Bible Commentaries

Matthew 3:13 — Matthew 3:13 . Τότε παρα . ο Ἰ .… Γαλιλαίας : then , after John had described the Messiah, appears on the scene ( παραγίνεται , the historical present again, as in Matthew 3:1 , with dramatic effect) from Galilee , where He has lived since childhood, Jesus

Mark 3:28 — Mark 3:28 . ἀμὴν : solemn word, introducing a solemn speech uttered in a tone not to be forgotten. πάντα ἀφεθήσεται , all things shall be forgiven; magnificently broad proclamation of the wideness of God’s mercy. The saying as reproduced in Luke 12:10

John 4:1 — fariseos, quienes se resintieron por Su bautismo. Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω … ἢ Ἰωάννης. οὖν continúa la narración con secuencia lógica, conectando lo que sigue con lo que va antes; aquí conecta lo que ahora se relaciona con la popularidad del bautismo de Jesús, Juan 3:22 ; Juan 3:26 . ὁ κύριος, tan inusual en este Evangelio que algunos editores leen Ἰησοῦς, para el cual hay poca autoridad. Pero donde el evangelista no está reportando un discurso contemporáneo sino hablando por su propia persona, κύριος es natural.

Acts 12:11 — compound only found in Luke and Paul; four times in Luke’s Gospel, six or seven times in Acts, and Galatians 4:4 ; Galatians 4:6 ; very frequent in LXX, and used also in active voice by Polybius. ἐξείλετο ἐκ χ .: close parallels in LXX, cf. Exodus 3:8 , 2 Samuel 22:1 , Isaiah 43:13 , Bar 4:18 ; Bar 4:21 , etc. ἐκ χειρὸς : Hebraism, cf. Luke 1:74 . The expression is also classical, Blass, Gram. , p. 127, for close parallel. προσδοκία : only in Luke here and in Luke 21:26 , cf. Genesis 49:10 ,

Acts 12:3 — Acts 12:3 . ἀρεστόν … τοῖς Ἰ : exactly what we should expect from the character and policy of Herod in his zeal for the law, and from the success with which during his short reign he retained the favour of Jews and Romans alike. Holtzmann, p. 370, seems inclined

Acts 20:30 — Acts 20:30 . καὶ ἐξ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν αὐτῶς : αὐτῶν adds emphasis, “from your own selves”. The Pastoral Epistles afford abundant evidence of the fulfilment of the words, cf. 1 Timothy 1:20 , 2Ti 1:15 ; 2 Timothy 2:17 ; 2Ti 3:8 ; 2 Timothy 3:13 . To some

Acts 4:19 — Acts 4:19 . Parallel sayings may be quoted from Greeks and Romans, and from Jewish sources, see instances in Wetstein, cf. Plato, Apol. , 29, ., the famous words of Socrates: πεισόμεθα τῷ θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ὑμῖν , and Livy, xxxix., 37; Jos., Ant. , xvii., 6, 3; xviii. 8, 2; on ἐνώπιον see Acts 4:10 ; ἀκούειν = πειθαρχεῖν , Acts 5:29 , and cf. Acts 3:22 , Luke 10:16 ; Luke 16:31 ; μᾶλλον = potius, cf. Romans 14:13 , 1 Corinthians 7:21 . κρίνατε : this appeal to the Sadducees could

Acts 7:26 — Acts 7:26 . ὥφθη : Wendt commends Bengel, who sees in the word the thought that he appeared ultro, ex improviso, cf. Acts 2:3 , Acts 7:2 , Hebrews 9:28 . συνήλασεν : but if we read συνήλλασσεν , see critical note = imperfect, de conatu, cf. Matthew 3:14 , Luke 1:59 ; Luke 15:14 , Acts 26:11 , see Burton, N. T. Moods and Tenses , p. 12, from συναλλάσσω , only found here in

Galatians 6:11 — dative precludes the rendering, See how large a letter I write , which would require πηλίκα γράμματα : so that the verse obviously calls attention to the large letters employed by the writer from this point onwards. The statement in 2 Thessalonians 3:17 , that he regularly dictated the body of his Epistles ( cf. also Romans 16:22 ), merely attaching his signature by way of attestation, explains this appeal. The size of the letters attested the difficulty which he found in writing with his imperfect

Philippians 2:11 — supr. This is the characteristic confession of the Apostolic Church. It is most significant that Κύριος has no article, which shows that it has become virtually one of Christ’s proper names. See Simcox, Lang. of N.T. , p. 49, and cf. Acts 2:36 , “Know assuredly that God made Him Lord as well as Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (so Hort); 1 Corinthians 12:3 , Romans 10:9 , 1 Corinthians 8:6 , where “One Lord” is parallel to “One God”. Hort (on 1 Peter

Philippians 4:19 — to me His servant for the Gospel’s sake. He, in turn, shall satisfy to the full ( πληρώσει ) every need of yours .” τὸ πλοῦτος must be read. See crit. note supr. So also in 2 Corinthians 8:2 , Ephesians 1:7 ; Ephesians 2:7 ; Ephesians 3:8 ; Ephesians 3:16 , Colossians 1:27 ; Colossians 2:2 . But ὁ πλοῦτος in Ephesians 1:18 , and repeatedly both in nominative, genitive and accusative singular. Modern Greek uses πλοῦτος , βίος , θρῆνος sometimes with ὁ , sometimes with τό . LXX generally

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 — 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 . The security and purity of the Christian life are rested upon its brotherly love (so Ep. Arist., 229); all breaches or defects of ἁγιωσύνη , it is implied, are due to failures there ( cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:6 ); even sensuality

1 Thessalonians 4:8 — specific value. Impurity is a violation of the relationship established by the holy God between Himself and Christians at baptism, when the holy Spirit is bestowed upon them for the purpose of consecrating them to live His life ( cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19 ). The gift of the Spirit here is not regarded as the earnest of the future kingdom (for which immorality will disquality) so much as the motive and power of the new life. διδόντα = “the giver of,” not implying continuous

1 Timothy 3:10 — 1 Timothy 3:10 . δοκιμαζέσθωσαν : Chrys. notes that this corresponds to the provision μὴ νεόφυτον in the case of the episcopus. This testing of fitness for the office of deacon may have been effected either by ( a ) a period of probationary training, if the injunction

Titus 2:9 — Titus 2:9 . δούλους : sc. παρακάλει , Titus 2:6 . For the general topic, and the term δεσπότης , cf. 1 Timothy 6:1 . ἐν πᾶσιν : joined as in text by Jerome, Ambrosiaster and [318] 93 with ὑποτάσσ . It is in favour of this that ἐν πᾶσιν elsewhere in the Pastorals (see note on Titus 2:7 ) is at the end of a clause; also that in similar contexts we have ἐν παντί (Ephesians 5:24 ) and κατὰ πάντα (Colossians 3:22 ) joined with

1 Peter 1:15 — St. Peter combines the Scripture with the Word of Jesus for κατὰ τὸν … corresponds to ὡς of Matthew 5:48 . Gentiles needed God’s summons before they could regard Him as their heavenly Father; hence Him that called you . Compare Deuteronomy 18:13 (whence τέλειος of Matt. l.c. ) where also contrast with abominations of the heathen. ἅγιον is better taken as predicate than as substantive, since ὁ καλέσας ( καλῶν ) is well-established as a title of God in His relation to Gentile Christians ( cf.

1 Peter 1:23 — 1 Peter 1:23 . ἀναγεγεννημένοι . So St. John ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους ὅτι … πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται ; cf. Ephesians 4:17 ; Ephesians 5:2 . ἐκ σπορᾶς ἀφθάρτου , i.e. , of God regarded as Father and perhaps also as Sower ( cf. 1 Peter 1:24 ); the two conceptions

1 John 4:9 — God because it is a manifestation of the divine nature, and the divine nature is love. ἐν ἡμῖν , “in our souls” an inward experience. Cf. Galatians 1:16 : ἀποκαλύψαι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐμοί . μονογενῆ , cf. Luke 7:12 ; Luke 8:42 ; Luke 9:38 . St. John applies the term exclusively to Jesus. It carries the idea of preciousness; cf. LXX Psalms 22:20 ; Psalms 35:17 , where יְחִידָתִי , “my dear life,” is rendered τὴν μονογενῆ μου . ἀπέσταλκεν . “hath sent as an ἀπόστολος

1 John 5:18 — 1 John 5:18 . Our Security through the Guardianship of Christ. οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει , see note on 1 John 3:6 . The child of God may fall into sin, but he does not continue in it; he is not under its dominion. Why? Because, though he has a malignant foe, he has also a vigilant Guardian. ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ , i.e. , Christ. Cf. Symb. Nic. : Κύριον Ἰησοῦν

Revelation 1:17 — Revelation 1:17 . ἔπεσα κ . τ . λ ., the stereotyped behaviour ( cf. Numbers 24:4 ) in such apocalyptic trances (Weinel, 129, 182, R. J. 375 f.; for the terror of spiritual experience cf. Schiller’s lines: “Schrecklich ist es Deiner Wahrheit | Sterbliches Gefäss zu seyn”); Jesus, however, does here what Michael (En. lxxi. 3) or some other friendly angel does in most