Bible Commentaries

John 11:53 — The result of this apparently formal meeting was the Sanhedrin’s official decision to kill Jesus. This decision constituted another climax in the ongoing opposition against Jesus that John traced in this Gospel (cf. Matthew 26:3-4). Obviously the trials of Jesus before the high priests and the Sanhedrin were simply formalities designed to give the appearance of justice. The leaders had already tried Jesus and sentenced Him to die (cf. Mark 14:1-2). All that remained was to decide

John 15:9-10 — and the Son is again the paradigm for the relationship between the Son and the believer. The idea is not that we can withdraw from the circle of God’s love by being disobedient. God does not stop loving His disobedient children (cf. Luke 15:11-24). It is rather that we can withdraw from the enjoyment and blessings of His love. John stressed Jesus’ obedience to His Father in this Gospel (John 4:34; John 5:19; John 6:38; John 8:29; John 8:55; John 10:17-18; John 12:27-28; John 14:31). Now

John 8:58 — This was the third and last of Jesus’ solemn pronouncements in this discourse (cf. John 8:34; John 8:51). If Jesus had only wanted to claim that He existed before Abraham, He could have said, "I was." By saying, "I am," He was not just claiming preexistence but deity (cf. John 8:24; John 8:28; John 5:18; Exodus 3:14; Isaiah

John 8:59 — The Jews understood that Jesus was claiming to be God. They began to stone Him for making what they considered a blasphemous claim (John 5:18; Leviticus 24:16). However, Jesus hid Himself because His hour had not yet come (John 2:4; John 7:6; John 7:8; John 7:30; John 7:44; John 8:20; John 18:6). Then He departed from the temple. He did not protest or retaliate, another indication of His submission to

Acts 12:25 — After delivering the Antioch Christians’ gift to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30), Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch taking with them John Mark (Acts 12:12) who was Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10). The round trip between Antioch and Jerusalem would have been a distance of about 560 miles. This verse bridges what follows with the earlier account of the virile Antioch church (Acts 11:19-30). The reference to John Mark here also connects the

Acts 5:41 — had predicted that people would hate and persecute His disciples and had told them to rejoice in these responses (Matthew 5:10-12; Luke 6:22-23). Peter later wrote that Christians should count it a privilege to suffer for Christ’s sake (1 Peter 4:13; cf. 1 Peter 2:18-21; 1 Peter 3:8-17; Philippians 1:29). As the Master had suffered abuse from His enemies so, too, His servants were suffering abuse for their witness.

Romans 12:9 — Love is of primary importance (cf. Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39; 1 Corinthians 13). However it must be sincere (cf. 1 John 4:19-21). This command acts as a heading for this whole list of exhortations. "Paul is not always talking specifically about love, but he keeps coming back to love as the single most important criterion for approved Christian behavior." [Note:

Romans 13:1-7 — Conduct towards the government 13:1-7 Paul passed from a loosely connected series of exhortations in Romans 12:9-21 to a well-organized argument about a single subject in Romans 13:1-7 (cf. Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26; 1 Peter 2:13-14). "Forbidding the Christian from taking vengeance and allowing God to exercise this right in the last judgment [cf. Romans 12:19-21] might lead one to think that God was letting evildoers have their way in this world. Not so, says Paul in Romans

Romans 3:21 — the coming of Jesus Christ. The Old Testament revealed that this would be God’s method even before He appeared. The reference to the Old Testament as the law and the prophets, two major sections of the Hebrew Bible, prepares the way for chapter 4 (cf. Matthew 5:17). There Paul discussed Abraham and David, two representatives of these two sections of Scripture.

Romans 8:33 — The question that opens this verse, along with the two others that follow in Romans 8:34-35, brings out the implications of "If God is for us, who is against us?" (Romans 8:31). Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10; cf. Job 1-2). He charges the elect with sin. However, when he does this he gets nowhere with God

Romans 9:22 — the New Testament. Paul probably meant that God prepares some people for destruction. Pharaoh was such a vessel of wrath. Paul had in mind those in Israel who had opposed the gospel in his day. God was patient and merciful with them (cf. Romans 2:3-4; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19-20; 2 Peter 3:9).

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 — resurrection of believers. That Paul had believers in view, rather than all people, seems clear in that he was discussing the hope of believers. Other passages teach the resurrection of other groups of people, even all others (e.g., Daniel 12:2; Revelation 20:4-5; Revelation 20:12; et al.). Here it becomes clear for the first time in the chapter that some of the Corinthians were saying that there is no resurrection of the dead. If they were correct, Christ did not arise, and they had neither a past nor a future.

2 Corinthians 9:8 — not produce anxiety in the giver even if he or she is giving away much. God demonstrates His love for cheerful givers by giving them more grace and more opportunity. He also makes us contented (Gr. autarkeia), sufficient in that sense (cf. Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6). However, we always need to remember that God is the One from whom everything we have comes. Notice the "able" in this verse. This should not lead to the conclusion that God can, but He may not (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:9).

Galatians 6:12-13 — desired to please men, and they wanted to boast, inappropriately, about their converts in Galatia. "Whereas Paul was concerned about the Spirit’s inward work in his converts, so that Christ should be ’formed’ in them (cf. Galatians 4:19), the Judaizers’ concern was for an external mark, a mark produced in the ’flesh’ of those whom they could win over to their side." [Note: Bruce, p. 268.] "The cross of Christ" (Galatians 6:12) stands here for the

Colossians 3:12-17 — responsibilities as Christians. "The emphasis in this section is on motives. Why should we put off the old deeds and put on the qualities of the new life? Paul explained four motives that ought to encourage us to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4)." [Note: Wiersbe, 2:137.] ". . . I have written a message on this passage of Scripture, and I have called it, ’What the Well-Dressed Christian Will Wear This Year.’" [Note: McGee, 5:358.]

2 Timothy 3:1 — Paul had given Timothy some instruction concerning the apostasy of the last days in his first epistle (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Now he gave much more. The "last days" refers to the days preceding the Lord’s return for His own (i.e., the Rapture). [Note: Kelly, p. 193; Earle, p. 406.] They are "last" not because they are few but because they are

Titus 2:1 — instructions concerning individual conduct that follow. In contrast to the false teachers, Titus was to teach the believers conduct that was in harmony with sound (i.e., healthy) doctrine (cf. 1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 6:3; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9; Titus 1:13; Titus 2:2). Paul wanted Christians to behave consistently with what they profess to believe. The primary motivation Paul used in the advice to follow is that these exhortations come from and agree with sound doctrine. A secondary

Hebrews 5:11-39 — III. THE HIGH PRIESTLY OFFICE OF THE SON 5:11-10:39 The transition from exposition (Hebrews 4:15 to Hebrews 5:10) to exhortation (Hebrews 5:11 to Hebrews 6:20) marks the beginning of a new division in this sermon. The structure of this division is as follows. [Note: Ibid., p. 128.] a    Preliminary exhortation (Hebrews 5:11

1 Peter 2:11 — III. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHRISTIAN INDIVIDUALLY 2:11-4:11 Since Christians have a particular vocation in the world, certain conduct was essential for Peter’s suffering readers. "The address, ’Dear friends, I appeal to you,’ in 1 Peter 2:11 marks a shift from the identity of God’s

2 Peter 1:13-14 — Peter’s earthly dwelling (lit. tent) was his physical body (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:4). The Greek word apothesis means "a divesting," and it refers elsewhere to removing clothes (cf. Acts 7:58). We do not know exactly how Peter knew someone would separate his mortal body from his spirit soon. Peter’s words allow the possibility