Bible Commentaries

Ezekiel 41:11 — Ezekiel saw a doorway in this exterior wall on the north and south sides that allowed access into the side rooms. There was a five-cubit-wide (8 feet 4 inches) walkway all around the exterior wall of the temple except on the west side (cf. Ezekiel 41:13). This walkway was on the same level as the top of the foundation of the temple.

Hosea 4:10 — They would eat but not have enough because the Lord would send drought and scarcity of food as punishment (cf. Hosea 4:3). They would act like harlots by committing fornication with pagan temple prostitutes, but their numbers would not increase because Yahweh would reduce their fertility. He would do this because they had stopped listening to and obeying Him by observing His law.

Hosea 6:4-7 — A. More messages on coming judgment 6:4-11:7 The subject of Israel’s ingratitude is particularly prominent in these messages. Each of the two major messages of judgment ends with a reference to Israel returning to Egypt (Hosea 8:13; Hosea 11:5). The message on restoration that follows these two (Hosea 11:8-11) refers to the Israelites returning from Egypt (Hosea 11:11).

Hosea 6:4 — The Lord twice asked rhetorically what He would do with Ephraim and Judah. The questions express frustration, helplessness, and despair more than inquiry. The loyal love (Heb. hesed, cf. Hosea 2:19; Hosea 4:1) of these elect nations, expressed in their obedience to Yahweh’s covenant, was as short-lived as the morning fog or as dew. Both disappear quickly, especially in the hot Palestinian sun.

Joel 2:10 — The earth trembles as this army advances. The heavens also tremble. The sun and the moon grow dark, and the stars fade from view. Cosmic disturbances like these are common in biblical descriptions of Yahweh waging war (cf. Joel 3:16; Judges 5:4; Psalms 18:7; Psalms 77:18; Isaiah 13:10; Isaiah 13:13; Ezekiel 32:7; Zechariah 14:6-7; Revelation 6-18).

Amos 9:11-12 — The restoration of the Davidic kingdom 9:11-12 The rest of the book is quite different from what has preceded because of its positive message. As is true of other eighth-century prophets to Israel and Judah, Amos included hope in his prophecy (cf. Isaiah 40-66; Hosea 1:10 to Hosea 2:1, Hosea 2:14-23; Micah 2:12-13; Micah 4:1-5).

Matthew 12:2 — The Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for doing what was unlawful under Pharisaic tradition, namely, "reaping" on the Sabbath. [Note: Mishnah Shabbath 7:2.] The Mishnah listed 39 categories of activity that qualified as work on the Sabbath. "The Mishnah includes Sabbath-desecration among those most heinous crimes for which a man was to be stoned." [Note: Edersheim, The Life . . ., 2:52. Mishnah Shabbath 7:4.]

Mark 1:16-20 — 2. The first disciples of the Servant 1:16-20 (cf. Matthew 4:16-22; Luke 5:1-11) The account of the calling of these first disciples clarifies that repenting and believing the gospel (Mark 1:15) should result in abandoning one’s former life to follow Jesus from then on. This is the appropriate response that Mark commended to his readers with these disciples’ example.

Mark 8:13 — Jesus again left unbelievers (cf. Mark 4:35; Mark 7:24). He acted in keeping with His pronounced judgment. He departed for the northeast coast of the lake. From now on, Jesus’ ministry focused more on His disciples than on the public. This incident was and is a lesson to disciples on the importance of accepting the evidence that Jesus has given concerning His supernatural person.

Luke 20:1-4 — C. Jesus’ teachings in the temple 20:1-21:4 Luke presented Jesus’ teachings in the temple as beginning with opposition from the religious leaders and leading on to Jesus’ condemnation of them. He evidently wanted to highlight the reasons for God’s passing over Israel and working with Gentiles equally in the present era. All of what follows in this section happened on Wednesday of "passion week."

Luke 20:27-40 — 4. The problem of the resurrection 20:27-40 (cf. Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27) This incident was also relevant for Luke’s original Greek readers. The question of the resurrection of the body was important in Greek philosophy (cf. 1 Corinthians 15). Luke used this incident in his narrative to bring Jesus’ confrontations with His critics in the temple courtyard to a climax.

John 15:24-25 — These verses amplify the former two. They also add the idea that the world’s hatred did not jeopardize God’s redemptive plan. Its hatred was part of what God predicted would accompany Messiah’s mission. The Jews’ own Scriptures condemned their unbelief. Probably the quotation comes from Psalms 69:4. David experienced hatred for no reason. How much more would the Son of David experience it?

John 20:24-29 — 4. The transformed faith of Thomas 20:24-29 The last witness to Jesus’ resurrection in John’s Gospel is Thomas, and the record of it has two parts. The first part sets the scene for the second (cf. ch. 21). John is the only evangelist who recorded this post-resurrection appearance. Thomas’ confession is John’s climactic argument for belief in Jesus as the divine Messiah, the Christ.

John 4:38 — The proverb was true in the situation of Jesus and His disciples. The purpose of the disciples’ calling was reaping believers in Jesus. The Apostle John did not record Jesus’ commissioning them for that purpose earlier, but that was His purpose (cf. John 4:2). The Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist had sowed, but now Jesus and His disciples were reaping (cf. Acts 2).

Acts 18:18-22 — 4. The beginning of ministry in Asia 18:18-22 Paul had attempted to reach the province of Asia earlier (Acts 16:6). Now the Lord permitted him to go there but from the west rather than from the east. Luke recorded his initial contact in Ephesus in this section to set the scene for his ministry there when he returned from Syrian Antioch (ch. 19).

Romans 13:6 — This double duty to government and God should also make the Christian submissive when the bill for his taxes falls due. Government workers are indirectly God’s servants, and we should support God’s servants (Luke 10:7). Individual rulers may be unworthy, but the institution is not. Governments cannot function without incomes. This is the third time Paul referred to government (twice in Romans 13:4).

1 Corinthians 4:18 — Some of the Corinthians who did not value Paul as highly as they should have had become puffed up in their own estimation of themselves and their ideas (cf. 1 Corinthians 4:6). They had done so as though they would not face him again. Evidently they felt he would not return to Corinth, and even if he did, they could overcome his influence.

Philippians 4:22 — "All the saints" probably refers to the Christians at Rome. Of these, some were employees of the imperial government. [Note: Cf. Robertson, 4:463.] Paul had already referred to the praetorian guards, some of whom had evidently become believers (Philippians 1:13). Since Philippi as a colony had close ties with Rome, it is likely that some of the Roman Christians had friends in the Philippian church.

Colossians 3:1-6 — IV. EXHORTATIONS TO PRACTICAL CHRISTIAN LIVING 3:1-4:6 Paul moved from doctrine to practice, from the truth to its application in daily living. He began this next major section of the epistle by setting forth a basic principle. Then he explained the proper method of living. This led him to discuss the Christian’s fundamental relationships. He concluded this section by summarizing the essential practice.

1 Timothy 6:3-10 — B. False teachers 6:3-10 Paul returned to instructions concerning the false teachers (cf. 1 Timothy 1:3-11; 1 Timothy 4:1-5) to alert Timothy to their underlying attitudes so he could deal with them effectively. ". . . Paul issues a kind of ’wanted poster.’ It is the counterpart to the ’job description’ given in chapter 3." [Note: Towner, 1-2 Timothy . . ., p.135.]