Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• The lampstand 25:31-40
  This piece of furniture was probably similar in size to the table of showbread (v. 39). It stood opposite that table in the holy place against the south (left) wall. It weighed about 75 pounds. The tabernacle craftsmen fashio...
• Regulations concerning offerings and the penalty for defiant sin 15:1-31
  "Chapter 15 is another collection of texts designed to prepare the people for their life in the land. Hence this chapter is one of promise. Though a great deal has happened, and the results are overwhelming for the adult popu...
• 1. The blessed person 1:1-3
  1:1 A trilogy of expressions describes the person who is blessed or right with God.19Each of these is more intense than the former one. They proceed from being casually influenced by the ungodly to cooperating with them in th...
• A prayer 26:7-19
  Isaiah moved from a hymn of praise to a prayer that has two parts: present waiting for God (vv. 7-10) and future expectation from God (vv. 11-19).26:7 Presently the path of the righteous is smooth in that the trip from justif...
• D. Micah's lament over his decadent society 7:1-7
  This section is an individual lament similar to many of the psalms (cf. 1:8-16).7:1 Micah bewailed his own disappointment with Israel's situation. He compared himself to Israel's fruit pickers and grape gatherers who felt gre...
• 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...
• 2. Jesus' commissioning of 12 disciples 10:1-4 (cf. Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1-2)
  10:1 This is Matthew's first reference to Jesus' 12 disciples, though here He implied their previous identity as a group. He "summoned"(Gr. proskaleo) these men as a king commands His subjects. He who had all authority now de...
• The exorcism of an epileptic boy67817:14-21 (cf. Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43a)
  "The contrast between the glory of the Transfiguration and Jesus' disciples' tawdry unbelief (see v. 17) is part of the mounting tension that magnifies Jesus' uniqueness as he moves closer to his passion and resurrection."679...
• 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 ...
• Message14
  Matthew presents Jesus in the purple and gold of royalty. Mark portrays Him in the brown and green of a servant who has come to do His Father's will.The message of the book is similar to Matthew's message. A concise statement...
• 1. The introduction of John's parents 1:5-7
  1:5 Herod the Great ruled over Judea, the large Roman province that included all of Israel, from 37 B.C. to 4 A.D.Luke pointed out that both of John's parents had a priestly heritage. The priests in Israel had the great privi...
• 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...
• The healing of a lame man 3:1-10
  Luke had just referred to the apostles' teaching, to the awe that many of the Jews felt, to the apostles doing signs and wonders, and to the Christians meeting in the temple (2:43-44, 46). Now he narrated a specific incident ...
• Ministry in Iconium 14:1-7
  14:1-2 Iconium was a Greek city-state in the geographic region of Phrygia.". . . while Rome chose Antioch of Pisidia and Lystra as bastions of its authority in the area, Iconium remained largely Greek in temper and somewhat r...
• VI. THE PRACTICE OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS 12:1--15:13
  In contrasting chapters 1-11 with chapters 12-16 of Romans, perhaps the most important distinction is that the first part deals primarily with God's actions for humanity, and the last part deals with people's actions in respo...
• 2. Various greetings to Christians in Rome 16:3-16
  It may seem unusual that Paul knew so many people by name in the church in Rome since he had never visited it. However travel in the Roman Empire was fairly easy during Paul's lifetime. Probably he had met some of these peopl...
• B. Thanksgiving 1:4-9
  Paul followed his salutation with an expression of gratitude for his original readers, as he usually did in his epistles. In this case the focus of his thanksgiving was on God's grace in giving the Corinthians such great spir...
• 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...
• Taking pride in the wrong things 4:6-13
  "With rhetoric full of sarcasm and irony he [Paul] goes for the jugular. His own apostleship, which he portrays in bold relief, contrasting his own shame' with their perceived high station,' is alone consonant with a theology...
• A. Salutation 1:1-2
  This salutation contains the three elements common in all of Paul's epistles and other correspondence of his day: the writer, the addressees, and a greeting."This salutation exhibits undoubted resemblances in form to secular ...
• The sincerity of Paul's conduct 1:12-14
  In this first sub-section, which is transitional, Paul's intention was to convince the Corinthians that his recent actions arose from sincere motives.1:12 He first claimed generally that his actions did not arise from the mot...
• C. The delegates of the churches 8:16-24
  Having motivated his readers to finish the collection Paul proceeded to explain the practical steps he had taken to pick up their gift. He wanted the Corinthians to know what to do and what to expect. He gave a letter of comm...
• 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...
• The promise of victory 5:16-18
  5:16 Walking by the Spirit means living moment by moment submissively trusting in the Holy Spirit rather than in self."Walk by the Spirit' means let your conduct be directed by the Spirit.'"183"To walk by the Spirit' means to...
• 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...
• I. SALUTATION 1:1-2
  In most of his epistles Paul began by setting forth foundational truth and then concluded by applying that truth to the lives of his readers. This pattern is very obvious in Ephesians where the first three chapters deal with ...
• The selection of the Father 1:4-6
  The spiritual blessings that have come to us are the work of all three members of the Trinity. God Himself is the basis of these blessings.1:4 The first blessing is election. God has sovereignly chosen some people for salvati...
• Now alive in God 2:4-10
  The wrath of God on the unbeliever (v. 3) contrasts with the grace of God on the believer (vv. 5, 7, 8). God's grace toward some unbelievers gives them life (vv. 4-5), raises them up (v. 6), and seats them in heavenly realms ...
• Historical background
  The name of the city of Philippi was originally Krinides (lit. springs). It stood about 10 miles inland from the Aegean Sea in the Roman province of Macedonia. In 356 B.C. Philip II, king of Macedonia and father of Alexander ...
• Message8
  The Philippian Christians were special favorites of the apostle Paul. Their response to the gospel and their subsequent progress in the faith were exemplary. However the connections between Paul and Philippi that the New Test...
• Outline
  I. Salutation 1:1-2II. Prologue 1:3-26A. Thanksgiving 1:3-8B. Prayer 1:9-11C. Progress report 1:12-261. Paul's present imprisonment 1:12-182. Paul's anticipated deliverance 1:19-26III. Partnership in the gospel 1:27-4:9A. A w...
• I. Salutation 1:1-2
  Paul began this epistle by identifying himself and his companion and by wishing God's richest blessings on his readers."Almost all letters from the Greco-Roman period began with a threefold salutation: The Writer, to the Addr...
• 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....
• 2. Paul's anticipated deliverance 1:19-26
  At this point Paul's thinking turned from what had already occurred because of his imprisonment to what he anticipated happening in the future. He referred to this so his readers would uphold him in their prayers and feel enc...
• A. A worthy walk 1:27-30
  The first sub-section (1:27-30) begins with a topic sentence that expresses Paul's desire for the Philippians. Then he proceeded to explain and to illustrate what constitutes a worthy walk (2:1-4:9)."With this section we come...
• The foundation for unity 2:1-4
  Paul advocated humility, namely concern for the needs of others, not just one's own needs, as the basis for unity in the church (cf. 1:22-26; 2:21).". . . someone well said: Love begins when someone else's needs are more impo...
• The example of Christ 2:5-11
  This paragraph is the most important one in the epistle and the most difficult to interpret."By anyone's reckoning, 2:6-11 constitutes the single most significant block of material in Philippians."582:5 Paul introduced an ill...
• The responsibility of the believer 2:12-16
  "The detailed attention just given to the Christ-hymn must not obscure the fact that vv 12-18 are part of a larger parenetic section--1:27-2:18. Exhortation is resumed again through the frequent use of the imperative mood, or...
• The example of Paul 2:17-18
  2:17 The prospect that Paul might receive a death sentence soon arose again in his thinking. He described his present life as the pouring out of a drink offering in Israel's worship (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6; Num. 15:1-10; Num. 28:4-7)...
• The example of Timothy 2:19-24
  The apostle's reference to his present sufferings (vv. 17-18) led him to tell the Philippians about his plans. He wanted to send Timothy and Epaphroditus to Philippi. He said things about those two faithful fellow workers tha...
• The example of Epaphroditus 2:25-30
  Another messenger would arrive in Philippi before either Paul or Timothy. Epaphroditus would carry this epistle to its destination. Paul wrote this pericope to prepare for a proper reception of its courier and to draw attenti...
• 2. Walking in steadfastness 3:1-4:1
  Paul now turned to the second major quality that he introduced in 1:27-30, namely steadfastness in the face of opposition to the gospel (cf. 1:7, 28). He had introduced the idea of joy in the face of opposition earlier (1:19,...
• 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...
• Paul's privileged position 3:4b-6
  3:4b For the sake of the argument Paul adopted the Judaizers' attitude of confidence in the flesh. He did this to show that his rejection of Jewish advantages was not because he lacked them.1083:5 Circumcision of the flesh wa...
• Paul's charge to adopt his attitude 3:15-17
  3:15 In conclusion, Paul urged those who were mature among his readers to recognize that what he had said was true. He also promised that God would enlighten those who think differently about minor matters if their attitude w...
• The concluding charge to stand fast in the Lord 4:1
  The key word "Therefore"(Gr. hoste) and the repetition of "stand firm"(cf. 1:27) point to a conclusion of the main subject. This verse begins the rather protracted conclusion of the letter. The apostle did not want his reader...
• C. Specific duties 4:2-9
  This last section (4:2-9) of the body of the epistle (1:27-4:9) deals with the same two subjects as the preceding two sections, unity and steadfastness, but in more detail. Paul gave his readers specific instructions about wh...
• 2. Maintaining tranquillity 4:4-9
  Paul gave his readers five other brief positive exhortations all of which are vitally important for individual and corporate Christian living. They all result in the maintenance of peace in the body so the saints can work tog...
• IV. Epilogue 4:10-20
  The apostle began this epistle by sharing some personal information about his situation in Rome (1:12-26). He now returned from his concerns for the Philippians (1:27-4:9) to his own circumstances (4:10-20). Notice the somewh...
• B. The previous gifts 4:15-20
  Paul seems to have intended the references in these verses to previous gifts that the Philippians had sent him to dispel any doubts they may have had about the genuineness of his gratitude.4:15 The Philippians had been very t...
• 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...
• 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...
• IV. CONCLUDING MATTERS 22-25
  v. 22 Paul expected release from his house arrest in Rome soon (cf. Acts 23:29; 24:13; 25:25-27; 26:31-32; Phil. 2:24). This happened, but we have no record that Paul did or did not fulfill his desire to visit Philemon. The p...
• 1. The self-centered person 4:13-16
  4:13 James confronted his audience as the Old Testament prophets did. He began, "Come now"(cf. Isa. 1:18; et al.). The person in James' illustration was probably a travelling Jewish merchant, ". . . the materialist core of th...
• D. Living in View of the Future 3:11-16
  Peter drew application for his readers and focused their attention on how they should live presently in view of the future.3:11 Peter believed that an understanding of the future should motivate the believer to live a holy li...
• I. Introduction: THE PURPOSE OF THE EPISTLE 1:1-4
  "This writing begins without any of the formal features characteristic of a letter, such as we found in 2 John and 3 John. Since the conclusion also lacks any typical features of a letter, we must conclude that the writing is...
• A. The Reminder to Remember the Apostles' Warning vv. 17-19
  vv. 17-18 "Forgetfulness of the teaching and warnings of God in Scripture is a major cause of spiritual deterioration. . . ."Remember! It is the first imperative that Jude has used, and it heads a whole cluster of them in thi...
• 5. The fifth seal 6:9-11
  What happened next evidently took place in heaven.6:9 The altar John saw was evidently in heaven (cf. 8:3, 5; 14:18). Earlier John had seen a throneroom in heaven (chs. 4-5), but now he saw a temple. Probably the concepts of ...
• The triumph of the 144,000 14:1-5
  14:1 "And I looked"(Gr. kai eidon) introduces three scenes in chapter 14 (vv. 1, 6, 14), as this phrase did twice in chapter 13 (vv. 1, 11). "Behold"(Gr. idou, cf. v. 14) calls special attention to the greatness of the sight ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• Work Out Your Own Salvation
  Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.'--Phil. 2:12-13.WHAT God hath joined together, let no man put asunder!' Here are, joined...
• Copies Of Jesus
  Do all things without murmurings and disputings; 15. That ye may be blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world, 16....
• A Willing Sacrifice
  That I may have whereof to glory in the day of Christ, that I did not run in vain neither labour in vain. 17. Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18. And in ...
• Paul And Timothy
  But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. 20. For I have no man likeminded, who will care truly for your state. 21. For they all seek their own,...
• I. The Prisoner's Longing And Hope.
  The first point which strikes us in this self-revelation of Paul's is his conscious uncertainty as to his future. In the previous chapter (Phil. 2:25) he is confident that he will live. In the verses immediately preceding our...
• Paul And Epaphroditus
  But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow. worker and fellow-soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need. 26. Since he longed after you all, and was sore troubled, because ye had he...
• III. The Christian Sharing In Christ S Glory.
  The same precise distinction between fashion' and .form.' which we have had occasion to notice in Phil. 2., recurs here. The fashion' of the body of our humiliation is external and transient; the' form' of the body of His glo...