Bible Commentaries

Mark 6:15-16 — Perhaps the view that Jesus was Elijah owed its origin to John’s description of Jesus as "the Coming One" (Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5; cf. Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Some people concluded that Jesus was a prophet because of His preaching and miracle working powers. Herod’s view that Jesus was John returned to life seems to have originated from his guilty conscience since he had murdered John. Evidently Herod had not heard about Jesus before he killed John.

Mark 9:19 — The unbelieving generation included the father and the crowd. The nine disciples could not exorcize the demon because of their weak faith (cf. Mark 9:29). Jesus’ first rhetorical question expressed frustration that His presence with them had not resulted in greater faith (cf. Mark 4:40; Mark 6:50; Mark 6:52; Mark 8:17-21). His second question reveals the heavy load that their unbelief placed on Him (cf. Mark 3:5; Mark 8:12).

Luke 4:31-44 — 3. Jesus’ ministry in and around Capernaum 4:31-44 The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because they did not believe that He was the Messiah or the Son of God. Luke next gave many proofs of Jesus’ messiahship and deity. He chose incidents from Jesus’ ministry in and around Galilee to demonstrate this. The first four incidents happened in Capernaum and its environs. Even though these incidents involved miracles, they occurred in a broader context of teaching.

John 1:22-23 — In response to the leaders’ question, John the Baptist claimed to be a prophet who was preparing the way for the Lord’s coming. He quoted Isaiah 40:3, which is part of a messianic prophecy (cf. Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). In that prophecy Isaiah predicted the manifestation of God’s glory when Messiah appeared (Isaiah 40:5; cf. John 1:14). Significantly John did not claim to be the Word but only a voice.

John 4:29 — Her hyperbole is understandable, and her example as a witness was a good one for John’s readers. What made her think that Jesus could be the Messiah was not only His claim but His ability to know her past, His words and His works. She wisely framed her thinking about Jesus in the form of a question to elicit investigation rather than as a dogmatic assertion that others would probably have rejected out of hand (cf. John 4:12).

John 4:5 — The site of Sychar is fairly certain because of unbroken tradition and the presence of a water source (John 4:6). It was very near Old Testament Shechem, Joseph’s burial site, near the base of Mounts Ebal and Gerizim (cf. Genesis 33:19; Genesis 48:22; Joshua 24:32). Today the modern town of Nablus stands nearby. Nablus is the modern form of the name that the site later received in honor of the Roman imperial family, Flavia Neapolis.

Acts 11:28 — God fulfilled Agabus’ prophecy (cf. Acts 21:10). In the reign of Emperor Claudius (A.D. 41-54) there was a series of severe famines and poor harvests in various parts of the Roman Empire. [Note: Bruce, Commentary on . . ., p. 243. See also idem, "Chronological Questions . . .," pp. 278-79; and Longenecker, pp. 403-4.] The Romans used the Greek word oikoumene ("world," lit. inhabited world) in exaggeration to refer to the Roman Empire (cf. Luke 2:1).

Acts 2:42-47 — 6. The early state of the church 2:42-47 Luke now moved from describing what took place on a particular day to a more general description of the life of the early Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 4:32 to Acts 5:11; Acts 6:1-6). Interestingly he gave comparatively little attention to the internal life of the church in Acts. His selection of content shows that his purpose was to stress its outward expansion.

Acts 25:14 — Festus apparently wanted to discuss Paul’s case with Agrippa because he needed to clarify the charges against Paul (Acts 25:27). Agrippa had a reputation for being an expert in Jewish matters since he was part Jewish and had grown up in the Herodian family. He was the person to whom Rome had given the authority to appoint the Jewish high priest and to preserve the temple treasury and vestments. [Note: Idem, Antiquities of . . ., 20:9:4, 7.]

Acts 6:12 — Stephen’s accusers stirred up the Jewish people, the Jewish elders (family and tribal leaders), and the scribes (Pharisees) against Stephen. Soldiers then arrested him and brought him before the Sanhedrin as they had done to Jesus, Peter, John, and the other apostles (Acts 4:15; Acts 5:27; cf. Acts 22:30). Until now we have read in Acts that Jewish persecution focused on the apostles, but now we read that other Christians began to experience this persecution.

Acts 9:26-30 — Saul’s reception in Jerusalem 9:26-30 Luke concluded each of his narratives of the Samaritans’ conversion (Acts 8:4-25), Saul’s conversion (Acts 9:1-31), and Cornelius’ conversion (Acts 10:1 to Acts 11:18) with references to the mother church in Jerusalem. He evidently wanted to stress the fact that all these significant advances were part of one great plan that God orchestrated and not just independent occurrences (cf. Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8).

Romans 11:29 — The special privileges that God gave Israel are probably what Paul intended by his reference to God’s gifts (cf. Romans 9:4-5). They have intimate connection with God’s calling of Israel for a special purpose. God will not withdraw these from Israel. He did not choose Israel for her goodness, and He will not abandon her for her badness. Paul said virtually the same thing about the security of individual Christians in Romans 8:31-39.

Romans 11:33-36 — 4. Praise for God’s wise plan 11:33-36 This doxology corresponds to the one at the end of chapter 8 where Paul concluded his exposition of God’s plan for bringing His righteousness to humankind (Romans 8:31-39). There the emphasis was on the people of God. Here it is on the plan of God. "Here theology turns to poetry. Here the seeking of the mind turns to the adoration of the heart." [Note: Barclay, p. 167.]

1 Corinthians 7:32 — Paul wanted his readers to be free from concerns about this present life so devotion to the Lord would be consistent (1 Corinthians 7:35; cf. Matthew 6:25-34; Philippians 4:11; 1 Peter 5:7). He wanted us to live as eschatological people. Our new existence in Christ should determine our lives, not the world in its present form. Buying and marrying should not determine our existence. A clear view of the future should do that.

Ephesians 5:9 — The fruit of the light is those qualities that characterize God’s life (i.e., the fruit that the Spirit produces). The three qualities mentioned here are the opposite of the fruit of darkness (Ephesians 4:18-19). If the child of light does not walk in the light, he will not bear much of the fruit of the light (cf. John 15:1-6). He might even be outwardly indistinguishable from a child of darkness (cf. Matthew 13:24-30).

Colossians 4:5 — The Greek word translated "opportunity" (kairos, lit. time) probably implies the opportune time, as it does in some other places. The opportunity in view seems to be the opportunity to bring others into full union with Christ (cf. Colossians 4:3).

2 Thessalonians 3:10 — Paul reminded his readers of his well-known instruction that he frequently repeated when he was with them. If anyone refused to work, his brothers and sisters in Christ should not provide for him. Paul may have been referring to a Jewish proverb based on Genesis 3:19 a: "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread." [Note: Robertson, 4:59.] The idle in this case were not unable to work but unwilling to work.

1 Timothy 4:11 — Paul charged Timothy to insist regularly on these things that he had just been saying and to teach them to the Ephesians (cf. 1 Timothy 5:7; 1 Timothy 6:2; 2 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 2:14; Titus 2:15). The verbs are in the present tense in Greek suggesting continuing action. These are the first two of 10 imperatives in 1 Timothy 4:11-16. Evidently Timothy needed some prodding to make him more assertive.

Hebrews 10:26-31 — 2. The warning of judgment 10:26-31 The writer turned from positive admonition to negative warning to highlight the seriousness of departing from the Lord. "Between the imperatives of Hebrews 10:22-25; Hebrews 10:32; Hebrews 10:35, the author describes, more fully than in Hebrews 2:2 f.; Hebrews 6:4-6, the nature and consequences of apostasy, previously described as ’falling away from the living God’ (Hebrews 3:12)." [Note: Ellingworth, p. 530.]

James 2:2-4 — 2. The present improper practice 2:2-4 The situation James described in James 2:2-3 presents what some have called "the case of the nearsighted usher." Some interpreters believe this was a hypothetical situation that James constructed. [Note: E.g., Davids, p. 107.] Others believe it was a real situation that he knew about. [Note: E.g., Martin, pp. 60, 63.] There is no way of knowing now, and whether the situation was hypothetical or real is insignificant.