Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• The departure of God's glory from Jerusalem and the end of Ezekiel's vision 11:22-25
  11:22-23 Ezekiel then saw in his vision the glory of God depart from the temple gate and from the city of Jerusalem. He saw the cherubim under Yahweh's throne-chariot bear the Lord east from the entrance of the temple to the ...
• The restoration of the Davidic kingdom 9:11-12
  The rest of the book is quite different from what has preceded because of its positive message. As is true of other eighth-century prophets to Israel and Judah, Amos included hope in his prophecy (cf. Isa. 40-66; Hos. 1:10-2:...
• The final deliverance of Israel and the return of Messiah 14:1-8
  14:1 The Lord announced through His prophet that a day was coming, for His benefit primarily, when the nations that had plundered Israel victoriously would divide their spoil among themselves in Jerusalem. This would be the L...
• Revelation about the church 16:18-20
  16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
• The restoration of a wayward disciple 18:15-20
  Jesus proceeded to explain what a humble disciple should do when a brother or sister disciple has wandered from the Shepherd and the sheep.18:15 By using the term "brother"Jesus encouraged a humble approach. The disciples sho...
• The parable of the fig tree 24:32-36 (cf. Mark 13:28-32; Luke 21:29-33)
  This parable stresses the importance of the signs signifying Jesus' return.24:32-33 The lesson (Gr. parabole, lit. parable) of the fig tree is quite simple. As the appearance of tender twigs and leaves on a fig tree indicate ...
• 6. The time of Jesus' return 13:28-32 (cf. Matt. 24:32-41; Luke 21:29-33)
  Jesus began this discourse with exhortation (vv. 4-13), and He ended it the same way (vv. 28-37).13:28-29 The parable of the fig tree appears in all the synoptic versions of the Olivet Discourse. Jesus had previously used a f...
• 7. The parable of the minas 19:11-27
  This parable serves in Luke's narrative as a conclusion to the section on salvation's recipients (18:9-19:27). It provides something of a denouement(i.e., a final unravelling of the plot) following the excellent example of Za...
• 5. The certainty of these events 21:29-33 (cf. Matt. 24:32-35; Mark 13:28-31)
  Jesus told the parable of the fig tree to illustrate the certainty of what He had prophesied. He then gave other assurances of fulfillment. Luke omitted Jesus' statement that no one would know the day or hour when He would re...
• H. The resurrection of Jesus 24:1-12 (cf. Matt. 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; John 20:1-10)
  Luke's account of the events following Jesus' resurrection stresses the reality of that event and the reactions of the witnesses to it. All these people felt depressed because of Jesus' death, but when they learned of His res...
• The mission of Jesus' disciples 24:44-49 (cf. Acts 1:3-8)
  All the Gospels contain instances of Jesus giving the Great Commission to His disciples, but evidently He did not just give it once. The contexts are different suggesting that He repeated these instructions on at least four s...
• 2. The discovery of Mary Magdalene 20:10-18 (cf. Mark 16:9-11)
  This is the first of four of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances that John included in his Gospel.Jesus' Post-resurrection Appearances627Easter morningto Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18)to other women (Matt. 28:9...
• Structure
  Longenecker identified five phenomena about the structure of Acts that the reader needs to recognize to appreciate what Luke sought to communicate."1. It begins, like the [Third] Gospel, with an introductory section of distin...
• Outline
  I. The witness in Jerusalem 1:1-6:7A. The founding of the church 1:1-2:461. The resumptive preface to the book 1:1-52. The command to witness 1:6-83. The ascension of Jesus 1:9-114. Jesus' appointment of a twelfth apostle 1:1...
• 1. The resumptive preface to the book 1:1-5
  Luke wrote these introductory statements to connect the Book of Acts with his Gospel.17In the former book Luke had recorded what Jesus had begun to do and to teach during His earthly ministry. In this second book he wrote wha...
• 2. The command to witness 1:6-8
  The key to the apostles' successful fulfillment of Jesus' commission was their baptism with and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement they would only have been able to follow Jesus' example,...
• The choice of Matthias 1:15-26
  1:15 In view of Peter's leadership gifts, so obvious in the Gospels, it is no surprise that he is the one who took the initiative on this occasion."Undoubtedly, the key disciple in Luke's writings is Peter. He was the represe...
• Compromise in the Samaritan church 8:14-24
  8:14-17 The 12 apostles were, of course, the divinely appointed leaders of the Christians (ch. 1). It was natural and proper, therefore, that they should send representative apostles to investigate the Samaritans' response to...
• Paul's second conference with the Jewish leaders 28:23-28
  28:23 Luke's concern in this pericope was to emphasize what Paul preached to these men and their reaction to it. The term "kingdom of God"probably means the same thing here as it usually does in the Gospels, namely Messiah's ...
• 1. Israel's rejection not total 11:1-10
  The first pericope gives hope for the future by showing that even now some Jews believe.11:1 The opening question carries on the rhetorical style of 10:18 and 19. God has not rejected the Israelites because they have, on the ...
• C. Personal watchfulness 5:1-11
  In view of the imminency of Christ's return Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to be ready to prepare them to meet the Lord at any time."The former [paragraph, i.e., 4:13-18] offered instruction concerning the dead in Christ; th...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• Ambassadors For Christ
  And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. 7. But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed H...
• I. The Proofs Of The Resurrection Graciously Granted To Incredulous Love (Luke 24:30-43).
  The disciples were probably assembled in the upper room, where the Lord's Supper had been instituted, and which became their ordinary meeting-place (Acts 1.) up till Pentecost. What sights that room saw! There, when night had...
• The Ascension
  The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2. Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles whom Ha had...
• The Unknown To-Morrow
  A New Year's SermonIt is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.'--Acts 1:7.THE New Testament gives little encouragement to a sentimental view of life. Its writers had too muc...
• The Charter Of Gentile Liberty
  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men...
• III. The Reference To Christ As The Judge Suggests A Final Motive For A Life Of Suppression Of The Lower Nature, The Near Approach Of The End Of All Things.
  The distinct statement by our Lord in Acts 1:7 excludes the knowledge of the time of the end from the revelation granted to the Apostles, so that there need be no hesitation in upholding their authority, and yet admitting the...