Bible Commentaries

Matthew 5:19 — cualquiera que quebrante uno de estos mandamientos muy pequeños, y así enseñe a los hombres, muy pequeño será llamado en el reino de los cielos: mas cualquiera que los haga y los enseñe ellos , éste será llamado grande en el reino de los cielos. Ver. 19. Cualquiera, pues, quebrantare uno de estos mandamientos más pequeños] Así los fariseos llamaron y contaron estas cosas más importantes de la ley en comparación con sus diezmos, Mateo 23:23 , y tradiciones, Mateo 15:3 . Consideraban un pecado tan

Matthew 6:16 — yea, even after the Lord’s ascension, when God’s grace and Spirit was poured upon them in all abundance, Luke 5:33 . This exercise hath still the warrant and weight of a duty, as well from precepts as examples of both Testaments. Joel 2:12 ; Isaiah 22:12 ; Matthew 9:14-15 Acts 13:3 ; 1 Corinthians 7:5 And he that blamed the Pharisees here for fasting amiss, will much more blame those that fast not at all. The Israelites (besides other occasional) had their annual fast appointed them

Acts 21:32 — were out of an engine, απο μηχανης . They left beating of Paul — Who could better bear it, because he had felt worse fingers than theirs, when that messenger of Satan buffeted him, 2 Corinthians 12:7 . And surely if the philosopher (when brayed in a mortar by his cruel Scythians) could bear it patiently, saying, Beat on Anacharsis’ wind bang, meaning his body, Tundite Anach. folliculum. much more could the apostle by the force of his faith.

Acts 22:22 — Maledic Domine Nazaraeis. Gog, curse the Nazarene. They stick not to say that rather than we should have any benefit by their Messiah, they would crucify him a hundred times over. Thus to this present they please not God, and are contrary to all men, 1 Thessalonians 2:15 . We must pity them and pray for them, as Psalms 14:7 . Lopez the traitor, at Tyburn, affirmed that he loved Queen Elizabeth as he loved Jesus Christ; which from a Jew was heard not without laughter. (Camd. Eliz.)

Romans 13:3 — power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For rulers, are not, … — They should not be. But Jeroboam set a net on Mizpeh, and spread a snare upon Tabor, to watch who would go from him to Judah to worship, Hosea 5:1 . A terror to good works, but to the evil — The sword of justice (saith one) must be furbished with the oil of mercy; yet there are cases wherein severity ought to cast the scale. Duresce, Duresce, o infaelix Lantgravie, Be sern, be stern oh unhappy

1 Corinthians 11:30 — ordinance? Nadab and Abihu can tell you that the flames of jealousy are hottest about the altar. Uzzah and the Bethshemites, though dead, do yet tell you that justice as well as mercy is most active about the ark. Judgment begins at God’s own house, 1 Peter 4:17 ; and the destroying angel begins at the sanctuary, Ezekiel 9:6 .

1 Corinthians 2:12 — know the things that are freely given to us of God. Not the spirit of the world — The world lieth down in that unclean one, and is under the power and vassalage of that spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience, as a smith in his forge, 1 John 5:19 ; Ephesians 2:2 . It is wholly "set upon wickedness," as Aaron saith of the people, Exodus 32:22 . That we might know — A sweet mercy; the cormorants of the world will not let their heirs know what they will do for them till

1 Corinthians 3:4 — while his lawful wife was yet alive? And might he not deceive and be deceived in other things as well as in that? (Zanch. Miscel. Epist. Dedicat.) Are ye not carnal? — Nay, will not the world think ye are mad? as the apostle speaks in a like case, 1 Corinthians 14:23 . Will they not think worse. See John 17:21 ; John 17:23 . If Christians unite not, if they fall out and wrangle, the world will think "thou never sentest me," saith our Saviour.

1 Corinthians 6:1 — Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Go to law before the unjust — All unbelievers are, 1. Void of Christ’s righteousness imputed; 2. Of true civil righteousness, as being self-seekers in all. 3. They oppress the saints, and draw them before the judgment seats,James 2:6; James 2:6 , where they are so ill dealt with oftentimes, that

1 Corinthians 6:11 — name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. Such were some of you — Oh, the infinite goodness of God, that would once look upon such walking dunghills, such monstrous miscreants! But ye are washed — In general; as in particular, 1. Ye are sanctified And that by the Spirit of our God. 2. Ye are justified And that in the name, or by the righteousness, of our Lord Jesus Christ. His blood cleanseth us from sins, both guiltiness and filthiness. It is like to those sovereign mundifying

2 Corinthians 10:5 — Job’s wife, is always drawing us from God. Out-of-doors with this Hagar. And bringing into captivity — See here the process of St Paul’s ministry. He overthrows, captivates, subdues to the obedience of the Lord Christ. See the like, Jeremiah 1:10 . Chosroes, king of Parthia, was so subdued by the Romans, that he made a law that none of his successors should ever wage war with them again. So here.

Ephesians 5:15 — may say safely, Lord, if I be deceived, thou and thy word have deceived me. Not as fools — Christians must excel others, standing as standard bearers. But as wise — Great need we have to fly to Christ, who dwells with prudence, Proverbs 8:1-36 , to stand upon our watch. ( Σοφος ab Heb. Tsopheh. Speculator.) And when we walk, to tread gingerly, step warily; since as those funambulones, rope walkers (it is Tertullian’s comparison), if we tread but one

Ephesians 6:13 — shoots, saith Greenham, with Satan in his own bow, who thinks by disputing and reasoning to put him off. To argue the case with him is but, as the proverb hath it, to light a candle to the devil. Button up his mouth therefore, as our Saviour did, Mark 1:25 , and buckle close to him and he will fly, James 4:7 , for he is but a coward. " Est leo si fugias; si stas, quasi musca recedit. " And having done all to stand — Charles V while he was putting on his armour looked pale, and seemed

1 Thessalonians 2:13 — the word of God — With reverence and diligence, with all good affection and attention. When Samuel knew it was God that called him (and not Eli) he had no more mind to sleep. "We are all here present before God," saith Cornelius, Acts 10:33 . And "God is in you of a truth," saith the Corinthian convert, 1 Corinthians 14:25 .

1 Thessalonians 5:18 — concerning you. In everything give thanks — If God give prosperity, praise him, and it shall be increased, saith Augustine. If adversity, praise him, and it shall be removed, or at least sanctified. Job blessed God as well for taking as giving, Job 1:20-22 . He knew that God afflicted him, non ad exitium, sed ad exercitium, to refine him, not to ruin him. But this is Christianorum propria virtus, saith Jerome, a practice proper to Christians, to be heartily thankful for crosses. Basil spends all

1 Timothy 2:1 — I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; Supplications — Or, deprecations indited by that Spirit of supplication, or of deprecation, as some render it,Zechariah 11:10; Zechariah 11:10 . Prayers — Strictly taken for petitions or requests of good at God’s hands, which go commonly accompanied with vows of better obedience, as Genesis 28:21-22 Psalms 51:14 . Hence they have their name, προσευχαι

1 Timothy 5:16 — any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed. Have widows — That are widows indeed, that have neither children nor nephews to relieve them, 1 Timothy 5:3 , of whom by the law of nature they may require θρεπτηρια , aliment and assistence. And let not the church be charged — How then will church robbers answer it, if church chargers be in fault?

1 Timothy 6:5 — truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. Perverse disputings — ταραδιατριβαι , endless and needless discourses and exercises, opposite to those above, 1 Timothy 4:13-15 . The Greek word signifieth galling one another with disputes, or rubbing one against another, as scabbed sheep will, and so spreading the infection. Of men of corrupt minds — That lack not time but waste it, aliud agendo. As Lactantius

2 Timothy 4:1 — Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; I charge thee therefore — Matters of greatest importance must be pressed with greatest vehemence. As God putteth not forth great power but for great purpose, Ephesians 1:18-19 , so neither must we use great earnestness but in affairs of great moment. It is a weakness to be hot in a cold matter, but worse to be cold in a hot matter. Farellus persuading Calvin (then a young student, and bound for Italy) to stay and help

1 Peter 1:10 — it, since such men took such pains upon it. Base spirits are busied about light matters; as Domitian spent his time in catching flies, Artaxerxes in making knife hafts; not so Caleb, "who had another spirit, and followed God wholly," Numbers 14:24 . So did the ancient prophets, as Isaiah: while the merry Greeks were taken up at their Olympic games in the year 1590 from the Flood, the prophet Isaiah seeth that heavenly vision of Christ sitting on his throne, and heareth that thrice happy Trisagion,