-28 — soles of my feet. Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten." Job's illness appeared to be terminal, and he expected nothing but death; yet in that awful extremity he turned to God in prayer. What a marvelous faith he had! In the previous paragraph he had asked his friends to reveal to him any sin that he had committed; and here he prayerfully asked the same thing of God. "Withdraw thy hand far from me" This was Job's plea that God would ease the punishment

Psalms 84:5-8 — God's service is that it enables the worshipper to change even sorrows into springs of praise and thanksgiving. The rains mentioned in the same context are a reference to God's blessing upon those who suffer. "They go from strength to strength" The faithful worshipper of God finds his faith strengthened and increased day by day. "Hear my prayer, O God of Jacob" Constant prayer is an element in the life of every faithful soul. Prayer has been called the "breath of the saints"; and when one stops

Psalms 92:1-3 — INTRODUCTION "It is a good thing to give thanks unto Jehovah, And to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High; To show forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night. With an instrument of ten strings, and with the psaltery; With a solemn sound upon the harp." These three verses are generally recognized as an introduction to the whole psalm. It is of interest that "Most High" is here used

Leviticus 19:1 — because many theological liberals of that period (in the 1960's) were actually advocating such views. That was indeed a period when many thought we were getting rid of religion and yet were maintaining all the sacred fruits of Christian ethics without a faith in God, but look what has happened since! Widespread crime and violence have multiplied. Corruption in some of the highest echelons of government has appeared everywhere. And, as this is being written, another governor of one of our sovereign states

Isaiah 38:4-6 — departing from the palace, being as far as the middle court, when the Word of God came to Isaiah again, instructing him to reveal that the Lord had heard his prayers and was extending his life by some fifteen years. "So swiftly does God answer the prayer of faith!"The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 10b, p. 37. From this we may conclude that God approves of our prayers for health, for life and for strength. As Douglas commented, this great prayer of Isaiah, "May be ranked with Abraham's intercession for Sodom, with

Numbers 14 overview — will of God reached their climax in this chapter with the Divine sentence that condemned that whole generation to die in the wilderness, allowing the possession of Canaan to their children, who, reared in the hardships of the wilderness, possessed the faith and ability to enable their success. First is recorded their night of weeping and the appointment of a new leader to take them back to Egypt! (Numbers 14:1-4). Moses and Aaron tried unsuccessfully to restrain the people (Numbers 14:5-10). Moses

John 6 overview — central truths so much more weighty … That every detail related had its ground in historical fact we fully believe. It is the tracking it to this ground in each case which is now beyond our power; and here comes in the simplicity and reliance of faith.William M. Taylor, The Miracles of Our Lord (New York: Richard R. Smith, Inc., 1930), p. 271. In this connection, a sharp differentiation should be made between the natural variations in narratives by independent witnesses, and contradictions.

Acts 10 overview — Christ was finally decided. Yes, other Gentiles had been saved prior to this; but it was upon the basis of their having first been proselytes to Judaism. Many of the earliest Christians (most of whom were Jewish) were willing to welcome Gentiles into the faith AS PROSELYTES first and Christians later. Cornelius' baptism was the end of that, despite the fact of "Judaizers" continuing to advocate the old view for a considerable time afterward, as seen in the Pauline epistles. That the devout Gentile

Romans 16:10 — whatever it was, it must have gained wide publicity among the Christians of that age, for it appears here that Paul had heard of Apelles but was not personally acquainted with him. Paul's act of singling him out for such a salutation shows that his faith had distinguished him in Rome. Of the household of Aristobulus … Macknight noted that in this verse Aristobulus is definitely not greeted, but only certain of his household, the same being true of Narcissus, mentioned next. He wrote: He and

1 Corinthians 1:26 — were poor, most were uneducated; and few of them had any claim to distinction in the wretched world of their day; but they were the roots from which all that is holy and beautiful has blossomed in succeeding centuries. In their achievements through faith in Christ one reads the pattern of many wonderful things which have happened in America. As Emma Lazarus' poem on the Statue of Liberty reads: Your wretched refuse of all lands — your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, Homeless

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 — arise until a much later time. The thought of this whole verse is that participants in the Lord's supper were unified and bound together in one spirit. Their taking the supper was a declaration that "They had the same object of worship, the same faith, the same hope, etc., with others whom they joined in such a religious act." James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles and Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 160. Nothing may be made of the fact that Paul mentioned

Philippians 3:5-6 — Ellicott's Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. III, Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 80. Of the tribe of Benjamin … This tribe gave Israel their first king (Saul), their wisest man, Mordecai, and they remained faithful despite the departure of the ten tribes; but their greatest contribution to both Israel and the whole world was the apostle Paul. A Pharisee … Paul was one of the noble Pharisees, the same being one who sincerely and honestly tried to

Joshua 7:6-9 — can we buy that report of the spies. Later on, when Israel took Ai, they put to death 12,000 men (Joshua 8:25); and from that we know that the spies simply failed in their mission. "John Calvin made some severe remarks on Joshua's folly and want of faith here, but it may be paralleled by most Christians in adversity."Alfred Plummer, The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 3, Joshua (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1950), p. 121.

2 Thessalonians 1:1 — Thessalonians; also, Silas had been chosen somewhat before Timothy was enlisted at Lystra. Timothy … Neither Timothy nor Silas may be understood in any sense as co-authors of this letter. See under 2 Thessalonians 1:3. The mention of these two faithful workers was simply a matter of friendship and courtesy on the part of the apostle. In God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ … The theological thrust of this expression is boundless. The oneness of the Father and the Son, the deity of

Hebrews 6:13-15 — sacrifice. The nearly superhuman response of Abraham to that commandment of God became the occasion for God's confirming the promise with an oath. The statement here that Abraham "obtained" the promise has reference to his receiving in full faith the prospect of its ultimate fulfillment when Isaac was restored to him, which was like receiving him back from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). Supernatural power had been evident in the conception and birth of Isaac; and, after receiving him back from

1 Peter 3:6 — that of Proverbs 3:25, which seems to have been a chapter that Peter was very familiar with; for he quoted it again in 1 Peter 5:5. "Peter is apparently thinking of some attempt (by a pagan husband perhaps?) to scare a woman out of her Christian faith." Archibald M. Hunter, op. cit., p. 123. Justin Martyr relates the narrative of a certain woman who accepted Christianity and turned from a wicked and dissolute life, but whose husband continued stubbornly in the old ways; and after prolonged