Bible Commentaries

Exodus 29:38-46 — The daily burnt offering, meal offering, and drink offering 29:38-46 The priests began to offer these sacrifices as soon as the tabernacle was complete (ch. 40). In the offering of a young lamb each morning and each evening with flour, oil, and wine, the Israelites consecrated their lives afresh daily to the Lord. This

Job 3:1-6 — II. THE DIALOGUE CONCERNING THE BASIS OF THE DIVINE-HUMAN RELATIONSHIP 3:1-42:6 This major part of the book begins with a personal lament in which Job expressed his agony (ch. 3). Three cycles of speeches follow in which Job’s friends dialogued with him about his condition (chs. 4-27). Job then voiced his despair in two

Psalms 36:7-9 — The result of this philosophy of life contrasts with that of the wicked (Psalms 36:2-4). Because God is lovingly loyal, His people can find refuge in Him (cf. Ruth 2:12; Matthew 23:37). They also enjoy the provisions of His house. They experience a virtual paradise on earth, as Adam and Eve did in Eden before the Fall. God provides life

1 Corinthians 14:4 — the sense of profiting from the message the Holy Spirit had given. He did not know what his words meant unless he also had the gift of interpretation, but in this discussion Paul left that gift out of the picture almost entirely (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:5). Had he known what he was saying he could have communicated this to those present in their language. That is what a prophet did. Prophets did not just foretell the future or announce new special revelation from God. They also delivered statements

1 Corinthians 15:28 — interpreters believe the kingdom Paul referred to is Christ’s present cosmic lordship that he exercises from heaven. [Note: E.g., C. E. Hill, "Paul’s Understanding of Christ’s Kingdom in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28," Novum Testamentum 30:4 (October 1988):297-320.] But this view does not harmonize well with biblical eschatology. Christ will be submissive to His Father forever. This is the central passage that affirms the eternal functional (not ontological) subordination of the Son to

Galatians 3:7-9 — "In this verse [Galatians 3:7] Paul extended his argument from Abraham to his posterity and raised for the first time the question that would dominate the remainder of Galatians 3, 4 : Who are the true children of Abraham? This train of thought will find a conclusion in the allegory of the two mothers, Sarah and Hagar, and their two sons, Isaac and Ishmael (Galatians 4:21-31)." [Note: George, p. 223.] The spiritual sons of

Galatians 4:4-5 — the eschatological event of the coming of Christ and of the principle of justifying faith, the thought is rather that the appearance of the Son brought the ’fulness [sic] of the time,’ marking the end of the present aeon (cf. Galatians 1:4) and ushering in the future aeon." [Note: Fung, p. 184.] Redemption has a double aspect: it delivers from bondage to the law, and it delivers to sonship. God sent His Son to free those children whom the Law held in bondage and to elevate them

Ephesians 2:8 — salvation. When a person puts out his hand to take a gift that someone else offers, he or she is doing nothing to merit that gift. The giver gets credit for the gift, not the receiver. Likewise faith is not a meritorious work. [Note: See Morris, p. 104; and René A. López, "Is Faith a Gift from God or a Human Exercise?" Bibliotheca Sacra 164:655 (July-September 2007):259-76.] To what does "that" or "this" refer? Since it is a neuter pronoun it evidently

Philippians 4:6 — probably lies in viewing anxiety as concern that may become fretful and inappropriate if taken too far. Paul’s point here was that rather than becoming distraught over a particular situation we should take it to the Lord in prayer (cf. Matthew 6:25-34). We should pray about everything that concerns us. Someone has said, "Why worry when you can pray?" Prayer needs to replace worry in the Christian’s life. Paul used several different words for prayer in this verse. "Prayer"

Colossians 1:23 — "Since." Paul assumed his readers would do what he described because perseverance is normal for genuine believers (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 2:19). [Note: Herbert M. Carson, The Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and Philemon, p. 48.] However perseverance in the faith is not inevitable. Apostasy is a real possibility to which he alluded here (cf. 1 Timothy 4:1-2; et al.). It is necessary to abide in the faith to obtain a good report from the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ.

1 Timothy 1:1 — many indications that Paul stressed the importance of faithful perseverance in God’s calling in this epistle, as he did in 2 Timothy as well. The idea of God being our Savior is a characteristic emphasis in the Pastorals (1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Timothy 4:10; Titus 1:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 3:4; cf. Psalms 25:5; Psalms 27:1; Psalms 27:9; Habakkuk 3:18; Isaiah 12:2). Christ Jesus is our hope generally in that we have set our hope on Him, and specifically in that we look for His appearing when God will complete

Hebrews 10:19-39 — 9-13, p. 279.] This warning passage is in a sense central to all the hortatory passages in Hebrews. Lane entitled this warning passage "The Peril of Disloyalty to Christ." [Note: Ibid., p. 271.] It echoes former warnings (cf. Hebrews 2:1-4 and Hebrews 10:28-31; and Hebrews 6:4-8 and Hebrews 10:26-31) and repeats characteristic expressions (cf. Hebrews 3:6 b and Hebrews 10:23; and Hebrews 3:17 and Hebrews 10:26). Yet it also anticipates what is to come by introducing the triad of Christian

Hebrews 12:1-3 — . . .     [B’]    despising shame . . . [A’]    and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." [Note: Estella B. Horning, "Chiasmus, Creedal Structure, and Christology in Hebrews 12:1-2," Biblical Research 23 (1978):41.] This structure focuses attention on the central element, Jesus, rather than on the first element, us. [Note: See Ronald E. Man, "The Value of Chiasm for New Testament Interpretation," Bibliotheca Sacra 141:562 (April-June 1984):149.] "It

1 Peter 1:3 — anticipation, the good things themselves. The ’living hope’ of which Peter speaks here is better understood in the second, objective, sense. As such, it appropriately parallels, and is further explained by, the ’inheritance’ of 1 Peter 1:4 and the ’salvation’ of 1 Peter 1:5 (cf. Colossians 1:5 . . .)." [Note: Ibid., p. 19.] Many popular writers have called Paul the apostle of faith, John the apostle of love, and Peter the apostle of hope. They have done so

Judges 10:1-5 — 4. The judgeships of Tola and Jair 10:1-5 No great military feats marked the judgeships of these two men. Their ministries appear to have consisted primarily in administering civil duties. "The passages on the ’minor judges’ do not conform

1 John 4:8 — in His light (1 John 1:5; 1 John 1:7). Because God is righteous those who abide in Him practice righteousness (1 John 2:29). Just so, God is love and those who abide in Him manifest His loving character. God is also light (1 John 1:5), spirit (John 4:24), and fire (Hebrews 12:29). These are all metaphors that emphasize certain characteristics of God. "All His activity is loving activity. If He creates, He creates in love; if He rules, He rules in love; if He judges, He judges in love. All that

Jude 1:6 — 2. The example of certain angels v. 6 A group of angels also did not remain in their privileged position near God but left that sphere and so incurred God’s wrath. Some interpreters believe Jude alluded here to Genesis 6:1-4 (but cf. Matthew 22:30). [Note: See Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, 2:551-52, for refutation of this view.] Others believe he was referring to the rebellion of some angels that resulted in Satan’s expulsion from heaven. The

Revelation 1:8 — God’s comprehensive control over all things including time. This is probably a merism, a figure of speech in which two extremes represent the whole. John strengthened this point further with present, past, and future references (cf. Revelation 4:8; Revelation 11:17; Hebrews 13:8). He is the originator and terminator of all things. God is not only Lord of the future. He is also powerful enough to bring what John just predicted to pass. He is the "Almighty." "A weighing of evidence,

Revelation 2:20-23 — could not work in Thyatira. This meant participation in the guild feasts that included immoral acts and the worship of idols. [Note: See Beasley-Murray, pp. 89-90.] Her name may or may not have been Jezebel. I think it was not. [Note: Cf. Newell, p. 54; Thomas, Revelation 1-7, p. 214; and Aune, p. 213.] Jezebel, Balaam, and the Nicolaitans all sought to lead God’s people into idolatry and sexual immorality. This woman’s behavior reflected that of wicked Queen Jezebel (1 Kings 16 -2 Kings

Revelation 4:6 — served the need for cleansing in the Israelite tabernacle and temple. Perhaps the fact that this sea is solid indicates that those who can approach God’s throne have attained a fixed state of holiness by God’s grace. [Note: Strauss, p. 134.] Perhaps the sea represents the forces opposed to God’s will and His people. This is what the sea symbolized in the ancient Near East. John now saw these forces under God’s sovereign control (cf. Exodus 24:10; Ezekiel 1:22; Ezekiel 1:26).