Bible Commentaries

1 Corinthians 7:10 — taught during His earthly ministry (Matthew 5:27-32; Matthew 19:3-12; Mark 10:1-12). Paul cited some of this teaching and added more of his own. This is one of the rare instances when Paul appealed directly to Jesus’ teachings (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:14; 1 Corinthians 11:23; 1 Timothy 5:18). Usually he taught in harmony with Jesus without citing Him. Of course, God’s instructions through Paul are just as inspired and authoritative as His teaching through Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.

1 Corinthians 7:17 — any of the various options) and therefore their desire to change is equally irrelevant-because it has nothing to do with genuine spirituality as their slogan would infer (1 Corinthians 7:1 b)." [Note: Ibid., p. 311. Cf. Robertson and Plummer, p. 144.] This is the second of four instances where Paul appealed to what was customary in all the churches (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 11:16; 1 Corinthians 14:33). He never did this in any of his other letters. He was reminding this church that

1 Corinthians 7:25 — best. The Lord Jesus had not addressed this problem during His earthly ministry as far as Paul knew (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:12). Paul gave his inspired opinion as a trustworthy (wise) steward of the Lord who had received mercy to be such (1 Corinthians 4:2). Note that Paul appealed to the Lord’s mercy, not His command. As in the first part of this chapter, Paul was offering good advice, but he was not commanding that everyone do the same thing. Thus to choose not to follow Paul’s advice

2 Corinthians 3:7-8 — contrast is the relative glory of the ministries that marked the economies that the covenants created. "Glory" is a key word in this section of the epistle. It occurs 19 times in chapters 1-8, and 15 of these references appear in chapters 3 and 4. "Glory" appears as a noun and a verb 10 times in 2 Corinthians 3:7-11. Both covenants involved ministry to God that resulted in glory for God. However the glory of the New Covenant far surpasses the glory of the Old Covenant. Here Paul began

Galatians 3:14 — Testament Scriptures as authoritative. They help us see the issue clearly too, of course, and they help us deal with legalistic false teachers of our day. [Note: See James D. G. Gunn, "Works of the Law and the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:10-14)," New Testament Studies 31:4 (October 1985):523-42.] Paul was not saying that the Mosaic Law is valueless for Christians. The Mosaic Law is a part of the Old Testament, all of which is profitable for Christians (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He was saying

Galatians 3:5 — Question 4: What accounts for the miracles you witnessed (cf. Acts 14:3; Acts 14:8-10)? God did not perform them because the Galatians did something special to earn them. He gave them freely in response to their believing the gospel. Paul knew, of course, that

Galatians 5:26 — "To ’be conceited’ is to boast of things that are insignificant and lacking in true worth, whether the boaster actually has them or only imagines that he has them or desires to have them." [Note: Fung, p. 277. Cf. Burton, p. 324.] Liberty lies between legalism and license. That balance is central in chapter 5. The key to being fruitful as a Christian is being submissive to the Holy Spirit, following His leading, walking in dependence on Him (cf. John 15:4-5). Is the fruit

Ephesians 6:16 — even spears." [Note: The NET Bible note on 6:18.] "These darts were sometimes ablaze in order to set fire to the enemies’ clothing or camp or homes just as the American Indians used to shoot poisoned arrows." [Note: Robertson, 4:551.] The faith that provides such a defense for the Christian in his or her spiritual warfare is two-fold. It is trust in all that God has revealed and active application of that trust at the moment of spiritual attack. The first three participles

Colossians 2:9-10 — Colossians 1:19). The Greek word translated deity (theotetos) refers to the unique essence of God (cf. John 1:1). Divinity (theiotes, Romans 1:20; Acts 17:25), on the other hand, refers to the divine quality of God, which other beings may share (cf. John 1:14). "Paul here disposes of the Docetic theory that Jesus had no human body as well as the Cerinthian separation between the man Jesus and the aeon Christ. He asserts plainly the deity and the humanity of Jesus Christ in corporeal form." [Note:

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 — whenever Christ might return. "Hearts" refers to what we might refer to as "personalities" today. The Greek word, kardia, "refers to the thinking, willing, and feeling dimensions of human existence." [Note: Wanamaker, p. 144. Cf. 2:4.] Again, Paul anticipated the judgment seat of Christ (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). As mentioned earlier (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19), "coming" (Gr. parousia) is a term that Paul used to describe a person’s

2 Thessalonians 1:3 — In his earlier epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul prayed for them to grow in faith (1 Thessalonians 4:10) and to increase in love (1 Thessalonians 3:12). He now rejoiced that they were doing both of these things (2 Thessalonians 1:3). This is one clue that Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians after 1 Thessalonians. God had answered his prayer. Paul began each

1 Timothy 1:12-14 — that Paul would be faithful (1 Timothy 1:12)? No, but God entrusted him with the ministry he had received at least in part for that reason. "Not skill or knowledge but faithfulness is the first qualification for a minister of Christ (1 Corinthians 4:2)." [Note: Hiebert, p. 40.] Paul had not opposed Jesus Christ and His church because he wanted to dishonor God. Paul believed he was serving God by persecuting Christians. He was mistaken about who Jesus Christ is. For this reason God had mercy

1 Timothy 5:3-4 — [Note: Earle, pp. 376-77.] "No ’corban’ business here. No acts of ’piety’ toward God will make up for impiety towards parents. . . . Filial piety is primary unless parents interfere with duty to Christ (Luke 14:26)." [Note: Robertson, 4>584.]   The church should care for the latter group, the widows with no family to care for them, and presumably widows with non-supportive family members. The church should honor this second group of widows, the

Titus 3:10-11 — unity by his teaching refused to change his ways after one or two warnings, Titus should have nothing more to do with him (cf. Matthew 18:15-17). [Note: See Ted G. Kitchens, "Perimeters of Corrective Church Discipline," Bibliotheca Sacra 148:590 (April-June 1991):201-13.] The reason for this rejection is that the false teacher is not straight in his thinking, he is sinning, and he is self-condemned. If such a person refuses to judge himself, God will judge him (1 Corinthians 11:31-32).

Hebrews 10:1-18 — considered from the perspective of its efficacy for Christians." [Note: Lane, Hebrews 9-13, p. 258.] The argument is again chiastic. A    The inadequacy of the Old Covenant: repeated sacrifices were necessary (Hebrews 10:1-4) B    The one sacrifice of Christ: supersedes the repeated sacrifices (Hebrews 10:5-10) B’    The priesthood of Christ: supersedes the Levitical priesthood (Hebrews 10:11-14) A’    The

Hebrews 12:14-25 — V. LIFE IN A HOSTILE WORLD 12:14-13:25 This final major section of the book perhaps grew out of the writer’s reflection on the Greek text of Proverbs 4:26-27. He specified how his readers could "make straight paths for your feet" (Hebrews 12:13). "In the final

1 Peter 1:7 — His promises. Both results bring praise, glory, and honor to God ultimately, though they also benefit us. "Glory is never said to be the possession of humans except as we share God’s glory in the parousia (e.g., Romans 8:17; Colossians 3:4), although we contribute to this glory by our actions now (1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:12)." [Note: Davids, p. 58.] The Greek word parousia means "presence" and, specifically, the presence of one coming, hence the coming of Christ.

1 Peter 3:8 — 2:17). "Kind-hearted" means feeling affectionately, compassionately, and deeply for someone else. The person who is "humble in spirit" is willing to put someone else’s interests and needs before his or her own (cf. Philippians 2:3-4). This would apply to God’s purposes as well as the needs of other people. "Christians are to be emotionally involved with each other." [Note: Davids, p. 125.] These five qualities are vital to effective interpersonal relationships.

1 John 2:9 — This verse contains a concrete example of what John had been talking about. It is another claim to intimate fellowship with God that behavior shows is spurious (1 John 1:6; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 1:10; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:6). Hatred of other Christians is a sure sign that one is not walking with God in close fellowship. "Hate is the absence of the deeds of love. . . . Love unexpressed is not love at all. Love has no neutral capabilities.

3 John 1:1 — 2 John, the Apostle identified himself as "the elder." We do not know exactly who Gaius was. Early church tradition did not identify him with Paul’s native Macedonian companion (Acts 19:29), Paul’s companion from Derbe (Acts 20:4), or the Corinthian Paul baptized who hosted the church in Corinth (Romans 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14). "It is generally agreed that the Gaius to whom the Elder wrote this letter is not to be identified with any of the men by that name who were