Bible Commentaries

John 19:23-24 — 4. The distribution of Jesus’ garments 19:23-24 (Matthew 27:35-36; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34) Normally the executioners of a criminal received his clothes following his death. [Note: Tenney, "John," p. 181; Beasley-Murray, p. 347.] John spoke

John 21:24 — writer in view. This description of the writer stresses the reliability of his witness. [Note: See Thomas D. Lea, "The Reliability of History in John’s Gospel," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 38:3 (September 1996):387-402.] "These things" probably refers to the whole Gospel, not just what immediately precedes. The statement is general, and it occurs at the end of the book. The identity of the "we" is less clear. They could be writers who recorded

Acts 1:12-13 — not have been the same one in which the disciples had observed the first Lord’s Supper with Jesus (Luke 22:12). Different Greek words describe the places. It may have been the place where He had appeared to them following His resurrection (Luke 24:32; Luke 24:36; John 20:19; John 20:26), but this too is unclear. The definite article "the" with "upper room" in the Greek text (to hyperoon) and the emphatic position of this phrase may suggest that Luke meant to identify a special

Acts 10:14 — Peter resisted the Lord Jesus’ command strongly but politely (Gr. Medamos, kurie), as Ezekiel had done when he received similar instructions from God (Ezekiel 4:14). Peter may have remembered and recognized the voice as that of Jesus. [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., p. 220.] He had either not understood or not remembered Jesus’ teaching in which He had declared all foods clean (Mark 7:14-19, cf. Romans

Acts 12:25-5 — B. The extension of the church to Cyprus and Asia Minor 12:25-16:5 Luke recorded that Jesus came to bring deliverance to the Jews and to the whole world (Luke 4:14-30). In his Gospel, Luke told the story of Jesus’ personal ministry, primarily to the Jews. In Acts the emphasis is mainly on Jesus’ ministry, through His apostles, to the Gentile world. As the mission to the Gentiles unfolds in Acts

Acts 13:46 — As the apostles in Jerusalem had done, Paul and Barnabas responded to the opposition with bold words (cf. Acts 4:29). It was necessary for the gospel to go to the Jews before the Gentiles not only because Jewish acceptance of Jesus is a prerequisite to the messianic kingdom (cf. Acts 3:26). It was also necessary because Jesus was the Messiah whom God had promised

Acts 25:13 — (Acts 12:1-11), the grandson of Aristobulus, and the great grandson of Herod the Great (Matthew 2:1). [Note: See the diagram "Herod’s Family Tree" above at 12:1-2, and Bruce, "Chronological Questions . . .," pp. 283-84.] Herod the Great had tried to destroy the infant Jesus. One of his sons, Antipas, Agrippa II’s great uncle, beheaded John the Baptist and tried our Lord. Agrippa II’s father, Agrippa I, executed James, the son of Zebedee and the brother

1 Corinthians 15:44 — Christian gospel, an essential sine qua non of the Bible’s world view, without which one is lost (1 Corinthians 15:17; cf. Acts 17:30-31)." [Note: Peter Jones, "Paul Confronts Paganism in the Church: A Case Study of 1 Corinthians 15:45," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (49:4 (December 2006):736. See also René A. López, "Does The Jesus Family Tomb Disprove His Physical Resurrection?" Bibliotheca Sacra 165:660 (October-December 2008):425-46.]

1 Corinthians 16:2 — the first day of the week by the Apostolic Church. Apparently, the name ’Lord’s Day’ was not yet in use, and the first day of the week is never called ’the sabbath’ in Scripture." [Note: Robertson and Plummer, p. 384.] Sunday would have been a natural occasion to put money aside for fellow believers since it was particularly on this day that Christians reviewed their responsibilities. Paul did not specify whether the individual Christian should keep the money in

2 Corinthians 4:17 — this end. The history of the Church has shown that such a concept leads to an unscriptural self-interest and to a misconception of the true character of Christian suffering. Paul is concerned here with suffering for Jesus’ sake (2 Corinthians 4:11; cf. Acts 9:16), which means suffering in which there cannot possibly be any self-interest. It is precisely as the ’I’ decreases that Christ increases (John 3:30)." [Note: Hughes, p. 157.]

2 Corinthians 4:7 — The treasure that every Christian possesses is "the knowledge of the glory of God" (2 Corinthians 4:6, i.e., the gospel). Even though it is what dispels spiritual darkness God has deposited this precious gift in every clay Christian. This is a paradox, consequently the "but." "A vessel’s worth comes from what it holds, not from

2 Corinthians 9:3-4 — should turn out to be without foundation (2 Corinthians 9:3). The other was that when the delegates of the Macedonian churches (not to be confused with the two companions of Titus) arrived at Corinth with Paul on his forthcoming visit (2 Corinthians 12:14; 2 Corinthians 13:1-2), the Corinthians would be still unprepared and this would lead to his acute embarrassment-not to mention that of the Corinthians themselves (2 Corinthians 9:4)." [Note: Harris, pp. 374-75.]   "He is not afraid

Ephesians 3:6 — This is the content of the mystery (cf. Ephesians 2:11-22). First, Gentiles and Jews are fellow heirs of God’s riches that He presently bestows on believers (cf. Ephesians 2:19; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 3:29; Galatians 4:7). Second, they are fellow members of the body of Christ, which is the church (Colossians 1:18). Third, they are fellow partakers of the promise concerning Christ in the gospel (i.e., that whoever trusts in Him has everlasting

Ephesians 6:24 — (Ephesians 1:2). God’s grace was the key to the calling of the Christian and the creation of the church. It is also essential to the conduct of the Christian (cf. Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:5; Ephesians 2:7-8; Ephesians 3:2; Ephesians 3:8; Ephesians 4:7). Paul wished God’s unmerited favor and divine enablement on all who love Jesus Christ purely, without wrong motives or secret disloyalties (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22). As God has poured out His grace to us in all purity, so we should pour out

Colossians 3:17 — actions. "The NT does not contain a detailed code of rules for the Christian, like those which were elaborated with ever-increasing particularity in rabbinical casuistry. Codes of rules, as Paul explains elsewhere (e.g., in Galatians 3:23 to Galatians 4:7), are suited to the period of immaturity when he and his readers were still under guardians; the son who has come to years of responsibility knows his father’s will without having to be provided with a long list of ’Do’s’ and

Philemon 1:21 — sin and the failure of Christendom to deal with it. While all ethical behavior for Christians should arise out of love, rather than regulation or constraint, yet it takes fully committed disciples to put it into practice." [Note: Rupprecht, p. 457.] "Paul has been criticized for not denouncing slavery in plain terms. But, when one considers the actual conditions in the Roman empire, he is a wise man who can suggest a better plan than the one pursued here for the ultimate overthrow of

Hebrews 1:13 — The seventh and last quotation in this series is from Psalms 110:1. Angels stand and serve, but the Son sits and rules (cf. Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 10:12; Hebrews 12:2; Matthew 22:43-44; Matthew 26:64; Mark 16:19; Acts 2:33-34; Romans 8:34; Colossians 3:1; 1 Peter 3:22). The vindication predicted here will take place when Jesus Christ returns at His second advent and at the various judgments of God’s enemies that will follow

Hebrews 4:11 — In the meantime we need to follow Jesus and Moses’ examples of faithfulness to God. We need to carry out the work He has given us to do (i.e., to continue to trust and obey rather than turning from Him; Hebrews 3:2; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 3:14). Note again that the writer said he faced the same danger as his readers: "Let us" (cf. Hebrews 4:16). "We enter into rest only when we persevere in faith to the end of life. When we do this, we will obtain a share in the inheritance,

Hebrews 6:11-12 — hearts of people if it did not give them hope." [Note: Morris, p. 58.] Earlier the writer had described his readers as being sluggish (lit. lazy, Hebrews 5:11). Now he urged them to be diligent and to stop being lazy (Hebrews 6:12; cf. Proverbs 24:30-34; 2 Peter 1:5; 2 Peter 1:10). The same Greek word (nothroi) occurs in both places. He wanted them to remain faithful to God while waiting patiently for Him to fulfill His promises to them regarding their future inheritance. "The theme of imitation

Hebrews 7:11-25 — concludes the comparison of Jesus as Son with the Levitical priesthood, a subject that occupies the writer in a preparatory way in Hebrews 7:1-10 and directly in Hebrews 7:11-28, is of special importance . . ." [Note: Lane, p. 177.] Genesis 14:17-20 now falls into the background, and Psalms 110:4 becomes dominant. [Note: Cf. G. L. Cockerill, The Melchizedek Christology in Hebrews 7:1-28, pp. 16-20.] Note also the keywords "perfection" (Hebrews 7:11) and "perfect" (Hebrews