Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• 2. Israel's departure from Yahweh 8:33-35
  After Gideon's death the Israelites again wandered from the Lord (cf. 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). They even made a covenant with Baal in disobedience to God's law. "Baal-berith"(v. 33) means "Baal of the covenant."Ironica...
• Samson and Delilah 16:4-21
  The first three verses present Samson sowing "wild oats."Verses 4-21 picture him reaping a bitter harvest (cf. Gal. 6:7).Samson allowed a woman to seduce him again. She lived in the Sorek Valley between Samson's home area of ...
• Message6
  First and 2 Samuel are really one story. The translators divided them into two books for convenience, not because of subject matter.First Samuel records Israel's transition from amphictyony to monarchy.The key passage that ex...
• The fruit of peace 3:1-10
  The trust of the wise son (vv. 5-6) comes from heeding sound teaching (vv. 1-4), and it leads to confident obedience (vv. 7-9)."Teaching"(v. 1, Heb. torah) means "law"or, more fundamentally, "direction."Here the context sugge...
• The price of unfaithfulness 5:7-14
  The price of unfaithfulness is so high that it is unreasonable. Therefore one is wise to avoid tempting himself or herself by continuing to admire the "merchandise."Most marital infidelity occurs because the parties involved ...
• Transforming salvation 55:6-13
  This pericope repeats and refocuses the invitation just extended (vv. 1-3). The offer continues to be to come to God, but the focus shifts from receiving satisfaction to resting in faith and from salvation's freeness to its t...
• A warning to the elders of God's people 14:1-5
  14:1-2 Some of the elders of the Jewish community in exile came to visit Ezekiel. While these men sat with the prophet, a word from the Lord came to him.14:3 The Lord revealed to His servant that these elders (along with the ...
• Their calling 5:11-16
  Jesus proceeded to clarify His disciples' calling and ministry in the world to encourage them to endure persecution and to fulfill God's purpose for them."Some might think that verses 11-12 constitute the concluding Beatitude...
• The two trees 7:15-20 (cf. Luke 6:43-44)
  7:15 Jesus here sounded a warning that the Old Testament prophets also gave about false prophets (cf. Deut. 13; 18; Jer. 6:13-15; 8:8-12; Ezek. 13; 22:27; Zeph 3:4). He did not explain exactly what they would teach, only that...
• 3. Warnings about personal danger during persecution 13:9-13 (cf. Matt. 24:9-13; Luke 21:12-19)
  These warnings also occur in other contexts of Jesus' ministry (cf. Matt. 10:17-22; Luke 12:11-12). Jesus evidently voiced them more than once.Mark stressed the idea of persecution by recording the Greek word paradidomithree ...
• The challenge to professing believers 8:31-47
  Jesus next addressed those in His audience who had expressed some faith Him (v. 30).8:31 The mark of a true disciple is continuation in the instructions of his or her teacher. A disciple is by definition a learner, not necess...
• B. Jesus' teachings about motivation for service 21:15-23
  Jesus now proceeded to use the miracle that He had just performed as the background for important instruction. John presented Jesus doing this many times in this Gospel. The repetition of this pattern in the epilogue is an ev...
• Paul's address to the Ephesian elders 20:17-35
  "Paul's farewell address to the Ephesian elders is the nearest approximation to the Pauline letters in Acts. Its general content recalls how in his letters Paul encouraged, warned, and exhorted his converts. Moreover, its the...
• 1. Freedom from sin 6:1-14
  Paul began his explanation of the believer's relationship to sin by expounding the implications of our union with Christ (6:1-14). He had already spoken of this in 5:12-21 regarding justification, but now he showed how that u...
• 3. Conduct in view of our hope 13:11-14
  Paul's thought moved from identifying responsibilities to urging their practice. What lies before us as Christians provides essential motivation for doing so.13:11 "This"refers to the duties urged earlier, not only in this ch...
• The negative alternative 15:12-19
  Paul first appealed to the Corinthians' logic.365Here it becomes clear for the first time in the chapter that some of them were saying that there is no resurrection of the dead. If they were correct, they had neither a past n...
• B. Spiritual warfare 6:10-20
  That this section is distinct from the five that precede it is evident from two facts. Paul introduced it differently, and the emphasis in it is on God's resources. Earlier Paul urged the strengthening and growth of the body ...
• A. Thanksgiving 1:3-8
  The apostle proceeded to express his sincere gratitude to God for his friends in Philippi. He did this to assure them of God's continuing working for them and his satisfaction with their partnership in the work of the gospel....
• Paul's greater goal 3:8-11
  3:8 Paul had regarded his advantages over other people as what put him in a specially good position with God. However, he had come to realize that absolutely nothing apart from Jesus Christ's work on the cross was of any valu...
• Historical background
  Timothy apparently became a Christian as a result of Paul's missionary work in Lystra (Acts 14:6-23). He joined Paul on the second missionary journey when the apostle's evangelistic team passed through that area where Timothy...
• 2. A negative warning 1:18-20
  Paul next balanced his positive encouragement based on God's dealings with himself (vv. 12-17) with a negative warning based on God's dealings with two unfaithful ministers. He did this to challenge Timothy further to remain ...
• E. The problem of apostasy in the church 4:1-5
  In this pericope Paul reminded Timothy of the apostasy that Jesus Christ had foretold to equip him to identify and to deal with it.143"The change that occurs at 4:1 following the hymn of victory, then, is not unexpected. Oppo...
• A. The leader's personal life and public ministry 4:6-16
  Paul wrote these positive directions to enable Timothy to overcome the influences of the ascetic apostates that threatened the church at Ephesus. He also wrote to remind him of the importance of his personal life and public m...
• C. Those committed to Christ 6:11-16
  Paul continued the emphasis he began in the previous section (vv. 3-10) by appealing to Timothy to pursue spiritual rather than physical goals in his life. He seems to have intended his instructions for all the faithful Ephes...
• Message2
  Paul had previously written to Timothy explaining that the local church is a supporting pedestal for God's truth (1 Tim. 3:15). He had said that the purpose of the local church is the proclamation of God's truth in the world....
• Outline
  I. Salutation 1:1-2II. Thanksgiving for faithful fellow workers 1:3-18A. Timothy's past faithfulness 1:3-7B. Charges to remain loyal 1:8-141. Exhortation to be courageous 1:8-122. Exhortation to guard the gospel 1:13-14C. Exa...
• 1. Timothy's duty 2:1-7
  2:1 Paul's charge in this verse is a general one. Specific responsibilities follow. On the basis of what he had already written Paul urged his son (Gr. teknon, lit. child, an affectionate term) to let Christ's grace empower h...
• 1. Faithfulness in public ministry 2:14-18
  2:14 This verse is transitional. Timothy was to keep reminding his "faithful men"of the things Paul had just brought back to his own recollection (i.e., vv. 3-13, but especially vv. 11-13).Furthermore, he should warn them aga...
• 2. Faithfulness in personal life 2:19-21
  2:19 Even though some in the church were upsetting and being upset, the church itself had stood and would continue to stand firm (Gr. perfect tense; cf. vv. 20-21; 1 Cor. 3:10-12; Eph. 2:20-22; 1 Tim. 3:15). The witness (seal...
• 3. Summary applications 2:22-26
  2:22 Paul urged Timothy to run away from the attractive desires that appeal especially to the young. In view of the context he was probably thinking of the desire to argue, to develop a unique theology, to make a reputation f...
• 1. Evidences of faithlessness 3:1-7
  3:1 Paul had given Timothy some instruction concerning the apostasy of the last days in his first epistle (4:1-3). Now he gave much more. The "last days"refers to the days preceding the Lord's return for His own (i.e., the Ra...
• 2. Proclamation of the truth 4:1-5
  4:1 Paul wanted Timothy to proclaim the truth in his public ministry as well as to adhere to it in his personal life. He introduced the command in verse 2 with a very solemn preamble in verse 1 (cf. 1 Tim. 5:21; 6:13). He rem...
• A. Fellow workers and an opponent 4:9-15
  4:9-10 Paul urged Timothy to join him in Rome soon. He did not expect to live much longer (cf. v. 6)."The constitutional method of inflicting capital punishment on a Roman citizen was by the lictor's axe. The criminal was tie...
• Titus' responsibility 3:9-11
  3:9 On the other hand Titus should shun what was worthless and unprofitable. In view of the context Paul especially meant those things the false teachers were promoting (1:14; 1 Tim. 1:3-7; 6:4; 2 Tim. 2:23). Examples of thes...
• 3. The dreadful alternative 6:4-8
  The writer pointed out the consequences of not pressing on to maturity to motivate his readers to pursue spiritual growth diligently.Christians have interpreted this passage in many different ways. Some believe that those who...
• 3. The importance of loving peace 3:17-18
  3:17 In contrast, the wisdom God gives has several characteristics. It is pure, meaning free of the defilements mentioned. It is peaceable, namely, peace-loving, peace-practicing, and peace-yielding. It is gentle or considera...
• 1. The hope of our salvation 1:3-5
  1:3 Peter called his readers to bless (praise) God for giving us a living hope. This undying hope rests on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we shall live. Our new birth gave us this resurrected life of Chri...
• 4. The importance of resisting the devil 5:8-11
  5:8 Trust in God is not all that we need, however. We also need to practice self-control and to keep alert (cf. 1:13; 4:7) because Satan is on the prowl (cf. Job 1:7; Matt. 26:41; 1 Cor. 16:13). Peter's readers were in danger...
• The enticements of the world 2:15-17
  John next warned his readers of worldly dangers that face the Christian as he or she seeks to get to know God better. He did so to enable them to prepare for and to overcome these obstacles with God's help."As often in 1 John...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• The Foundation And The Seal
  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'--2 Tim. 2:19.THERE was a great deal in the Apost...
• The Great House And Its Vessels
  But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honou...