Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• The eighth commandment 5:19
  Stealing means taking something that belongs to another person from him or her against that person's will. Theft violates property as adultery violates marriage and the family.Frequently what one steals is some material posse...
• The reason for requesting a king 8:4-9
  God had made provision for kings to rule His people in the Mosaic Law (Deut. 17:14-20; cf. Gen. 1:26-28; 17:6, 16; 35:11; 49:10). The request in itself was not what displeased Samuel and God. It was the reason they wanted a k...
• Israel's commitment to Saul 11:12-15
  Admirably Saul sought no personal revenge on those who initially had failed to support him (10:27; cf. Judg. 20:13; Luke 19:27). Furthermore he gave God the glory for his victory (cf. Jon. 2:9; Ps. 20:7; Prov. 21:31). He was ...
• The results of David's victory 17:50-58
  God used a humble weapon to give His people a great victory in response to one person's faith. This is another instance of God bringing blessing to and through a person who committed himself to simply believing and obeying Go...
• 3. The request of Nehemiah 2:1-8
  Nehemiah prayed for four months about conditions in Jerusalem before he spoke to Artaxerxes about them (cf. 1:1; 2:1). Artaxerxes' reign began in the seventh Jewish month, Tishri (late September and early October), of 464 B.C...
• 3. Praise for Yahweh's triumph 118:22-29
  118:22-24 The psalmist seems to have been comparing himself to the stone that the builders (his adversaries) had rejected in view of the preceding context (cf. v. 18). The imagery is common. Whenever builders construct a ston...
• Consistent faithfulness 65:8-16
  The Lord proceeded to explain that even though He would destroy the ungodly, He would also spare the truly godly among His people (cf. Gen. 18:23-25).65:8 Yahweh promised not to destroy the whole nation (cluster of grapes) bu...
• Writer
  The composition and structure of Jeremiah, discussed below, have led many scholars to conclude that an editor or editors (redactors) probably put the book in its final form. Many conservatives, however, believe that Jeremiah ...
• Jeremiah's Temple Sermon 7:1-15
  This message demonstrates a structure that is quite typical of many others in the Book of Jeremiah (cf. 11:1-17; 17:19-27; 34:8-22). First there is an explanation of Yahweh's will (word, law; vv. 1-7), then a description of I...
• Jeremiah's grief over Jerusalem 8:18-9:1
  8:18 The prospect of this catastrophic invasion overwhelmed Jeremiah with sorrow. It made him weak, and he could not get over his anguish.8:19 He could hear his people in captivity bitterly crying out. They longed for Jerusal...
• 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 interpretation of the parable 21:1-7
  21:1-2 Again the Lord told His prophet to speak a message of judgment against Jerusalem, the pagan sanctuaries, and the whole land of Israel (i.e., Judah). This would be a clarification of the figures used in the previous par...
• 4. The interpretation of the four beasts 7:15-18
  7:15-16 Even though Daniel understood all kinds of visions and dreams (1:17), much of what he had just seen baffled and alarmed him (cf. 7:28). He now saw himself participating in the events of his vision. He evidently addres...
• The deliverance of Israel 12:1-3
  Whereas the previous verses have focused on the Antichrist, those in this pericope concern Israel. Here we learn that this "end time"will definitely be a time of intense persecution of Jews. This section constitutes the clima...
• The advent of Zion's King 9:9-10
  "This text is one of the most messianically significant passages of all the Bible, in both the Jewish and Christian traditions. Judaism sees in it a basis for a royal messianic expectation, whereas the NT and Christianity see...
• Their condition 5:3-10 (cf. Luke 6:20-26)
  This pericope describes the character of the kingdom's subjects and their rewards in the kingdom.236"Looked at as a whole . . . the Beatitudes become a moral sketch of the type of person who is ready to possess, or rule over,...
• The cost and reward of discipleship 16:24-27 (cf. Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-26)
  Jesus proceeded to clarify the way of discipleship. In view of Jesus' death His disciples, as well as He, would have to die to self. However, they could rejoice in the assurance that the kingdom would come eventually. Glory w...
• The seriousness of impeding the progress of a disciple 18:5-14 (cf. Mark 9:37-50; Luke 9:48-50)
  The major sub-theme of this discourse is offenses (Gr. skandalon, stumbling blocks). The humble disciple will be careful not to put a stumbling block in the path of another disciple as that one proceeds toward the kingdom.18:...
• B. Jesus' presentation of Himself to Israel as her King 21:1-17
  Jesus came to Jerusalem to present Himself formally to the leaders of Israel as the nation's Messiah. He did this when He entered Jerusalem as Isaiah and Zechariah predicted Messiah would appear."Jesus entered Jerusalem for t...
• 1. Jesus' preparation for the presentation 21:1-7 (cf. Mark 11:1-7; Luke 19:29-35; John 12:12-16)
  21:1-2 Jesus and his disciples travelled the 17 miles from Jericho to Bethany along the Roman road. They climbed about 3,000 feet in elevation between those towns. Bethphage ("house of figs") lay slightly farther west than Be...
• The parable of the lamp 4:21-25 (cf. Luke 8:16-18)
  Jesus' statements in this pericope appear throughout the other Gospels. Verse 21 occurs in Matthew 5:15 and in Luke 11:33. Verse 22 is in Matthew 10:26 and in Luke 12:2. Verse 24 appears in Matthew 7:2 and in Luke 6:38. Verse...
• 1. The Triumphal Entry 11:1-11 (cf. Matt. 21:1-17; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19)
  This is only the second incident that all four evangelists recorded, the other being the feeding of the 5,000 (cf. 6:30-44). This fact reflects its importance. Mark's account of this event gives much detail indicating its eye...
• 7. The concluding exhortation 13:33-37 (cf. Matt. 24:42; Luke 21:34-36)
  Matthew recorded much more of what Jesus taught the disciples following His statement in verse 32 than Mark or Luke did. They just included the essence of His exhortation to be vigilant.13:33 For the fourth time, Jesus urged ...
• Message18
  The first Gospel presented Jesus as the King. The second Gospel presented Him as the Servant. The third Gospel presents Him as the perfect Man. Matthew wrote to Jews about their King. Mark wrote to Romans about a Servant. Luk...
• Outline
  I. Introduction 1:1-4II. The birth and childhood of Jesus 1:5-2:52A. The announcement of John the Baptist's birth 1:5-251. The introduction of John's parents 1:5-72. The angel's announcement to Zechariah 1:8-233. The pregnanc...
• 2. John's preaching 3:7-18 (cf. Matt. 3:7-12; Mark 1:7-8)
  Essentially John called his hearers to change their minds about their relationship to God and to demonstrate the genuineness of their repentance with righteous conduct (vv. 7-14). He also promoted Jesus (vv. 15-17). Only Luke...
• 2. Jesus' authority to forgive sins 5:17-26 (cf. Matt. 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12)
  Luke documented Jesus' authority in yet another area of life by showing His power to forgive sins. In this incident the miracle is secondary and the issue of Jesus' authority is primary. Jesus claimed to be God by forgiving t...
• 3. Jesus' attitude toward sinners 5:27-32 (cf. Matt. 9:9-13; Mark 2:13-17)
  Luke painted Jesus bestowing messianic grace on a variety of people: a demoniac, a leper, a paralytic, and now a tax collector. He liberated these captives from a malign spirit, lifelong uncleanness, a physical handicap, and ...
• 2. The raising of a widow's son 7:11-17
  This miracle raised the popular appreciation of Jesus' authority to new heights. Luke also continued to stress Jesus' compassion for people, in this case a widow whose son had died, by including this incident in his Gospel. T...
• The meaning of the parable 8:11-15 (Matt. 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20)
  Jesus now gave His disciples information that enabled them to understand the deeper teaching of the parable. The proclaimed Word of God does not in itself yield a uniform response of faith. Response to it is all important.8:1...
• G. Jesus' preparation of the Twelve 9:1-50
  In this last major section describing Jesus' ministry in and around Galilee (4:14-9:50), Luke stressed Jesus' preparation of His disciples for the opposition that lay before them. This was the climax of Jesus' ministry in Gal...
• 5. The Transfiguration 9:28-36 (cf. Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8)
  This event is the climax of the "identity of Jesus"motif in all the Synoptics. Here the disciples saw and heard who Jesus really was. Luke's particular emphasis was the sufferings of Jesus that were coming. This comes through...
• V. Jesus' ministry on the way to Jerusalem 9:51--19:27
  This large section of the Book of Luke has no counterpart in the other Gospels, but some of the material in it occurs in other parts of the Gospels. The section consists largely of instruction that Jesus gave His disciples wi...
• D. The instruction of the disciples in view of Jesus' rejection 12:1-13:17
  Teaching of the disciples continues as primary in this part of the third Gospel (9:51-19:10). Jesus' words to them at the beginning of the present section (12:1-13:17) broadened to include the crowds toward the end....
• 3. Jesus' postponement of the kingdom 13:31-35
  Another comment triggered teaching of a similar nature. The continuing theme is the messianic kingdom.13:31 This incident followed the former one chronologically. Therefore it is probable that Jesus' words about Jews not ente...
• 1. The setting for Jesus' teaching 15:1-2
  Luke just recorded that Jesus called would-be disciple to pay attention to what He said (14:35). Now he noted that many tax collectors and "sinners"were doing precisely that. Thus he presented that group of needy spiritual ou...
• 2. The parable of the lost sheep 15:3-7 (cf. Matt. 18:12-14)
  Matthew recorded this parable as part of Jesus' discipleship training. Jesus' point was that God does not want any of His "sheep"to wander away from their Shepherd. It was a call to the disciples to exercise responsible pasto...
• J. The recipients of salvation 18:9-19:27
  Luke next developed the idea of faith on the earth that Jesus introduced in verse 8. This whole section clarifies how people become believers. This subject is a fitting conclusion to the part of Luke's Gospel that deals with ...
• 1. The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector 18:9-14
  The superficial connection between this pericope and the preceding one is that they both contain parables about prayer. However the more significant link is the people of faith (v. 8). This parable graphically contrasts the r...
• Jesus' teaching about riches 18:24-30 (cf. Matt. 19:23-30; Mark 10:23-31)
  Jesus continued talking with His disciples about the preceding conversation. However, Luke did not identify the disciples as those to whom Jesus spoke. This gives the impression that what Jesus said has relevance to all peopl...
• 4. Jesus' passion announcement and the disciples' lack of perception 18:31-34 (cf. Matt. 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34)
  Jesus' passion announcements to His disciples constitute important structural markers in Mark's Gospel. Luke and Matthew did not use them this way. The incident before us was the third passion announcement that Jesus gave bes...
• 6. Zaccheus' ideal response to Jesus 19:1-10
  This section in Luke's long narrative of Jesus' ministry as He travelled to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27) is climactic. It is a choice example of Jesus offering salvation to a needy person. Zaccheus accepted Jesus' offer and respond...
• 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...
• A. The Triumphal Entry 19:28-40 (cf. Matt. 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-19)
  Luke did not record Jesus' actual entrance into the city of Jerusalem. He stressed Jesus' approach to Jerusalem and His lamentation over it (vv. 41-44). This presentation has the effect of eliminating the triumphant spirit of...
• 1. Jesus' sorrow over Jerusalem 19:41-44
  This material occurs in no other Gospel. The destruction of Jerusalem that Jesus predicted here was an important event for Luke. It showed God's judgment on Israel for rejecting His Son and provided evidence that God had turn...
• 2. Jesus' cleansing of the temple 19:45-46 (cf. Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17)
  Judgment began when Jesus threw the merchants out of the temple courtyard. Jesus did this twice, once at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:13-22) and here at the end. Luke stressed the temple as a place of prayer. Jesus p...
• 2. The parable of the wicked tenant farmers 20:9-19 (cf. Matt. 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12)
  This parable taught that Israel's religious leaders who had authority were mismanaging their authority. It also affirmed Jesus' authority, not just as a prophet, but as God's Son. The leaders had expressed fear of death (v. 6...
• 4. The problem of the resurrection 20:27-40 (cf. Matt. 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27)
  This incident was also relevant for Luke's original Greek readers. The question of the resurrection of the body was important in Greek philosophy (cf. 1 Cor. 15). Luke used this incident in his narrative to bring Jesus' confr...
• 1. The setting and the warning about being misled 21:5-9 (cf. Matt. 24:1-6; Mark 13:1-6)
  21:5 Luke did not mention that Jesus gave this teaching on Mt. Olivet exclusively to His disciples (Matt. 24:1-4; Mark 13:1-5). His omission of these facts created continuity in his narrative and connected this discourse with...
• B. The preparations for the Passover 22:7-13 (cf. Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16)
  Luke recorded more details of these preparations than the other synoptic evangelists. Against the backdrop of a plot to arrest Him, Jesus comes across as the one who is in control and is quietly directing the events leading t...
• 2. Judas' betrayal 22:47-53 (cf. Matt. 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; John 18:2-12)
  22:47-48 All the synoptic evangelists noted the close connection between Jesus' praying and the arrival of the soldiers. It was very important that Jesus pray. Judas preceded the arresting mob (Gr. ochlos, crowd) as Jesus had...
• The fate of the guilty predicted 23:27-31
  Luke is the only evangelist who recorded this incident. He apparently did so because the fate of Jerusalem was one of his special interests. He had already recorded several warnings that Jesus had given to the people of Jerus...
• The mockery of Jesus' crucifixion 23:33-38 (cf. Matt. 27:33-43; Mark 15:22-32; John 19:18-24)
  23:33 Luke alone called the site of Jesus' crucifixion "the place called the skull"(Gr. kranion) rather than referring to it by its Aramaic name, Golgotha, and then translating it. This was undoubtedly an accommodation to his...
• Jesus' self-sacrifice to God 23:44-49 (cf. Matt. 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; John 19:28-30)
  Luke included three things in this heart of the death scene. He gave two evidences of God's displeasure with people for rejecting His Son. He recorded Jesus' prayer of trust in the Father, and he noted three immediate reactio...
• 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...
• 1. The first cleansing of the temple 2:13-22
  The Synoptics record Jesus' cleansing of the temple after His triumphal entry (Matt. 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-16; Luke 19:45-46). Only John noted this cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. The differences b...
• The revelation of Jesus' compassion 11:30-37
  The emphasis in this pericope is on Jesus' compassion in the face of sin's consequences.11:30-32 Mary's physical response to Jesus was more emotional that Martha's had been, perhaps reflecting her temperament. Again we find M...
• 5. Jesus' triumphal entry 12:12-19 (cf. Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40)
  The importance of this incident in Jesus' ministry is evident from the fact that all four Gospel evangelists recorded it. Matthew and Mark placed this event before Mary's anointing of Jesus in Simon's house (vv. 1-8). However...
• Peter's defense 2:14-21
  2:14-15 Peter, again representing the apostles (cf. 1:15), addressed the assembled crowd. He probably gave this speech in the Temple outer courtyard (the court of the Gentiles). He probably spoke in the vernacular, Aramaic or...
• 4. Internal conflict 6:1-7
  The scene shifts back to life within the church (cf. 4:32-5:11). Luke wrote this pericope to explain some administrative changes that the growth of the church made necessary. He also wanted to introduce the Hellenistic Jews w...
• The attestation of the believer's condition 8:14-17
  Verses 14-17 explain the Spirit's ministry of confirming the reality of the believer's position as a son of God to him or her. Paul believed that the believer who is aware of his or her secure position will be more effective ...
• 2. Conduct toward unbelievers 13:8-10
  Paul had previously glorified the importance of love among believers (12:9-10). Now he urged this attitude toward all people though unbelievers are primarily in view in this chapter. The connecting link in the argument is our...
• 1. The folly of judging one another 14:1-12
  The apostle dealt first with the importance of not judging one another. This was a particular temptation to those Christians who believed that they should refrain from some practices that they believed were displeasing to God...
• Builders of God's temple 3:10-15
  3:10 In the new illustration Paul laid the foundation of the church in Corinth by founding the church, and others added the walls and continued building on that foundation. Paul's special mission from God was to found churche...
• Judging God's servants 4:1-5
  "The first paragraph (vv. 1-5) leads the way by making an application of the servant model and showing how that relates to their treatment of him [Paul]. He changes images from farm to household and insists that he is God'sse...
• The contrast between our present and our future dwellings 5:1-10
  Paul continued to give reasons why we need not lose heart. The themes of life in the midst of death and glory following as a result of present suffering also continue.What about the believer who dies before he or she has foll...
• 3. Slaves and masters 3:22-4:1 (cf. Eph. 6:5-9)
  3:22 Paul probably made this section longer than the preceding two because he sent this epistle to Colosse with the Epistle to Philemon. Onesimus, Philemon's run-away slave, carried them.166Moreover there may well have been m...
• 1. A positive encouragement 1:12-17
  Paul thanked God for changing him to enable Timothy to appreciate the fact that God can transform even the worst of sinners and enable His saints to accomplish supernatural feats. What precipitated Paul's testimony here was t...
• 3. A popular saying 2:11-13
  To encourage Timothy further to endure hardship Paul cited a commonly accepted and used quotation that encouraged believers to remain faithful to their Christian profession (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8). It may have ...
• C. Paul's role in the last days 4:6-8
  Paul revealed that he was about to die to impress on Timothy further the importance of remaining faithful to the Lord.4:6 Paul believed that he would die very soon. He used two euphemistic expressions to describe his death. F...
• B. The Danger of Disbelief (The Second Warning) 3:7-19
  "The comparison between Christ and Moses leads to one between their followers. The writer uses the conduct of the Israelites as a means of challenging his readers to a closer walk with God."109The writer next reminded his rea...
• The final purging of sin 9:11-28
  The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
• 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...
• 5. Promise 2:26-29
  The prize for faithfulness was the privilege of reigning with Christ in His earthly kingdom (cf. 1:6; 12:5; 19:15; Ps. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4-6). As with the promises in the other letters, this one is probably for all ...
• 4. Promise 3:20-22
  In the context we note that God addressed well-known verse 20 to Christians."The first thing which a person mustget fixed in his mind when studying the message to the Church in Laodicea is the fact that the Spirit of God is a...
• Christ's invitation 4:1
  "These things"refer to the revelation of the messages to the seven churches (chs. 2-3; cf. 1:19). After John had received these messages, he received a vision of heaven in which Jesus Christ invited him (cf. 1:10, 12-16) to e...
• 5. Ascriptions of angelic and martyr praise 16:5-7
  John heard praise of God in heaven that interrupted his narration of the outpouring of the bowls of wrath briefly.16:5 The "angel of the waters"evidently refers to the angel responsible for the sea and fresh water, the superi...
• 2. The resurrection of tribulation martyrs 20:4-6
  ". . . it is not difficult to see why the early church understood John to be teaching a millennium in Revelation 20. Three arguments support this interpretation: (1) the teaching of two resurrections, (2) the binding of Satan...
• The restoration of Paradise 22:1-5
  Essentially what John saw next was Paradise regained (cf. 2:7; Gen. 2; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:2). Having viewed the splendor of the New Jerusalem he now saw what will nourish and enrich the lives of God's people there."Up to t...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• Melted By Kindness
  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house.'--Luke 19:5.IT is characteristic of Luke that only he tells the story...
• The Trading Servants
  Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds … And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.'--Luke 19:16-18.THE Evangelist, contrary to his usual practice, tells us what wa...
• The Rewards Of The Trading Servants
  Because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities…Be thou also over five cities.'--Luke 19:17-19.THE relation between this parable of the pounds and the other of the talents has often ...
• A New Kind Of King
  And when He was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38. Saying, Blesse...
• IV. We Have Christ's Exercise Of Sovereign Authority In His Father's House.
  Luke gives but a summary in Luke 19:45-48, dwelling mainly on two points. First he tells of casting out the traders. Two things are brought out in the compressed narrative--the fact, and the Lord's vindication of it. As to th...