Bible Commentaries

Acts 12:1-24 — 4. The persecution of the Jerusalem church 12:1-24 The saints in Jerusalem not only suffered as a result of the famine, they also suffered because Jewish and Roman governmental opposition against them intensified as time passed. Luke recorded the events

Acts 13:42-43 — Paul’s message created great interest in the hearts of many people who listened to him. Paul possessed great powers of persuasion (cf. Acts 18:4; Acts 19:8; Acts 19:26; Acts 26:28; Acts 28:23; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 1:10), but the Holy Spirit was at work too. Paul and Barnabas continued clarifying the gospel for their inquirers during the following week. The English translators supplied

Acts 20:22-23 — visiting Jerusalem since he was sure this was what God wanted him to do even though he realized that trouble lay ahead (cf. Acts 20:3; Acts 9:16; Acts 19:21). Perhaps prophets had already revealed to him that the Jews would arrest him there (cf. Acts 21:4; Acts 21:11; Romans 15:30-31). Paul wanted to be faithful to the Lord more than he wanted to be physically safe or comfortable (cf. Philippians 1:20). "It should be noted that the Spirit did not prohibit his going, but told him what would happen

Acts 21:35-36 — Stairs led up to the fortress from the city on its west side and from the temple courtyard on its south side. [Note: Foakes-Jackson and Lake, 4:136.] Probably the stairs in Acts 21:35 were one of the two south stairways leading from the temple courtyard into the fortress. The anger of the Jews was evident in their desire to tear Paul apart immediately. Their cry recalls their words about Jesus

Acts 26:18 — This verse recalls the divine commission of Messiah (cf. Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:6-7; Isaiah 42:16). It is one of the best summary statements of not only Paul’s mission but also the mission of every believer (cf. Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 1:12-14). Paul was to do for others what God had done for him, and so should we.

Acts 5:35-36 — brethren to do nothing rash. He pointed to two similar movements that had failed when their leaders had died. Historians do not know anything about this Theudas, though he may have come to prominence shortly after Herod the Great’s death (ca. A.D. 4). [Note: See Longenecker, p. 228, or any of the conservative commentaries for discussion of the problem of this Theudas’ identification.] Josephus referred to a revolt led by one Theudas, but this occurred more than a decade after Gamaliel’s

Romans 8:18 — In the light of eternity we should view the cost of suffering with Jesus Christ now as insignificant in view of the glory that lies ahead for us (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:17). Paul again used a word, pathemata, which means sufferings for any reason and in any form because we are His sons. By glory Paul meant the glory that we will experience at our glorification (Romans 8:17). Our glorification is the third and final

Romans 8:7-8 — he wanted "to expose the flesh in its stark reality as being totally alien to God and his purpose." [Note: Harrison, p. 89.] What interests a person reveals his or her essential being. It is possible to walk according to the flesh (Romans 8:4-5) and not to be in the flesh, however. In other words, it is possible to live as an unregenerate person even though one has experienced regeneration.

1 Corinthians 1:16 — as the picture of the new life in Christ (Romans 6:2-6), but he clearly denies here that he considers baptism essential to the remission of sin or the means of obtaining forgiveness." [Note: A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 4:76.]

1 Corinthians 6:19 — that the Corinthian church was a temple (naos; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The believer’s body is also one. The Holy Spirit is really indwelling each of these temples (Romans 8:9; cf. Matthew 12:6; Matthew 18:15-20; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 13:11; John 14:17; John 14:23). [Note: See Sweeney, p. 629.] He is a gift to us from God (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:8). He is the best gift God has given us thus far. Consequently we have a moral obligation to the Giver. Moreover because He indwells us we belong to Him.

1 Corinthians 7:36 — daughter) must forgo sexual fulfillment after marriage (1 Corinthians 7:1-7). He might have been reluctant to marry (or give her in marriage) because of what Paul had written about the single state being preferable (1 Corinthians 7:8; 1 Corinthians 7:28-34). He might also have hesitated because of ascetic influences in the church that were due to a false sense of "spirituality" and possibly an overreaction to the fornication in Corinth. "Roman and Greek fathers had the control of the marriage

1 Corinthians 9:6 — The Corinthians had acknowledged the right of the other apostles to refrain from secular employment. Paul and Barnabas chose to work with their hands at times so their financial support would not burden their converts (1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9; Acts 20:34). Evidently the practice of Barnabas was well known. Paul had stooped to the demeaning work (in the Corinthians’ eyes) of making tents while he ministered in Corinth (Acts 18:3). Apparently

2 Corinthians 11:9 — Timothy joined him from Macedonia, Paul stopped this work and devoted all his time to preaching and teaching (Acts 18:5). He apparently did this because these brothers had brought financial gifts with them from the Macedonian churches (cf. Philippians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 3:6). Paul’s principle was to preach and teach without charging those who benefited directly from his ministry. This is a good policy in church planting, but it is not normative for a settled pastoral ministry (1 Corinthians

Ephesians 2:1-3 — verses are really preliminary to Paul’s main point. They describe the Christian’s condition as an unbeliever before God justified him or her. In the Greek text Ephesians 2:1-7 are one sentence. The subject of this sentence is God (Ephesians 2:4). The three main verbs are "made alive" (Ephesians 2:5), "raised up" (Ephesians 2:6), and "seated" (Ephesians 2:6). The object is "us," and the prepositional phrase "with Christ" describes "us."

Ephesians 4:17 — The "therefore" in this verse is coordinate with the one in Ephesians 4:1. Here we have more instruction concerning walking worthily. Paul’s exhortation that follows repeats Jesus’ teaching on the importance of holiness. Christians should not conduct themselves as Gentiles who do not know the Lord. Those unbelievers

Philippians 4:18 — offerings in Israel were sacrifices made in worship more than to atone for sin. The Philippians were serving as believer-priests by sending their gifts to Paul. Other sacrifices Christians can make to God beside our material possessions (Philippians 4:18) include our bodies (Romans 12:1-2), our converts (Romans 15:16), our praise (Hebrews 13:15), and our good works (Hebrews 13:16).

1 Thessalonians 4:8 — 5:22-23). "While Paul deals with sexual immorality in other letters, most notably 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, nowhere does he employ such coercive language to enforce proper Christian conduct. The serious and even threatening tone of 1 Thessalonians 4:6-8 suggests very strongly that Paul was dealing with a problem that had actually emerged in the community at Thessalonica and that he viewed with considerable concern." [Note: Wanamaker, pp. 158-59.]

1 Thessalonians 5:11 — This sure hope is a sound basis for mutual encouragement and edification among believers. Not only can we comfort one another when believers die (1 Thessalonians 4:18), but we can also strengthen one another while we live. "For the truth that the church is destined for rescue from the woes of the Tribulation, no passage has more to offer to exegetical scrutiny than does 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11." [Note:

2 Timothy 2:1 — submission to the Spirit of God and in harmony with the will of God. God then can and will provide strength. "Christ is the dynamo for power only when and while we keep in touch with him." [Note: A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, 4:616.]

2 Timothy 2:23 — Timothy needed to refuse to participate in unwise and immature debates since these generate arguments that prove divisive (cf. 1 Timothy 1:7). "Such questions will be brought before you: refuse to discuss them." [Note: White, 4:168.] Those who participate in this activity as a type of sport are ignorant (apaideutous). The same Greek word means undisciplined, uneducated, or rude. "The irrelevancy of much of the controversy then prevalent among Christians seems to have