Bible Commentaries

Exodus 3:1-18 — 6. Moses’ call 3:1-4:18

Psalms 2:10-12 — 4. The psalmist’s exhortation 2:10-12

Psalms 2:4-6 — 2. The Lord’s resolution 2:4-6

Psalms 4:2-5 — 2. Warning for enemies 4:2-5

Psalms 4:6-8 — 3. Confidence in God 4:6-8

Luke 12:22-23 — to life than these things. Formerly Jesus had warned against greed when one does not have possessions (Luke 12:15). Now He warned against anxiety over them too. Anxiety is foolish because life consists of more than what one eats and wears (cf. Luke 4:4).

Acts 17:11-12 — Paul’s teaching was consistent with the Old Testament. Here there seem to have been many Jewish converts rather than a few, the usual result of Paul’s preaching. Many Gentiles also believed. Among them were more prominent women (cf. Acts 17:4) as well as men. Sopater, who later travelled with Paul, as did Aristarchus and Secundus, evidently was one of the converts (Acts 20:4).

Acts 7:51-53 — accusation 7:51-53 Stephen concluded his defense by indicting his accusers. They had brought charges against him, but now he brought more serious charges against them. In his first speech to the Sanhedrin, Peter had been quite brief and forthright (Acts 4:8-12). He had presented Jesus as the only name by which people must be saved (Acts 4:12). In his second speech to that body, Peter had again spoken briefly but more directly (Acts 5:29-32). He had charged the Sanhedrin with crucifying the Prince and

Romans 14:2 — brother’s reasons were immaterial to Paul. The point is that for some reason this Christian believed that he would please God more by not eating meat than by eating it. He was wrong. God has not forbidden Christians from eating any food (1 Timothy 4:3-4). Eating food is an amoral matter. It is neither morally good nor morally bad; what we eat does not in itself affect our relationship with God. The contrast with life in Israel is again striking where, to please God, an Israelite had to abstain

Romans 4:19-21 — Even though Abraham’s faith was stronger at some times than it was at others (cf. Genesis 17:17; Genesis 17:23-27), Paul could say he was not weak in faith (Romans 4:19). "When Paul says that Abraham did not ’doubt . . . because of unbelief,’ he means not that Abraham never had momentary hesitations, but that he avoided a deep-seated and permanent attitude of distrust and inconsistency

2 Corinthians 1:14 — Even though Paul’s correspondence with them had been straightforward, they had not grasped the greatness of his love for them and how proud he was of them (1 Corinthians 4:14; cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). They had a legitimate right to be proud of Paul as their spiritual father, as he had a right to be proud of them as his spiritual children (1 Corinthians 4:15). "This affirmation of affection not only corroborates

2 Corinthians 7:4 — confident that the Corinthians would respond to his defense and exhortation properly. Even though conditions were far from ideal in this church, Paul was proud of his converts there. God had filled his heart with encouraging comfort (cf. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4). In spite of much affliction, some of which the Corinthians produced, Paul felt an overriding sense of joy. His explanation of the reason for these positive feelings follows. "The idea of receiving joy in the midst of affliction strongly suggests

Philippians 2:19 — subject to the will of God when he said that he hoped "in the Lord Jesus" to send Timothy shortly. The apostle alluded to his submission to the lordship of Christ frequently in this epistle (Philippians 1:8; Philippians 1:26; Philippians 2:24; Philippians 2:29; Philippians 3:1; Philippians 3:3; Philippians 4:1; Philippians 4:10; cf. Romans 14:14; 1 Corinthians 7:39; 1 Corinthians 16:7; Philemon 1:20; Philemon 1:25). These references were probably especially numerous in this epistle because

2 Timothy 2:16-17 — Timothy should turn away from meaningless discussions that characterize the world, on the other hand (cf. 1 Timothy 1:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:7; 1 Timothy 6:20). These only provide an atmosphere in which ungodliness grows. "It may be that these people regarded themselves as ’progressives’ and that Paul picks up the verb from their usage, ironically indicating

1 Peter 4:2 — Peter clarified commitment to God’s will in this verse. "Flesh" refers to one’s mortal lifetime on earth, not to carnal living (cf. 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:6). ". . . ’the flesh’ is not used here or anywhere else in 1 Peter (it is used seven times; all but one of them are in 1 Peter 3:18 to 1 Peter 4:6) in the Pauline sense of the sinful nature in human beings (as, e.g., in Romans 7-8),

Revelation 13:1-10 — The beast out of the sea 13:1-10 John stressed three things about this beast: his conspiracy with the dragon (Revelation 13:3-4), his success in deceiving the whole world (Revelation 13:3-4; Revelation 13:8), and his success in temporarily defeating God’s saints (Revelation 13:6-7 a). [Note: Paul S. Minear, I Saw a New Earth: An Introduction to the Visions of the Apocalypse,

Revelation 17:3 — The angel carried John away in the Spirit to a wilderness area (cf. Revelation 1:10; Revelation 4:1; Revelation 21:10). This wilderness may refer to the desert near literal Babylon. [Note: Moffatt, 5:451; Robertson, 6:429.] Or it may anticipate the desolate condition of the harlot. [Note: Düsterdieck, p. 429; Lee, 4:737.] There he saw a woman,

Revelation 21:6 — (cf. Revelation 16:17) and of the whole old creation stood accomplished (cf. Revelation 21:5). He again referred to Himself as the eternal, sovereign God (Revelation 1:8; cf. Revelation 22:13), the originator and terminator of all things (cf. Isaiah 44:6). His promise of abundant satisfaction for the thirsty is metaphorical, symbolizing His ability to meet the deepest needs of His people (Revelation 7:17; cf. Isaiah 55:1; John 4:13-14; John 7:37-39). Contrast the cup from which the harlot drank (Revelation

Revelation 22:21 — the book. "As in revelation, so in history: grace shall have the last word!" [Note: Beasley-Murray, p. 350.] God’s grace makes faith, for the unbelieving reader, and faithfulness, for the believing reader, possible (cf. Revelation 1:4). This benediction is a prayer that all its hearers and readers may respond to the revelation of this book appropriately. It is an unusual way to end an apocalypse, but it was a common way to close a first-century Christian letter (cf. Revelation 1:1). "We

Revelation 22:8 — John resumed addressing the reader, which he had not done since Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 1:9. He affirmed the angel’s words that the prophecy was genuine. He himself had heard and had seen the things that he had recorded (cf. Daniel 8:15; Daniel 12:5). He was an eyewitness of these things (cf. John 1:14; John 19:35; John