Bible Commentaries

Matthew 21:3 — SINCERITY IN RELIGION And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway be will send them.’ Matthew 21:3 The remarkable incidents recorded in this chapter have many lessons. Let us look at some which do not seem to lie quite on the surface. I. Adaptability in method.—The method of promulgating Christianity has passed through many phases, and it is

Mark 1:17 — CONDITIONS OF SUCCESSFUL SERVICE ‘And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.’ Mark 1:17 The Saviour’s promise is most reassuring. Christ was the Master Fisher of men, and He undertakes to make us ‘fishers’ like Himself, if only we will come after Him. What then are the conditions for serving Christ? I. There must be personal devotion

Mark 10:22 — CIVILISATION AND WORSHIP ‘He was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.’ Mark 10:22 The present time is the richest of times, the heir of all the ages, the fullest of honours. This age, like the young ruler, has great possessions. Like the young ruler, too, this age keeps the great commandments; never was there less crime and

Mark 6:31 — THE REST BY THE WAY ‘And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.’ Mark 6:31 Here we see that Jesus cares for those who work for Him. How may we find true rest, and real and permanent enjoyment in our hours of recreation? I. Rest must be earned.—Jesus had been busily engaged in preaching in the villages of Galilee, and so

Luke 1:30-31 — THE PROMISED SON ‘And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou … shalt … bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus.’ Luke 1:30-31 In keeping the Feast of the Annunciation we must beware of anything approaching the Mariolatry which is characteristic of the Roman Church, but while we do not offer the Virgin Mary worship we highly reverence her memory. We can never forget

Luke 10:21 — THE JOY OF THE LORD ‘In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit.’ Luke 10:21 What were the grounds of our Lord’s joy? I. That the Father had passed by the worldly-wise and prudent, and had revealed the glorious things of the Gospel to those whom the world regarded as ‘babes’ in intellect, in power, and in knowledge. These

Luke 11:2 — THE SUBJECTION OF MAN’S WILL ‘Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’ Luke 11:2 The only possible way of feeling at home in heaven when God has called us to be there, will be to have looked out for opportunities to get into touch with the spirit of it while here on earth. There is a King in heaven—the Lord Jesus Christ. There

Luke 13:8 — ONE MORE CHANCE ‘Lord, let it alone this year also.’ Luke 13:8 How very few of us ever stop to think of the great mercy and long-suffering of our God, Who spares our lives from day to day and year to year. Let us resolve, as we stretch forth our hands into the hidden future, let us resolve to bring forth more

Luke 8:15 — BE PATIENT ‘And bring forth fruit with patience.’ Luke 8:15 I want to take to-day the subject of patience, and the reverse, impatience. I. In ordinary business affairs.—Impatience is the cause of probably the greatest number of business disasters. Too great a hurry to get rich entails unwise ventures, and

Luke 9:2-6 — of life. They have often destroyed, by their daily lives, the whole work of their lips. They have given occasion to the enemies of religion to say that they love ease and money and good things far more than souls. —Bishop J. C. Ryle. Illustrations (1) ‘The words of Quesnel on Luke 9:3 are worth reading. “Men will never he able to establish the Kingdom of God in the hearts of people, so long as they do not appear fully persuaded themselves of those truths which they preach And how can they appear

John 1:18 — THE REVELATION OF GOD TO MAN ‘No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.’ John 1:18 What is meant by Revelation.—Etymologically the term means the drawing aside of a veil. I. Christians believe that all knowledge is revelation, or the drawing back of the veil. The worldling speaks of invention and discovery, but the God-fearing

John 7:13 — ASHAMED OF JESUS ‘No man spake openly of Him for fear of the Jews.’ John 7:13 The seventh chapter is divided from the preceding one by a wide interval of time. The many miracles which our Lord wrought, while he ‘walked in Galilee,’ are passed over by John in comparative silence. The events which he was specially inspired to

Romans 8:1 — NO CONDEMNATION ‘There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.’ Romans 8:1 No condemnation! What a strange, sweeping statement! And we naturally ask, to whom can it apply? To all Christians, or only to some? The answer is, it applies to all—yes, all. If any one will read this chapter through as a whole, he will see that it

1 Corinthians 12:4 — NEW NEEDS—NEW METHODS ‘Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.’ 1 Corinthians 12:4 This is a lesson of surpassing moment to the Church in these trying times. We need courage, we need boldness, we need living faith. Above all else, we need faith in the spiritual vitality of the Church. I. If the Church is a living

1 Corinthians 15:24 — THE END ‘Then cometh the end.’ 1 Corinthians 15:24 It is not possible to rule these words out of life. They are perpetually recurring. We contemplate a man’s life from childhood to full manhood and old age; all the works that he will do; all the associations he will form; our eye

1 Corinthians 15:44 — THE FUTURE LIFE ‘It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.’ 1 Corinthians 15:44 There is no more wonderful or impressive chapter in the Bible than this fifteenth chapter of the Epistle to the Corinthians, which deals with the transfiguration of this present life into its future state. Whenever we hear it read—as

1 Corinthians 16:13 — STRENGTH OF SPIRIT ‘Be strong.’ 1 Corinthians 16:13 Over and over again in Holy Writ we find this short, stirring text. We find it in the mouth of Moses, when, handing over his leadership to Joshua, he bid him more than once ‘be strong.’ It was echoed by the people of Israel, when

1 Corinthians 3:6 — CHRISTIAN UNITY ‘I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.’ 1 Corinthians 3:6 St. Paul pleaded with the Corinthians for unity of spirit. Had he lived now, I do not think he would have hoped for immediate unity of organisation—however much to be desired—but one feels that he would have written a letter breathing

1 Corinthians 6:20 — RELIGIOUS USE OF THE BODY ‘Glorify God in your body.’ 1 Corinthians 6:20 ‘From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot’ there is not a part of our frame which may not be the embodiment of spiritual things, or the means for religious service. I. The very hairs remind me of the tender care of my God

2 Corinthians 3:18 — REFLECTING CHRIST ‘But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.’ 2 Corinthians 3:18 It is the law of human nature that whatever we habitually, intelligently, and lovingly contemplate gives a colour to our minds, and affects our character for good or evil. Here St. Paul puts it, when Christ is viewed lovingly, the viewer becomes Christlike.