Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• 14. The sacrifice of Isaac 22:1-19
  In obedience to God's command Abraham took his promised heir to Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord. Because Abraham was willing to slay his uniquely begotten son God restrained him from killing Isaac and promised to bless hi...
• The application of the tithe of produce 14:22-29
  There was a yearly tithe (vv. 22-27) and an additional three-year tithe (vv. 28-29) in Israel. The Israelites were to invite the Levites to the celebration at the tabernacle when the Israelites consumed the yearly tithe (v. 2...
• The rights of the poor and vulnerable in Israel 15:1-18
  The Israelites were not only to care for the Levites (14:27, 29) and the aliens, orphans, and widows (14:29) but also other individuals in the nation who were in need (15:1-18).15:1-11 "It is appropriate to deal with the law ...
• Lending with interest 23:19-20
  The Israelites could charge interest when they made loans to non-Israelites, but they were not to charge their brethren interest (vv. 19-20; cf. Exod. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37).". . . the evidence shows that ancient rates of inte...
• Sharing spoil with the Judahites 30:26-31
  David also distributed some of the war plunder to the elders of Judah.293He evidently did so because he viewed the booty as coming from the enemies of all Judah, even the enemies of the Lord (v. 26). He may have also done thi...
• 3. Prospect for future richness 126:5-6
  For the returned exiles farming was a painful pursuit since the ground had become hard and wild because no one had cultivated it. However the farmer who worked hard could expect a rich harvest in the future. Future joy would ...
• C. The oracle against Moab ch. 48
  This oracle is similar to the one in Isaiah 15 and 16.555Other oracles against Moab appear in Ezekiel 25:8-11, Amos 2:1-3, and Zephaniah 2:9, but this is the longest one. It is very difficult to say when Jeremiah gave this or...
• God's will concerning love 5:43-47 (cf. Luke 6:27-36)
  5:43 Jesus quoted the Old Testament again (Lev. 19:18), but this time He added a corollary that the rabbis, not Moses, provided. Nowhere does the Old Testament advocate hating one's enemies. However this seemed to many of the...
• 3. The appearance to the Eleven minus Thomas on Easter evening 20:19-23 (cf. Mark 16:14-18; Luke 24:36-43)
  This pericope contains another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus that bolstered the disciples' faith. It also contains John's account of the Great Commission.20:19 John moved his readers directly from the events of Easter...
• The return trip to Syrian Antioch 14:21b-28
  14:21b-22 The missionaries confined their labors to the Galatian province on this trip. They did not move farther east into the kingdom of Antiochus or the province Cilicia that Paul may have evangelized previously during his...
• 2. God's election of Israel 9:6-13
  Paul's train of thought unfolds as follows in these verses. Because God's election of Israel did not depend on natural descent (vv. 6-10) or human merit (vv. 11-14), Israel's disobedience cannot nullify God's sovereign purpos...
• 2. The basic principle 7:17-24
  At this point Paul moved back from specific situations to basic principles his readers needed to keep in mind when thinking about marriage (cf. vv. 1-7). He drew his illustrations in this section from circumcision and slavery...
• B. Final greetings and benediction 16:19-24
  "The letter now concludes with a series of standard (for Paul) greetings (vv. 19-22) and the grace-benediction (v. 23). But Paul cannot quite give up the urgency of the letter, so he interrupts these two rather constant eleme...
• III. INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE COLLECTION FOR THE POOR SAINTS IN JUDEA 8:1--9:15
  The New Testament reveals that Paul was actively collecting money for "the poor among the saints in Jerusalem"(Rom. 15:26) for about five years (52-57 A.D.). He solicited funds from the Christians in Galatia (Acts 18:23; 1 Co...
• Historical Background
  "The most uncontroverted matter in the study of Galatians is that the letter was written by Paul, the Christian apostle whose ministry is portrayed in the Acts of the Apostles."1The Apostle Paul directed this epistle to the c...
• Outline8
  I. Introduction 1:1-10A. Salutation 1:1-5B. Denunciation 1:6-10II. Personal defense of Paul's gospel 1:11-2:21A. Independence from other apostles 1:11-241. The source of Paul's gospel 1:11-172. The events of Paul's early mini...
• A. Salutation 1:1-5
  Paul began this epistle with a word of greeting for his readers to introduce himself as the writer and to emphasize the divine source of his apostolic commission.1:1 The nickname (cognomen) "Paul"is from the Latin Paulus, whi...
• B. Denunciation 1:6-10
  In these opening words Paul rebuked his readers for turning away from the gospel that he had preached to them and for turning toward a different "gospel."He accused them of being religious turncoats. He did so to impress them...
• II. PERSONAL DEFENSE OF PAUL'S GOSPEL 1:11--2:21
  The first of the three major sections of the epistle begins here. We could classify them as history (1:11-2:21), theology (chs. 3-4), and ethics (5:1-6:10).". . . Paul was . . . following the logic of the Christian life: Beca...
• The continuance of faith after the giving of the Law 3:15-18
  3:15-16 Paul now turned to the objection that when God gave the Law He terminated justification by faith alone. He reminded his readers, with a human analogy, that even wills and contracts made between human beings remained i...
• 2. The historical illustration 4:12-20
  Paul appealed next to his past contacts with the Galatians and called on them to remember his visits to Galatia to move them to abandon nomism."If the reader is inclined to think Paul has been impersonal in dealing with the p...
• 2. Living without license 5:13-15
  Paul urged his readers to live unbound to the Law of Moses (5:1-12). He also warned them against using their liberty as a license to sin to prevent them from overreacting."The theme of love . . . informs all of Paul's exhorta...
• B. Responsibilities of the Christian life 6:1-10
  Being free from the Mosaic Law does not mean being free from responsibility. In this section Paul explained various responsibilities that Christians have to one another to clarify the will of God for his readers. Manifesting ...
• 2. Toward burdened Christians 6:2-5
  6:2 In view of the context probably the burden Paul had in mind was an excessive burden of particular temptation and struggle with the flesh (cf. Rom. 15:1). This could be a burden caused by social, economic, spiritual, or ot...
• 3. Toward teachers 6:6-9
  6:6 Here is a specific example of mutual burden bearing. Perhaps the Judaizers were telling the Galatians not to support financially those who taught them. Under Judaism pupils paid a tax, and the teachers' pay came through t...
• V. CONCLUSION 6:11-18
  In this section Paul summarized some of his more important points. He also appealed to his readers again to urge them to follow through and to put into practice what he had taught them."Before concluding his letter Paul retur...
• Bibliography
  Allen, Kenneth W. "Justification by Faith."Bibliotheca Sacra135:538 (April-June 1978):109-16.Andrews, Mary E. "Paul and Repentance."Journal of Biblical Literature54:2 (June 1935):125.Barclay, William. The Letters to the Galat...
• The introductory charge to rejoice in the Lord 3:1
  Having created joy in his readers by referring to the sterling examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus, Paul warned them about certain other people who professed to be servants of God.He introduced this section of his epistle wi...
• V. Greetings and benediction 4:21-23
  Paul concluded this warm, positive epistle with some greetings and a final benediction. He did this to cement good relations with the Philippians and to point them again in closing to the Lord Jesus Christ. This closing secti...
• E. Individual behavior 5:16-24
  The preceding exhortations led Paul naturally to focus on other individual responsibilities to enable his readers to perceive their personal Christian duty clearly (cf. Gal. 6). However all these things are the duties of Chri...
• VI. CONCLUSION 3:16-18
  Paul concluded this epistle with an emphasis on unity in the church to motivate his readers to work out their problems and reestablish peaceful conditions that would glorify God.3:16 He concluded with two more prayers, his fo...
• VII. Conclusion 5:12-14
  Peter concluded this epistle with a final exhortation and greetings from those with him and himself to encourage his readers further.5:12 Silvanus is the Roman form of the Greek name Silas. This Silas may very well have been ...
• B. The Believer's Needs 1:5-9
  Having established the believer's basic adequacy through God's power in him and God's promises to him, Peter next reminded his readers of their responsibility to cultivate their own Christian growth. He did so to correct any ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• Forms Versus Character
  Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.'--1 Cor. 7:19.For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love...
• Doing Good To All
  "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all…'--Gal. 6:10.As we have therefore'--that points a finger backwards to what has gone before. The Apostle has been exhorting to unwearied well-doing, on the ground...
• The Owner's Brand
  I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.'--Gal. 6:17.THE reference in these words is probably to the cruel custom of branding slaves as we do cattle, with initials or signs, to show their ownership. It is true that in o...